A YOUNG NATUMALISZ 



219 



misfortune, we took care, before constructing a fresh hut, to 

 search round the shrubs and bushes. A few birds shot on 

 the road rendered it unnecessary for us to hunt any more, 

 as we had an abundance of food, so we all set to work to 

 repair our wardrobes. Our shoes first required our at- 

 tention, and Sumichrast constituted himself head-cobbler. 

 L'Encuerado's sandals gave him a great advantage over 

 us; for all he required was a sole and a leathern strap, and 

 then he was well shod. But, unfortunately, the delicacy of 

 our skin several times afforded Sumichrast cause for regret 

 that he had not been born an Indian. 



L'Encuerado, full of ingenuity, managed to fix some 

 pieces of fox-skin pn some old soles, and made for Lucien 

 a pair of buskins as strong as they were inelegant. He 

 promised to make us some like them, and Sumichrast, who 

 succeeded only tolerably well in his cobbling, nominated the 

 Indian a sandal-maker in ordinary and extraordinary to our 

 majesties." 



The next morning at daybreak we entered a narrow 

 gorge in which it was impossible for us to walk abreast. 

 The whole morning was spent in travelling along between 

 two stone ramparts, hung with mosses, ferns, and orchids. 

 The moist soil rendered the temperature round us sufficient- 

 ly cool and agreeable ; but the pass was so filled up with 

 the trunks of fallen trees as to render our progress very 

 laborious. 



The gorge extended to such a length that I began to be 

 anxious about it, and to fear lest we had entered into a cul- 

 de-sac. The perpendicular walls rendered any deviation in 

 our path impossible; above us, the trees crossed their 

 branches and almost hid the sky. No bird enlivened the 

 solitude with its song, and ferns were so abundant that it 

 seemed as if we had lighted upon some corner of the primi- 

 tive world ; as if to render the resemblance more complete, 



