84 TRAVELS IN 
gant Midas, from relations publifhed with- 
out my confent, have turned into ridicule, as 
well as my cock ; becaufe, among other 
filly things, for example, finding always wa- 
ter in the Seine, they cannot conceive why 
that river does not extend to the defarts of 
Africa, but confines its courfe to a very fmall 
portion of the earth ; and how one can die 
of thirft or hunger, when the markets in the 
capital are every where fupplicd and abound 
v/ith provifions of all kinds — I fay how much 
/ did I congratulate myfelf on pofleffing in my 
domeftic animals, in appearance the moft 
ufelefs, fo excellent guards, and friends fo 
neceflary to my prefervation ! 
In thefe critical moments my faithful Kees 
never quitted my fteps ; and when we left 
our carriages, even for a moment, the force 
of his inftindt foon conduded him to fomel 
of thefe plants : but as the tuft which no 
longer exifled rendered all his tumbling ufe- 
lefs, he dug up the earth with his fore paws. 
This refource however would have been far 
from fatisfying his impatient avidity, had I 
not gone to his afliftance with my poniard ^ 
and on thefe occafions we honeftly fhared the 
valuable fruit which he difcovered. 
I found, 
