68 LOSS OF THE HERCULES. 
They did not take their departure on the morning of the 
23d until the sun was well up. The guides were intelligent, 
and gave them to understand that they must on no account 
travel early, as the wild beasts constantly rose with the sun, 
and then ranged the deserts in quest of their prey. As they 
were all unarmed, a single lion, leopard, or panther, could 
have destroyed most of them. It became, therefore, highly 
necessary they should not stir until these animals had satis- 
fied their hunger, and were retired for the day. 
Notwithstanding this cautious and necessary advice, and 
which was given with a laudable earnestness for their preser- 
vation, still the people were so desirous of getting on that 
thej^ grew uneasy ; but the guides could not be induced to 
quit the fires until about nine o'clock, at which time they all 
proceeded, and in good spirits. 
Not more than three or four of the party were at this mo- 
ment in possession of shoes. They had many hundred miles 
to travel through unknown countries, to ascend mountains 
of stupendous elevation, penetrate woods, traverse deserts, 
and ford rivers ; and yet they were to combat all these diffi- 
culties bare-footed, not having saved above four pair of shoes, 
and even these but in sad condition. 
" As my feet were naked," says the captain, " like most of 
my people, one of them offered me an old pair of boots which 
he then wore ; but I refused them. My habiliments were a 
short jacket, a table-cloth, which I found on the shore, wrapt 
round my loins ; a shawl over it ; four shirts, which I wore 
at the same time ; a pair of trowsers and a hat. We bore 
to the westward on our setting out, for the purpose of obtain- 
ing fresh water in the course of our journey. Our guides 
observed, that near the coast the water was generally brack- 
ish ; we therefore struck into the interior, and were not en- 
tirely disappointed in our expectations." 
They now traveled tthrough a country beautifully varie- 
gated with hills, dales, extensive plains finely watered, but 
less wooded than the former. The grass appeared of an ex- 
traordinary height ; but in the course they pursued, not a hu- 
man foot step could be traced ; no cattle nor sign of cultiva- 
tion could be observed. They were not interrupted by any 
beast of prey, although they constantly perceived their dung. 
At length, after traveling about thirty-five miles, they began 
to feel the want of water. 
Having searched for this indispensable aliment with the 
Utmost anxiety and attention, they were so fortunate as to 
