toss OF THE HERCULES. 69 
discover, before sun-set, a brook that ran near the corner of 
a wood ; and here they determined to rest for the night. They 
began, therefore, to prepare a suiRcient quantity of fuel. The 
wood was chiefly composed of trees that partook in some de- 
gree of the nature of thorn ; they cut several, and arranged 
their fires. One of the Caffres struck a light, and the whole, 
in a minute, was in a blaze. The tinder which he provided 
was of a particular description ; it consisted of a pithy sub- 
stance extracted from a reed, and so tenacious of fire, that a 
single spark from the steel caught it in a moment. The 
weather being cold, they resolved to sleep close to one ano- 
ther ; but the guides told them the place they had fixed upon 
to rest during the night was known to be infested with leo- 
pards, and that, if they scented the party, nothing could pre- 
vent them from destroying some of them. This intelligence 
induced them to enlarge their fires, and they began to consult 
upon other measures that were likely to contribute also to 
their preservation. But such is the powerful influence of 
Morpheus over the harassed soul, that their conversation had 
scarcely commenced on this important subject, when they 
were all relieved from any sense of danger by gently falling 
into a sound sleep, in which they remained in perfect security 
until morning. 
No sooner had the sun peeped above the horizon, than they 
were all roused by the tremendous roaring of lions. Never 
were men in a situation more truly alarming. Had they dis- 
covered them during the night, they must have been torn to 
pieces when sleeping, as not an individual could attend the 
watch, or keep awake even for an hour. They therefore con- 
gratulated one another on finding they had all escaped, and 
set out about seven in the morning in company with their 
guides. They soon arrived at the bank of a small river, which 
being perfectly dry, they crossed without difficulty. Shortly 
after they came to another, which they likewise passed in a 
few minutes. They reached at length some high lands, from 
the tops of which they discovered several beautiful vales cloth- 
ed with long dry grass and clusters of trees ; in other places, 
forests of considerable extent, and skirting mountains of dif- 
ferent elevations. In the course of the day they were in great 
distress for want of water, and lost much time in the pur- 
suit of it. Indeed they almost despaired of finding any, as the 
earth appeared so dry as to exhaust all the brooks they had 
visited. Luckily, however, about sunset they discovered a 
«nall rivulet that ran near the forest j and although the water 
