44 LOSS OF THE 
One of the company, who had lost his own cloth&s in cross- 
ing a river, took the opportunity of supplying himself by 
stripping the dead man, and then they proceeded till night, 
without any other sustenance than what their o^vn water af- 
forded them. 
Next day brought no alleviation of their miseries. Neces- 
sity impelled them to proceed, though hope scarcely darted a 
ray through the gloom of their prospects. The whole party 
was at last reduced to three persons, Hynes, Evans, and 
Wormington, and these could hope to survive their compa- 
nions only a few days. Their faculties rapidly declined, they 
could scarcely hear or see, and a vertical sun darted its beams 
so intensely upon them, that it was with the utmost difficulty 
they could proceed. 
Their misery, from thirst, now became so intolerable, that 
Wormington earnestly importuned his companions to deter- 
mine, by lot, which of them should die, in order that the others 
might be preserved by drinking his blood. Hynes, though al- 
most childish, was shocked at the proposal ; his tears flowed 
abundantly, and he declared that as long as he was able to 
walk he could not think of casting lots ; but that, if he should 
be obliged to drop, they might then use him as they pleased. 
Upon this Wormington, shaking hands with Hynes and 
Evans, suffered them to proceed without him. 
Every hour now seemed to throw a deeper gloom over 
their fate ; nature could support no more. Hynes and Ev- 
ans, however, made another effort to advance, without even 
indulging a hope of the possibility of relief. They this day 
saw something before them which had the appearance of large 
birds, but their surprise maybe conceived, when, upon a nearer 
approach, they discovered them to be men. Nearly blind 
and idiots, they did not at first recollect their newly found 
companions, but after some time they recognized in them 
four of the steward's party from which they had been sepa- 
rated. One of them, a boy, named Price, advanced to meet 
them, and gave them the pleasing information that his asso- 
ciates had fresh water in their possession. This inspired them 
with new life, and reciprocal inquiries were made relative to 
the fate of their lost companions. The three men whom 
Hynes and his companion had overtaken, were named Berney, 
Leary and De Lasso, who hearing that Wormington was left 
behind, the two latter went in search of him, charging those 
who remained not to sufler Hynes and Evans to drink too freely 
of the water, as several had expired from the eagerness with 
which they swallowed that fluid after long abstinence. 
