38 LOSS OF THE 
taining only women and children. The flesh of sea-cows anc 
sea-lions was hanging up to dry, of which the women gavt 
the travelers a part. They slept that night at a small distance 
from these huts. 
Next morning Hynes and nine others swam across the 
river, but the rest were too timorous to make the attempt. 
Those who had crossed the river, soon afterward had the 
good fortune to observe a seal asleep, just at high-water mark, 
and having cut off his retreat, they found means to kill him. 
Having divided the flesh, they traveled four or five days, oc- 
casionally falling in with the natives, who, upon the whole, 
behaved with tolerable forbearance. 
They now arrived at another river, which they were obli- 
ged to cross, and proceeding on their route, the next day 
found a whale; and thus being well supplied with provisions, 
they resolved to halt for their companions ; but after waiting 
in vain two days, they proceeded without them. They after- 
ward found that their companions had taken a more inland 
route, and had got before them. Having, therefore, cut up as 
mucjti of the whale as they could carry, and being much re- 
freshed, they proceeded with alacrity, having now no neces- 
sity to loiter in quest of food. 
Thus they traveled for more than a week, and in their way 
discovered some pieces of rags, which satisfied them that 
their late associates had got the start of them. They now 
entered an extensive sandy desert, and finding, toward the 
close of the first day, but little prospect of obtaining either 
wood or water, they were much disheartened. To their joy, 
however, at the entrance of a deep guUey they saw the fol- 
lowing words traced on the sand : Turn in here and you icill 
find plenty of loood omd water. This cheered them like a re- 
velation from heaven, and on entering the gulley they found 
the notification verified, and the; remains of several fires, vrhich 
assured them that their late companions had reposed in the 
same place. 
They^ proceeded several days, proportionably exhausted 
with fatigue as they advanced, but without any m.emorable 
occurrence. They now came to a bluff point of a rock, which 
projected so far into the sea as to obstruct their progress, s^o 
that they were obliged to direct their course more inland. 
To add to their distress, their provisions were again exhaust- 
ed, when, arriving at a large pond, they luckily found a num- 
ber of land-crabs, snails, and some sorrel in the vicinity, and 
on these they made a satisfactory meal. 
