32 LOSS OF THE 
tomed, in their nocturnal prowlings, to resort to this place for 
water, the situation of the travelers was perilous, and subject 
to continual alarms. 
In the morning one of the party ascended a lofty tree to 
observe the tren dings of the coast, after which they resumed 
their course, and entered another wood just as the night set in. 
Having passed it by paths which the wild beasts alone had 
made, they again reached the sea-coast. Here they made 
fires, which, after the fatigues they had undergone, was a 
toilsome business, and threw into them the oysters they had 
collected, to make them open, as they had not a single knife 
remaining among them. On this spot they reposed, but found 
no water. 
Next day the wanderers, in the course of their journey, 
had the good fortune to discover a dead whale, which sight, 
in their present situation, afforded them no little satisfaction. 
The want of a knife to cut it up prevented them from taking 
full advantage of this accidental supply ; some of them, though 
in the extremity of hunger, nauseated this food ; while others, 
making a fire on the carcass, dug out the part, thus roasted, 
with oyster shells, and made a hcirty meal. 
A fine level country now presented itself, the sight of which 
caused them to believe that their fatigues were near a termina- 
tion, and that they had reached the northernmost part of the 
Dutch colonies. Here new dissensions arose, some advising 
that they should penetrate inland, while others persevered in 
the original plan of keeping in the vicinity of the sea-coast. 
After many disputes another division of the party took 
place. Mr. Shaw, the fourth mate, Mr. Harris, the fifth, 
Messrs. Williams and Taylor, Capt. Talbot, and seamen, to 
the number of twenty-two persons, among whom was Hynes 
the reporter, resolved to proceed inland. The carpenter, the 
ships steward, M. D'Espinette, M. Oliver, with about twenty- 
four seamen, continued to follow the shore. 
The party which took the interior proceeded for three days 
through a very pleasant country, where they saw a great num- 
ber of deserted kraalls. During this time they had nothing to 
subsist on but a few oysters which they carried with them, 
and some berries and wild sorrel gatiiered on the way. The 
effects of hunger soon compelled them to return to the coast, 
where, as usual, they found a supply of shell-fish. As they 
were proceeding up a steep hill, soon after their separation, 
Capt. Talbot complained of great lassitude, and repeatedly 
sat down to rest himself. The company several times in- 
