KTAADN. 
39 
long by three or four high, which rapidly dried the 
sand before it. This was calculated to burn all night. 
We next proceeded to pitch our tent; which operation 
was performed by sticking our two spike-poles into the 
ground in a slanting direction, about ten feet apart, for 
rafters, and then drawing our cotton cloth over them, 
and tying it down at the ends, leaving it open in front, 
shed-fashion. But this evening the wind carried the 
sparks on to the tent and burned it. So we hastily drew 
up the batteau just within the edge of the woods before 
the fire, and propping up one side three or four feet 
high, spread the tent on the ground to lie on ; and with 
the corner of a blanket, or what more or less we could 
get to put over us, lay down with our heads and bodies 
under the boat, and our feet and legs on the sand toward 
the fire. At first we lay awake, talking of our course, 
and finding ourselves in so convenient a posture for 
studying the heavens, with the moon and stars shining 
in our faces, our conversation naturally turned upon 
astronomy, and we recounted by turns the most inter¬ 
esting discoveries in that science. But at length we 
composed ourselves seriously to sleep. It was inter¬ 
esting, when awakened at midnight, to watch the gro¬ 
tesque and fiend-like forms and motions of some one 
of the party, who, not being able to sleep, had got up 
silently to arouse the fire, and add fresh fuel, for a 
change; now stealthily lugging a dead tree from out 
the dark, and heaving it on, now stirring up the embers 
with his fork, or tiptoeing about to observe the stars, 
watched, perchance, by half the prostrate party in 
breathless silence; so much the more intense because 
they were awake, while each supposed his neighbor 
sound asleep. Thus aroused, I too brought fresh fuel 
