A New Voyage Round the World by a Course Never Sailed BeforeDefoe, Daniel
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A New Voyage Round the World by a Course Never Sailed Before
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories; Voyages around the world -- Fiction
After they had puzzled themselves here, as I said, two or three days,
one of the lieutenants, and a man with him, seeing a hut or house of a
Chilian at some distance, rode away towards it; but passing into a
valley that lay between, he met with a river which he could by no means
get over with the mules, so he came back again in despair. The captain
then resolved to send back to the honest rich Chilian, who had
entertained them so well, for a guide, or to desire him to give them
such directions as they might not mistake.
But as the person sent back was one of those who had taken the journal
which I mentioned, and was therefore greatly vexed at missing his way in
such a manner, so he had his eyes in every corner, and pulled out his
pocket-book at every turning, to see how the marks of the places agreed;
and at last, the very next morning after he set out, he spied the
turning where they should all have gone in, to have come to the place
which they were at before; this being so remarkable a discovery, he came
back again directly, without going on to the Chilian's house, which was
two days' journey farther.
Our men were revived with this discovery, and all agreed to march back;
so, having lost about six days in this false step, they got into the
right way, and, in four more, came to the descent were I had been
before.
Here the hill was still very high, and the passage down was steep and
difficult enough; but still it was practicable, and our men could see
the marks of cattle having passed there, as if they had gone in drifts
or droves; also it was apparent, that, by some help and labour of hands,
the way might be led winding and turning on the slope of the hill, so as
to make it much easier to get down than it was now.
It cost them no small labour, however, to get down, chiefly because of
the mules, which very often fell down with their loads; and our men
said, they believed they could with much more ease have mounted up from
the east side to the top than they came from the west side to the
bottom.
They encamped one night on the declivity of the hill, but got up early,
and were at the bottom and on the plain ground by noon. As soon as they
came there they encamped and refreshed themselves, that is to say, went
to dinner; but it being very hot there, the cool breezes of the
mountains having now left them, they were more inclined to sleep than to
eat; so the captain ordered the tent to be set up, and they made the
whole day of it, calling a council in the morning to consider what
course they should steer, and how they should go on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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