e, implored them to leave me to my fate, and
think only of their own safety. But my entreaties had no effect on
them whatever, except to render them most determined not to leave me.
They swore they would stay by me whilst life remained, and that they
were perfectly willing to rest whenever I wished it. Moreover,
Makarov, the strongest of the sailors, entreated me to let him help me
along, which he could do, if I would go behind him, and hold fast to
his girdle. On hearing this I determined to remain with my companions
and allow myself to be dragged along by them.

After we had gone some distance from them, over rocky cliffs, and
through deep ravines, we came to a couple of huts, from which came a
whistling noise, such as, with us, the people use to charm quails, in
order to capture them. We stooped down among the grass, and listened
for a long while, in order to find out whether it came from a bird, or
whether there were people in the huts. As it was not likely that many
persons dwelt in such an out of the way place, we took courage, and
went up to them; but when we drew near, we found out that what we had
taken for huts, were in reality two heaps of wood. As we had not been
able to gain a moment's rest during the preceding day, we laid
ourselves down on this spot, where we were protected from the wind and
cold, and slept for two or three hours. Greatly refreshed, we started
again on our journey, and by daybreak reached the top of a high
mountain, which was covered with thick brushwood, and which far
out-topped the surrounding hills. Here we determined to pass the day.
As at sunrise a thick fog covered the tops of the mountains, we
ventured to make a fire among the bushes to warm our limbs, stiffened
with wet and cold. We placed on it a tea kettle, which, however, was
not for the purpose of preparing tea, a luxury by no means within our
reach, but to warm our dry and mouldy rice, in order to render it
palatable. We searched, also, for wild herbs, but nothing eatable was
to be found any where, for on the heights winter reigned despotic. We
melted some snow for a drink, and made a meal of our rice, which was
already nearly putrid. In the meantime, black clouds were rising in
the east, the wind howled through the trees, and every thing indicated
that a storm was fast approaching. As we concluded that none of the
Japanese would venture among the mountains in such weather as this, we
determined not to wait for the approach o