hain of hills--for it was first up and then down most of the way--
the sun was just setting; so, down we squatted in the first open place
we reached, resting for the night and leaving the descent into the
valley for the next morning. Indeed, we were so weary and worn out that
if we had known for a certainty that water was within reach of us at the
bottom of the hill, although we were so thirsty that we couldn't hardly
speak to one another, I don't believe a man of us would have stirred
after once lying down to get a drink--we really couldn't have stirred a
step!

"The sun had been up a good time before we rose from the ground, on
this, the third day of our being in the bush, and when we got up it was
as much as we could do to stand in an erect position at all, our
energies being so exhausted that hardly a man had a scrap of strength
left to drag himself up. Of all the miserable scarecrows you ever saw
in your life, we must have then looked the worst--with our bare pelts
burnt and blistered, our tangled hair and beards, our woebegone faces,
out of which our eyes were almost starting from their sockets, and our
bleeding feet and limbs, the latter all scratched, and with pieces of
flesh torn out of them by the briars and thorns through which we had to
scramble in our climb up the mountain!

"`We look just fit for Madame Tussaud's chamber of horrors,' said
Magellan, contemplating himself ruefully, and then looking at the rest
of us, who were all in the same sorry plight--like a parcel of naked
white savages.

"`Aye,' said I, `and I wouldn't mind being there in London now!
Howsomdever, old ship'--I added on to what I was saying, seeing that the
fellows laughed and cheered up a bit at Magellan's comical way--`if we
ever hopes to get there we must trudge on now. Our course is all
downhill, thank goodness, and perhaps we'll meet with a river at last--
as soon as we get down to the gully.'

"`That's your sort,' shouted out Magellan heartily; `rouse up, my
hearties, and let us push on. There's no good our remaining here, and
the sooner we start, why, the sooner we'll get to Majunga. Yo, heave
ho! Up anchor, men, and make sail! Heave ahead with a will and follow
me!'

"With that, we got under way again, with Magellan leading, as he was
stronger than me now, and the first man of course made the path easier
for those coming after him--which was the reason I went in advance as
long as I was able. In proportion as it had