When we had quitted our Lodging, we began to discover high Mountains, and for fear we should not find Sustenance there, we laid in a Stock of Provisions for several Days. We were not mistaken in our Conjectures; one would have sworn it was another Greenland, the Place being all dry and barren, so that in many Parts there was neither Herb, nor Bush, nor any thing that could give Nourishment to the minutest Animal; therefore we discover'd nothing worth mentioning: The Birds also were very scarce, from whence 'tis easy to imagine, that we spent our Time there very ill; and had it not been that every now and then we went down into certain little Valleys, where there were some paltry Fruit-Trees, and Water to quench our Thirst, we had been in danger of perishing.

The Ninth Day of our Journey, towards the Evening, we arriv'd in a Vale, where, about a Quarter of a League from us, on the right Hand, we saw a little Torrent that descended from a Rock into a Hollow, from whence it ran into a Marsh, which form'd a Semi-Circle, but extended in the Center farther than our Eyes could reach. The Banks of this fine Water were high, and somewhat steep, which gave us reason to think that the River was then much lower than at another Season of the Year. As I drew near it, in order to go into it, I was startled to find the Ground give way all on a sudden under my Feet, so that I fell in up to my Armpits. My Comrades seeing me stick there, fell a laughing, however they help'd me out. At the same time ten or twelve Birds, as big as our Geese, with Beaks as long and as broad as ones Hand; flutter'd under my Feet, darted like an Arrow into the Air, and sounded an Alarm by a Noise of Quacou, Quacou, which was their natural Cry, and loud enough to be heard at a great Distance. Before one could tell a Hundred, the Sky was darkned with these Birds, which prodigious Number together with the fearful Noise they made, scar'd us so, that we absolutely knew not what to think of it;, especially when they accosted us sometimes in Bodies, with desperate Cries, hovering within a Pike's Length of our Heads, and threatning as were, to tear us Limb from Limb; and tho' we shot at them, and brought several of 'em to the Ground, it was still the same; but when we saw that they meant us no Harm, and that they actually began to found a Retreat, we went to take some Refreshment.

Du Puis presently remark'd, that the Place where I sunk in, was a Nest to which some of those Birds were retired, by the Side of which was a Second, then a Third, and so on, about the distance of ten or twelve Foot from one another. The Mouth of these subterraneous Nests was of an oval Form, the smallest of which was a Foot in Diameter. I crept into the third, where I found a Place as big as a little Room, it being above eight Foot square, and at least three in Height. There were fifteen Nests round it, all built in a circular Form, with small Boughs full of Leaves, clay'd over, and they were three or four Feet in Circumference. In each Nest were six speckled Eggs, as big as one's Fist. In the middle of the Den, there was a sort of Trough much bigger than those Nests, which was full of a certain Matter, divided into little round Bits, some longer than the others, which I imagin'd at first were their Excrements, but being so curious as to put it to my Lips, I found it of an excellent Taste, exceeding our best Macaroons, which it very much resembled. My Comrades, who were as fond as my self to search for Novelties, went severally into other Dens, where they found things in the very same Situation and Order, as I have mention'd, only as the Cavities were not of the same Bigness, there were more Nests in some than in others. We infer'd from thence, That no wonder there were such Numbers of these Birds, because they multiply to such a Degree, and there's no body to destroy them.

Scarce were we recovered from our last surprize, but we were infinitely more astonish'd at the Sight of one of these Caverns about a hundred Paces off. The Entrance of it could not possibly be the Fabrick of any Birds whatsoever, for three great Stones, each a Foot long, plac'd in the Earth, one by another, form'd the Threshold, and in the Door-way were large Flints, four Foot in height, and above a hundred Weight each, with other Stones plac'd in order, one behind another, which intirely shut it up. These Productions of the Hand of Man made us hesitate whether we ought to wish to find Humane Beings here or not; 'tis true we should have rejoic'd to see Creatures of our own Species, but we were afraid we should not be very well us'd by them. Tho' we were in this sad Quandary, we advanc'd towards it, but took care to cry out and make Noise enough, that we might be heard by any that should happen to be within. La Foret being quite out of Patience to see what wry Faces we made, bid us stand on each Side with our Hatchets in our Hands, while he wou'd remove the Obstacles, and open the Passage, that he might go in and examine what there was behind. He actually did so; but when he was in the Inside, he found it too dark there to see anyone thing. All that he told us when he came out was, that a Man might stand upright in it, and that the Apartment was habitable, he having felt a Bench there. Upon this we went and fell'd some Trees at a small distance from us, where we cut as much Wood as we cou'd carry, and made a Fire before our Cavern, and, when it was well lighted, we enter'd into our Room, which was twice the Bigness of the others, neatly pav'd with choice little Flints, and border'd all round with a Bank of Turf.

But, O dreadful Sight! what should we see at the same time upon the Bank, on the left, which was most shelter'd from the Wind, but a Humane Corpse, which was from Head to Foot a very Skeleton. Over it there was a kind of smooth Slate, fasten'd in the Wall, on which was engrav'd in the Greek Language, and in Capital Letters, ᾽ΑΓΙΟΣ ῾Ο ΘΕΟΣ, ᾽ΑΓΙΟΣ ΊΣΧΥΡΟΣ, ᾽ΑΓΙΟΣ ΚΑΙ ᾽ΑΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ, ᾿ΕΛΕΗΣΟΝ ῾ΗΜΑΣ. O holy God, holy and powerful, holy and immortal, have Mercy upon us! Every one will naturally imagine, that various were our Conjectures and Sentiments of this Matter, which I will not therefore trouble my self to repeat. Mean time, Hunger, which made us very sharp-set, oblig'd us to take a Brace of the Birds we had kill'd, which we held over the Flame to burn off the Feathers, instead of skinning them, as we us'd to do, because we fancy'd the Skin to be as delicate a Part as any; nor were we at all deceiv'd, for after having drawn them, and wash'd 'em, we put 'em upon the Brands, where they were roasted in a Moment, and as we had eat but very little all Day, we scarce left any thing, besides Bones; for they were fat, juicy, and very well tasted. After having made a very hearty Supper, we settled our selves to sleep, as well as we could, leaving the dead Man to his Cavern, without touching him, because we had a mind to examine him more narrowly next Day.

It was hardly Day-break, when our impertinent Birds renew'd their Noise, as they flew to and from their Holes, to such a degree, that it was impossible for us to sleep any longer, tho' we were heartily inclin'd to it. We staid, however, till the Sun was up; but our Appearance did not at all alarm the Fowls which were all as hard employ'd about their several Occasions, as if they had actually been in Pay. We saw some with their Bills full of Earth, which they brought, no doubt, from the most irregular Parts of their Holes, in order to make them either larger or neater. Others came with Materials for repairing their Nests, but the generality carry'd those Cracknels, which I thought so good the Night before. We ascended the Eminence, to see from whence they brought this Food. As soon as we had lifted up our Eyes, we saw upon a little Hill, within a Musket-shot of us, three Bodies of the same Height and Bigness. We went to take a near View of them, and found, in short, that they were three broken Pyramids, eight Foot in Height, five in Diameter at the Base, and about three at the Top, very regularly built of Flints neatly placed in Rows upon one another.

The bare View of three such rare Monuments in a Desert Country, did not satisfy us; we were resolv'd to take one of them to pieces; But as soon as we had taken off about the thickness of a Foot and half of the Stones at the top, we discover'd first the Skull of a Humane Creature, then the Shoulder-Bones, Arm-Bones, and in a word, the whole Carcase. We just discover'd the Head of a Corpse, which was in the Second, but went no farther, because probably it was all the same in the last. While we were reflecting upon all this with a sort of Wonder, I went and discover'd round the third Pyramid certain Characters, form'd also of little Flints, almost like Pidgeons Eggs, which I took for the following Hebrew Letters; and they were rang'd on the Ground in this Order, Koph, Vau, Lamed, He, Teth, Lamed, Koph, Pe, Gimel, Vau, Beth, Thau, Hajin, Koph, Mem, Lamed, Aleph, Sajin, Samech, Resch; but they had no Points, nor any other Mark to explain them. I try'd my utmost to find out the Meaning of them, and have thought on't a thousand times since, but could never accomplish it, which way soever I set about it. There was something of the like kind round the two other Monuments, but I did not think it worth while to take off the Stones that we had cast upon them. In all Appearance, these were the Remains of four poor Devils like our selves, who, after having rambled out of their Knowledge, and seeing no Likelihood of coming to any better Place than this, stopt here, dug a Cave after the manner of the Birds I mention'd, or perhaps took Possession of one of their Nests, and so dy'd there, one after another; first those we saw under the Monuments, and then the last upon the Bench, where we found him, and where Time had so consumed his Clothes and Flesh, that we did not see the least Traces of either.

What further confirm'd us in this Opinion was, that not far from hence there was a vast Number of Trees, as straight as a Bulrush, whose Branches grew all in Pyramidical Stories, ending at the Top in form of an Acorn, as big as an Egg. All the Branches of these Trees were like so many Plumes of Ostrich-Feathers, that is to say, garnish'd with small Leaves like Strings, on both Sides. From one end to the other, and all round the Edge of this Plumage, there was a Border of the Size of a Writing-Quill, and over each Row of Branches a Ring, which encompass'd the Tree, about the thickness of one's Finger, and was that excellent Food, of which our great Birds seem'd so dainty, and which we imagin'd the four poor Pilgrims eat instead of Bread.

Forasmuch as I had but just tasted this Bread the Night before, I and my Comrades fell on it very heartily. It was who could climb best to come at it, where any was left; for in several Places there was none to be had. In fine, we cramm'd till we could swallow no more, and we all lik'd it so well, that Du Puis actually talk'd of building a Tabernacle, and dying there, as the Owners of those Skeletons seem'd to have done. But while we were talking of this Subject, we were overtaken with such a sudden Drowsiness, that we could scarce heave our Legs from the Ground, and we all lay down. Not one of us was bereft of his Understanding, but our Members were all benumb'd, and we almost lost the Use of Speech. We had been two Hours in this Condition, when we fell asleep till the Afternoon.

Du Puis, who was the first that awak'd, felt something under his right Hand, betwixt Sleeping and Waking, which he thought naked, smooth, and as big as his Thigh. He imagin'd at first, that he had roll'd in his Sleep upon one of us, but recovering his Reason with the Revival of his Spirits, and opening his Eyes for better Information, he was terribly astonish'd to see betwixt him and La Foret, a Serpent, which was above twenty-five Foot long. He was more depriv'd of the Use of his Members then, than before, and could neither stir nor speak; in the mean time the Serpent retreated, twin'd himself about one of the neighbouring Trees, and crept up to taste the Cracknels. Upon this, my Friend took Courage, jogg'd me, and when I awak'd, he shew'd me that hideous Animal. As weak as I still found my self, I got up in a Moment, and ran away as fast as I could. Du Puis follow'd me, and La Foret, upon our calling out to him, did the like instantly. Glad we were that this Monster had not swallow'd us up, the Fear of which was a strong Motive to our Resolution of decamping forthwith; but we were forc'd to stay all Night to recover our selves.