As we still kept along the East side of those Mountains, we at last discover'd a narrow Passage, which we resolv'd to climb, but the Difficulty we met with before we got up to the Top, was such that I cannot express it. When we had conquer'd it, we sat down to recover Breath, and take a little Food. Soon after we rose again, we perceiv'd a Pond about a Quarter of a League in Circumference, which was bounded on one side by the craggy Points of a Rock, which hung over the Water, and on the other by a very narrow rugged sort of Dyke, with a Precipice on the right hand, of which there was no discovering the Bottom. These mocking Objects made me as mute as a Fish; I had neither the Strength nor Courage to speak, and to be frank, I wish'd then with all my Heart I had never undertaken the Voyage. There was no Prospect of going down the way that we ascended, and the Danger of going farther was very great.
While we were at that Nonplus, I made a hard Struggle to climb to the Top of a Rock which was behind us; as soon as I was got up to it, my Sorrow was turn'd on a sudden into extravagant Joy, at the Discovery of a fine Champain Country beyond these Hills, which was interspers'd with Canals, and Trees regularly planted on the Banks of them. I thought likewise that I saw Cattle grazing in the Meads, and at a further distance great Bodies, which I took to be the Habitations of Men. I beckon'd to my Comrades to follow me, and signify'd to them by my Gestures and various Contortions of Body, that our Deliverance was nigh. They were so fond to know the good News, that they ventur'd after me, tho' they had like to have broke their Necks as well as I; but then, on the other hand, they were soon satisfy'd for their Pains, and agreed that this Country was, without Dispute, inhabited. All the Difficulty was how to come at it, a Difficulty, which we verily thought insurmountable. From this Eminence we carefully survey'd all the Country round; but there being no Appearance of Access to it, we help'd one another down, and took another View of the Precipice and Pond.
For my part, I was immediately of Opinion let the Danger be what it wou'd, that we ought to return and cut down Timber in the Forest where we had spent the Night, and to draw it up in the best manner we could, in order to venture this short Passage over the Pond. But Du Puis, thinking my Proposal impracticable, said, that the Passage between the Lake and the Precipice seem'd to be only two Foot broad in the narrowed Parts of it, that therefore one might easily cross over it, and that he would undertake to be our Guide. I was wonderfully pleas'd with his Motion, and did not fail to second it by instancing in the Pyrenees and Alpes, of which I had read something in the Memoirs of several Travellers; but La Foret, who was, as he said, subject to Vertigoes, protested he would not go that way, whatever was the Consequence, but that if we were resolv'd to pass it, he would rather do it by Swimming. Du Puis immediately acquiesc'd, and engag'd to carry his Clothes, and mine too, if I would take to the Water with him. No sooner said, but done, for La Foret and I stripp'd, bundled up our Clothes, and Du Puis taking them along with him, set out. We resolv'd to leave our Hatchets and Fowling-Pieces behind us, which indeed were of no more Service to us, because we had not three Charges of Powder left; nevertheless, Du Puis was to return to fetch them, if he found the Passage not so dangerous as we imagin'd. La Foret and I being both very good Swimmers, we arriv'd quickly at the other Shore, because we made choice of the narrowed Place; but Du Puis, who had taken our Clothes, was oblig'd to take a large Compass, before he came to the Place where he was to pass.
As soon as we got ashore, we ran to meet him, and glad we were to see him briskly advancing to us, but by an unaccountable Disaster, which I shall lament as long as I live, the poor Man was within ten Paces of being upon Terra Firma, when a Piece of the Rock giving way all on a sudden under his Feet, he cry'd out, Lord have Mercy upon me! and, and to our Astonishment, disappear'd in an Instant. We ran hastily to see what became of him, but alas! we neither saw nor heard him more.
I beg the kind Reader to pause here for a Moment, and seriously to reflect upon our Misfortune. Our inconceivable Grief for the Loss of our Friend, together with the pitiful Condition he left us in, having neither Clothes to cover our Nakedness, nor any Means possible to subsist us, so dispirited us, that we thought a hundred times of casting our selves headlong after him, and by that means to have put a sudden Period to the fatal Course of our unfortunate Lives.
CHAP. VI.
Of the Discovery of a very fine Country, its Inhabitants, their Language, Manners and Customs, &c. and of the Esteem which our Author and his Comrade gain'd there.
Mean time, the Surf was at the End of his Race, and we found our selves very cold, which were two pressing Motives to induce us to betake our selves to some Shelter. We descended the Mountain with no great Difficulty, because on that side it was not very deep. At the Foot of it was a broad deep Ditch, where we were again forc'd to swim over. This was one of the Barriers of the Country, and was destitute of Bridges, so that People could neither pass in nor out of it.
The farther we went into the Country, the more of its Beauties we discover'd, and a thousand things occur'd to convince us that it was inhabited. The Creatures which we spy'd, as we thought, from the Mountains, were Goats feeding in the Meadows, where the green Herbage was so high, that it partly conceal'd them from our Sight. In short, we were not a great way from one of the Herds, when the Man that look'd after them, who was then lain down upon the Grass, observing that they stretch'd out their Necks as if they spy'd something that had affrighted them, rose up to see what it was, and as soon as he perceiv'd us, ran away with all the Speed he could; and we heard afterwards, that seeing two such naked Men coming down the Mountain in the Evening, he took us for Savages: His Goats also ran as if they had been pursu'd by some Beast of Prey. Certain Shepherds who were not far off, tending their Flocks of Sheep, knew not what to think of this Alarm, but they had the Courage to join one another, and came seven or eight in a Body to examine us. As soon as we thought they could see us, we wrung our Hands, and endeavour'd by all the Signs we could think of, to move them to Compassion. They advanc'd, and perceiving that we were naked and unarm'd, came within four Paces of us, each having a great Stick in his Hand, and fell a talking to us. I told them in Latin, in French, and in Portuguese, a Language which I understood pretty well, considering the Time I was in Portugal, that we were two honest Europeans, who believ'd in God, and at the same time lifted up my Hands to Heaven, and then smote my Breast. But notwithstanding all my various Looks and Actions, I plainly perceiv'd by their Countenances, that they understood us no more than we did them; upon which I fell prostrate at their Feet, and by trembling, and extending my Arms, endeavour'd to give them to understand that I was almost starv'd to Death with Cold. Then they talk'd with one another a few Moments, but without giving the least Indication that they intended us any Harm, and at length, after some Deliberation, they beckon'd to us to follow them, and carry'd us to a venerable Personage, who, after having survey'd us, first gave each of us a great Robe, which cover'd us from Head to Foot, for at the Top of it a Cap was fasten'd, in the manner of a Monk's Cowl; then he interrogated us by Signs from whence we came, whether from the East, the West, or from any other Part of the Globe. We answer'd him in our own Language, and by the best Signs we were capable of making, that we were neither Angels nor Devils; that we came neither from Heaven nor Hell; that we were rational Creatures like himself, who having put to Sea in a great Machine of Wood, were cast away about 150 Leagues off; that of all the Crew only three of us set out inquest of some Asylum to pass the Remainder of our Days; but that we left one of our Companions by the way, in the most tragical manner that could be; and so of the rest. Then we begg'd him to take Pity of us, to put us to work, and to give us Nourishment. Tho' I knew not whether he understood what we said to him, yet he seem'd to be affected, by his shedding of Tears. He gave us a Supper, and in an Hour after we were carry'd to a Bed, which was all done in so handsome a manner, that we were charm'd with our Entertainment. Next Day it was as good as a Comedy to see the Crowds of People that came from all Parts to gaze at us. Every one look'd upon us with Amazement, because no body could comprehend from whence or which way we came hither. These Visits held at least a Fortnight or three Weeks. By hearing them talk much, we began to understand some Words of their Language: The first we retain'd was the Word Mula, which they seldom fail'd to pronounce, when with our Eyes or Hands lifted up to Heaven, we utter'd the Name of God. We learnt the Terms, At, to Eat; Bouskin, to Drink; Kapan, to Sleep; Pryn, to Walk; Tian, to Work; Touto, Yes; Touton, No; and a great many others, which we found afterwards to bear the same Meaning as we imagin'd they had at first. What very much contributed to make this Language familiar to us, was there being but three Tenses in the Indicative Mood of every Verb, viz. the Present, the Præterperfect, indefinite or compound, and the Future; that they have no Imperative Mood; that in their Subjunctive they have only the Præterimperfect and Præterpluperfect; and that besides these they have only the Infinitive Mood and Participle. They have also but three Persons in both the Singular and Plural Numbers, and thus, for Instance, they conjugate the Verb At: