Our guides answered that it was bad to cross, but might be got over, which would save us more than a quarter of a mile.

Knowing the value of time, I directly bade them to push through, and every one began to follow as well as he could.

They who were foremost had not, however, got above half over when the difficulty of progress was sensibly experienced.

We were immersed, nearly to the waist in mud, so thick and tenacious, that it was not without the most vigorous exertion of every muscle of the body, that the legs could be disengaged.

When we had reached the middle, our distress became not only more pressing, but serious, and each succeeding step, buried us deeper.