I embraced him, and enjoined him and his brothers to obey their mother.

I then loaded the guns I left with them, and charged my wife to keep near the boat, their best refuge.

We took leave of our friends with many tears, as we did not know what dangers might assail us in an unknown region.
But the murmur of the river, which we were now approaching, drowned the sound of their sobs, and we bent our thoughts on our journey.
The bank of the river was so steep, that we could only reach the bed at one little opening, near the sea, where we had procured our water; but here the opposite side was guarded by a ridge of lofty perpendicular rocks.

We were obliged to ascend the river to a place where it fell over some rocks, some fragments of which having fallen, made a sort of stepping-stones, which enabled us to cross with some hazard.

We made our way, with difficulty, through the high grass, withered by the sun, directing our course towards the sea, in hopes of discovering some traces of the boats, or the crew.