hearty meal we had eaten since we
started from home.

Having thus satisfied our hunger, our thoughts were directed to taking
rest, of which we stood in great need; but it was no longer on knotty
and rough pieces of timber, that we were going to repose,--it was on
the soft sand, which the shore offered to us, warmed as it was by the
last rays of the setting sun. It was almost night when we stretched
ourselves on this bed, which to us was preferable to one of down. Our
sacks served as pillows; we laid our guns, which were properly primed,
close by our sides, and after a few minutes were buried in a profound
sleep. I know not how long I had enjoyed this invigorating balm when
I was awakened by the painful feeling of something crawling over
me. I felt the prickings of sharp claws, which fastened in my skin,
and occasionally caused me great pain. Similar sensations had awakened
my two Indians. We collected the embers which were still ignited, and
were able to see the new kind of enemies which assailed us. They were
the crabs called "Bernard the Hermit," [23] and in such quantities that
the ground was crawling with them, of all sizes and of all ages. We
swept the sand on which we laid down, hoping to drive them away,
and to have some sleep; but the troublesome--or rather, the famishing
hermits--returned to the charge, and left us neither peace or quiet. We
were busy in resisting their attacks, when suddenly, on the edge of
the forest, we perceived a light, which came towards us. We seized
our guns, and awaited its approach in profound silence and without
any movement. We then saw a man and woman coming out of the wood,
each having a torch in their hands. We knew them to be Ajetas, who
were coming, no doubt, to catch fish on the beach. When they reached
within a few steps from us, they stood for an instant motionless and
gazed at us with fixed attention. We three were seated, watching them,
and trying to guess their intentions. One of them put his hand to his
shoulder, as if to take his bow; and I instantly cocked my gun. The
noise caused by the movement of the gun-lock was sufficient to frighten
them: they threw down their light, and scampered off like two wild
beasts, in the highest alarm, to hide themselves in the forest.

Their appearance was enough to prove that we were in a place frequented
by the Ajetas. The two savages whom we had seen were perhaps gone to
inform their friends, who might come in great numbers and let