ship, a number of hot-headed
adventurous spirits, to whom such a journey, as that designed, had an
irresistible charm. We all set out; but after a few days of suffering,
all the women and most of the men returned to the coast, while the
others went on.

"I have been told that some at least of this party succeeded after a
long and hazardous journey in reaching the Dutch settlements at Cape
Town. I suppose that must be so, because I learned, some years
afterwards, that all the particulars of the loss of the _Grosvenor_ were
known to the Dutch authorities, and I do not know how they could have
learned anything on the subject except from my fellow-passengers. I
have also been told that a party was sent out to search for any
survivors of the ill-fated ship. If that was so, they never came near
the spot where I was living.

"We saw our companions depart with very mingled feelings. The
confidence of their leaders had inspired some of us with hope, while
others were very despondent. This despondency was increased when, a few
days after their departure, Captain Gilby and Mr Gregg, returning from
a shooting expedition, reported that they had seen armed savages in the
neighbourhood of the huts, prowling about, evidently with no friendly
intentions towards us. It was immediately resolved to protect the
building with a palisade; beyond which the ladies were never to venture
without an armed escort, and to keep two of the men always on guard
inside the stockade with loaded muskets. But these precautions were of
little avail. Several of our small party were, from time to time,
captured or wounded by the natives; and all who were thus injured
expired soon afterwards in great agonies from the poison, in which the
weapons of the savages had been steeped. Two or three of the women also
died, partly of insufficient food, and partly of anxiety and alarm. At
last the whole party was reduced to four men and five women; and we then
held a consultation to decide what was to be done.

"It was impossible to defend the stockade, with our reduced numbers. It
was idle to hope for rescue. It would be still more useless to
surrender to the savages, who would observe no terms, even should they
be induced to agree to any. The only possible hope lay in flight. If
we stole out of the palisades by night, and took ourselves off in
different directions through the depths of the forest, it was just
possible that some of us might escape the