petrified, and appeared to my first efforts one
solid rock of the hardest adamant. I had now been six hours incessantly
engaged in incredible labour: my chisel broke in the first attempt upon
this new obstacle; and between fatigue already endured, and the
seemingly invincible difficulty before me, I concluded that I must
remain where I was, and gave up the idea of further effort as useless.
At the same time the moon, whose light had till now been of the greatest
use to me, set, and I was left in total darkness.

After a respite of ten minutes however, I returned to the attack with
new vigour. It could not be less than two hours before the first stone
was loosened from the edifice. In one hour more, the space was
sufficient to admit of my escape. The pile of bricks I had left in the
strong room was considerable. But it was a mole-hill compared with the
ruins I had forced from the outer wall. I am fully assured that the work
I had thus performed would have been to a common labourer, with every
advantage of tools, the business of two or three days. But my
difficulties, instead of being ended, seemed to be only begun. The day
broke, before I had completed the opening, and in ten minutes more the
keepers would probably enter my apartment, and perceive the devastation
I had left. The lane, which connected the side of the prison through
which I had escaped with the adjacent country, was formed chiefly by
two dead walls, with here and there a stable, a few warehouses, and some
mean habitations, tenanted by the lower order of people. My best
security lay in clearing the town as soon as possible, and depending
upon the open country for protection. My arms were intolerably swelled
and bruised with my labour, and my strength seemed wholly exhausted with
fatigue. Speed I was nearly unable to exert for any continuance; and, if
I could, with the enemy so close at my heels, speed would too probably
have been useless. It appeared as if I were now in almost the same
situation as that in which I had been placed five or six weeks before,
in which, after having completed my escape, I was obliged to yield
myself up, without resistance, to my pursuers. I was not however
disabled as then; I was capable of exertion, to what precise extent I
could not ascertain; and I was well aware, that every instance in which
I should fail of my purpose would contribute to enhance the difficulty
of any future attempt. Such were the considerations that presente