tain. Whatever stream ran from it must go the
other way. We should find no water before reaching the mountain--
perhaps, not then; and, tortured with these doubts, we pushed gloomily
forward.

"By noon the oxen began to give out. One of them fell dead, and we left
him. The other three could not go much farther. Every article that was
of no present use was thrown from the wagon to lighten it, and left
lying on the plain; but still the poor brutes were scarce able to drag
it along. We went at a snail's pace.

"A short rest might recruit the animals, but I could not bring myself to
halt again, as my heart was agonised by the cries of my suffering
children. Mary bore up nobly; so, too, did the boys. For myself, I
could not offer a word of consolation, for I knew that we were still ten
miles from the foot of the mountain. I thought of the possibility of
riding on ahead, and bringing back some water in the vessels; but I saw
that my horse could never stand it. He was even now unable to carry me,
and I was afoot, leading him. Cudjo also walked by the side of the
oxen. Another of these now gave up, and only two remained to drag the
vehicle.

"At this terrible moment several objects appeared before us on the
plain, that caused me to cry out with delight. They were dark-green
masses, of different sizes--the largest of them about the size of a bee
cap. They looked like a number of huge hedge hogs rolled up, and
presenting on all sides their thorny spikes. On seeing them, I dropped
my horse; and, drawing my knife, ran eagerly forward. My companions
thought I had gone mad, not understanding why I should have drawn my
knife on such harmless-looking objects, and not knowing what they were.
But I knew well what they were: I knew they were the _globe cacti_.

"In a moment's time I had peeled the spikelets from several of them; and
as the wondering party came up, and saw the dark-green succulent
vegetables, with the crystal water oozing out of their pores, they were
satisfied that I had not gone mad.

"In a short while, we had cut the huge spheroids into slices, which we
chewed with avidity. We set some of them also before the horse and
oxen, both of which devoured them greedily, sap, fibres, and all; while
the dogs lapped the cool liquid wherever they were cut.

"It is true, that this did not quench thirst, in the same way that a
drink of water would have done; but it greatly relieved us, and would,
perhaps, enab