DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11789#0131
ON BEING LOST.
121
pletely lost among these barbarians. At first, of
course, you would use signs trying to describe your
party, or indicate the place to which you wished to
go. Failing in both, as you certainly would, un-
less those around you should happen to have some
previous knowledge of you or your party, you
would perhaps show or offer them money, in the
fond hope that its magic power may quicken their
perceptions; in other words, make them under-
stand what is simply and absolutely unintelligible.
"But," you will say, "if it cannot give a new in-
tellect, my money may give a new will, and where
there is a will, there will be found a way." Though
you do not—in fact you cannot overestimate the in-
fluence of gold with these people, you greatly under-
estimate their sagacity. Don't talk of your money—
you are alone among a people of whose language
you know not one word, and therefore you and
everything belonging to you is in their power.
" Ay, but I am armed, and these rascals, if they
regard nothing else, have an unbounded respect for
European fire-arms." True, and if you retain your
self-possession and your pistols, you will perhaps
escape being robbed for a few hours ; for although
with their long guns, they might pick you off at a
distance that would make them quite secure from
11
121
pletely lost among these barbarians. At first, of
course, you would use signs trying to describe your
party, or indicate the place to which you wished to
go. Failing in both, as you certainly would, un-
less those around you should happen to have some
previous knowledge of you or your party, you
would perhaps show or offer them money, in the
fond hope that its magic power may quicken their
perceptions; in other words, make them under-
stand what is simply and absolutely unintelligible.
"But," you will say, "if it cannot give a new in-
tellect, my money may give a new will, and where
there is a will, there will be found a way." Though
you do not—in fact you cannot overestimate the in-
fluence of gold with these people, you greatly under-
estimate their sagacity. Don't talk of your money—
you are alone among a people of whose language
you know not one word, and therefore you and
everything belonging to you is in their power.
" Ay, but I am armed, and these rascals, if they
regard nothing else, have an unbounded respect for
European fire-arms." True, and if you retain your
self-possession and your pistols, you will perhaps
escape being robbed for a few hours ; for although
with their long guns, they might pick you off at a
distance that would make them quite secure from
11