The gnats rubbed their wings together and bent the slender ends of the reeds with the weight of their tiny bodies.

We were alone in the tranquillity of this desert.
At this point, the valley curved and widened and formed a sharp bend.

We climbed a little hill, in order to locate ourselves, but the horizon either ended abruptly, enclosed by another hill, or else stretched out over new plains.

We did not lose courage, however, and continued to advance, while we thought of the travellers on desert islands who climb on promontories in the hope of sighting some vessel setting sail towards them.
The soil was growing less moist, and the grass less high; presently the ocean came in view, ensconced in a narrow bay, and soon the shore, strewn with debris of shells and madrepores, crunched beneath our footsteps.

We let ourselves drop to the ground and as we were exhausted, we soon fell asleep.