Pagina 182 di 483

I covered it carefully with dry wood and leaves and placed wet

branches upon it; and then, spreading my cloak, I lay on the

ground and sank into sleep.

"It was morning when I awoke, and my first care was to visit the

fire. I uncovered it, and a gentle breeze quickly fanned it into

a flame. I observed this also and contrived a fan of branches,

which roused the embers when they were nearly extinguished. When

night came again I found, with pleasure, that the fire gave light

as well as heat and that the discovery of this element was useful

to me in my food, for I found some of the offals that the

travellers had left had been roasted, and tasted much more

savoury than the berries I gathered from the trees. I tried,

therefore, to dress my food in the same manner, placing it on the

live embers. I found that the berries were spoiled by this

operation, and the nuts and roots much improved.