wall of the prison. But I had not, as formerly, any instruments to
assist me in scaling the wall, which was of considerable height. There
was, of consequence, no resource for me but that of effecting a
practicable breach in the lower part of the wall, which was of no
contemptible strength, being of stone on the outside, with a facing of
brick within. The rooms for the debtors were at right angles with the
building from which I had just escaped; and, as the night was extremely
bright, I was in momentary danger, particularly in case of the least
noise, of being discovered by them, several of their windows commanding
this area. Thus circumstanced, I determined to make the shed answer the
purpose of concealment. It was locked; but, with the broken link of my
fetters, which I had had the precaution to bring with me, I found no
great difficulty in opening the lock. I had now got a sufficient means
of hiding my person while I proceeded in my work, attended with no
other disadvantage than that of being obliged to leave the door, through
which I had thus broken, a little open for the sake of light. After some
time, I had removed a considerable part of the brick-work of the outer
wall; but, when I came to the stone, I found the undertaking infinitely
more difficult. The mortar which bound together the building was, by
length of time, nearly 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