Confinement and solitude do not always kill. The Dutchman, accustomed,
perhaps, to a life of indolence, existed twenty years in his cage, never
enjoying the satisfaction of beholding "the human face divine," or of
hearing the human voice, except when the individual entered who was
charged with the duty of bringing him his provisions and cleaning his
cell. Some faint rays of light, just such as enable cats and owls to
mouse, found their way into the dungeon; and, by their aid, Dubourg,
whom accident or the humanity of his keeper had put in possession of an
old nail, and who inherited the passion of his countrymen for flowers,
contrived to sculpture roses and other flowers upon the beams of his
cage. Continual inaction, however, though it could not destroy life,
brought on the gout, which rendered the poor wretch incapable of moving
himself about from one side of the cage to the other; and he observed to
his keeper, that the greatest misery he endured was inflicted by the
rats, which came in droves, and gnawed away at his gouty legs, without
his being able to move out of their reach or frighten them away.

Having examined the principal objects of curiosity at the mount, and
learning that the tide was rising rapidly on the Grève, I descended from
the fortress, and mounting my horse, set out on my return to Avranches.

My guide informed me that I had staid somewhat too long, and in fact,
the sea, flowing and foaming furiously over the vast plain of sand,
quickly surrounded the mount, and was at our heels in a twinkling.
However, the guide sprang off with that long trot peculiar to fishermen,
and was followed with great good will by the beast which had been so
obstinate in the morning. We were joined in our retreat by a party of
sportsmen, who appeared to have been shooting gulls upon the sands; but
they could not keep up with the young fisherman, who stepped out like a
Newmarket racer, and in a short time landed me safe at the Point of