Answer:
The first, second and third are correct
King Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC
Their thoughts can't be hundred percent sure without the diaries but they had thoughts on how much hardship they would have to go through the trip across mountains and rocky paths, they also had to survive with minimal resources, so their thoughts on this was probably brave and rough trip, they had no clue if they were gonna survive or what was gonna happen, they territory was unknown.
This is because after winning independent slave trade also was in that event, or because Europeans wanted to influence Christians into Africa.