#!/usr/bin/env perl
use strict;
use warnings;

use File::Find;

my $start_from = "/path/to/search/some_dir/beneath"; 
my $count = 10_000; #how many files to grab in this 'batch'; 
my @file_list; 

sub finder {
    if ( defined $start_from and not $found ) {  
        #partial match, walk directory. 
        if ( $start_from =~ m/\QFile::Find::name/ ) {
             $File::Find::prune = 0; 
             if ( $File::Find::name =~ m/\Q$start_from/ ) {
                 $found = 1; 
             }
        }
        else {
            $File::Find::prune = 1; #don't traverse into this dir
        }
    }
    if ( @file_list > $limit ) { 
        $found = 0;
        $File::Find::prune = 1;
        return; 
    }
    return unless -f $File::Find::name;
    push ( @file_list, $File::Find::name ); 
    #backtracks a bit to the start of the current directory
    $start_from = $File::Find::dir;
}

find ( \&finder, '/path/to/search' ); 
print "Next start point: $start_from\n"; 

##</code><code>##

while ( not -d $start_from and $start_from =~ m,/, ) {
    $start_from =~ s,/[^/]+$,,;
}