r,
and were now attacked with sea-sickness. This was vexatious to me,
for I knew from experience that a person so attacked for the first
time is altogether incapable of rendering any service, and even of
protecting himself against the smallest danger that threatens him. I
had no one to aid me in managing the boat, and was obliged to rely
on my own exertions. I told him who held the sheet of the sail to
hand it to me, and I twisted it round my foot, for both my hands
were engaged in holding the paddle which was our helm. My Indians,
like two inanimate bodies, lay at the bottom of the boat.

When I reflect on my position,--on the ocean, in a frail boat; having
only for helps two individuals who could not move, two skulls, and a
skeleton of an Ajetas,--I cannot help thinking that the reader may
imagine that I have concocted a story for his amusement. However,
I relate facts exactly as they occurred, and I leave all at liberty
to believe as they please.

I was, as it were, alone in my frail boat, struggling continually
with the large waves, which obliged me every moment to deviate from
the course. I longed for daylight, for I hoped to be able to discern
the beach of Binangonan de Lampon, as a place of refuge, where I
should find the frank hospitality and the valuable assistance of my
old friends.

At last the long-wished-for sun arose above the horizon, and I saw
that we were about three leagues from the coast. I had gone far too
much out to sea, and had passed Binangonan a long way. It was not
possible to steer back, the wind would not allow it; so I decided on
pursuing the same course, and on doing my best to reach, before night,
Maoban, a large Tagaloc village, situate on the coast of Luzon, and
which is separated by a small ridge of mountains from the lake of
Bay. The first rays of the sun and a little calm restored my Indians
to a state of being able to render me some service. We passed the
day without eating or drinking, and we had the regret of seeing that
we had not attained our purpose. Our position was most distressing:
a storm might rise, the wind might blow with force, and our only
resource then would be to throw ourselves into the breakers, and to
reach the shore as well as we could. But luckily nothing of the kind
took place; and about midnight we knew, from meeting a small island,
that we were in front of the village of Maoban. I steered to it, and
in a short time we arrived in a calm quiet bay, near a sa