ns. Sea and land being as they were, it was a perilous
undertaking, which only dire necessity could have justified. They were
all swimmers, but as I could not swim, the strongest man was placed
behind me, to seize me and swim ashore, if a crash came.

Creeping round near the shore all the way, we had to keep just outside
the great breakers on the coral reef, and were all drenched through and
through with the foam of an angry surf. We arrived, however, in safety
within two miles of our destination, where lived the friends of my
canoe's company, but where a very dangerous sea was breaking on the
reef. Here they all gave in, and protested that no further could they
go; and truly their toil all the way with the paddles had been severe. I
appealed to them, that the canoe would for certain be smashed if they
tried to get on shore, that the provisions would be lost, and some of us
probably drowned. But they turned to the shore, and remained for some
time thus, watching the sea. At last their Captain cried, "Missi, hold
on! There's a smaller wave coming; we'll ride in now."

My heart rose to the Lord in trembling prayer! The wave came rolling on;
every paddle with all their united strength struck into the sea; and
next moment our canoe was flying like a sea-gull on the crest of the
wave towards the shore. Another instant, and the wave had broken on the
reef with a mighty roar, and rushed passed us hissing in clouds of foam.
My company were next seen swimming wildly about in the sea, Manuman the
one-eyed Sacred Man alone holding on by the canoe, nearly full of water,
with me still clinging to the seat of it, and the very next wave likely
to devour us. In desperation, I sprang for the reef, and ran for a man
half-wading, half-swimming to reach us; and God so ordered it, that just
as the next wave broke against the silvery rock of coral, the man caught
me and partly swam with me through its surf, partly carried me till I
was set safely ashore. Praising God, I looked up and saw all the others
as safe as myself, except Manuman, my friend, who was still holding on
by the canoe in the face of wind and sea, and bringing it with him.
Others ran and swam to his help. The paddles were picked up amid the
surf. A powerful fellow came towards me with the pot of flour on his
head, uninjured by water! The Chief who held on by the canoe got
severely cut about the feet, and had been badly bruised and knocked
about; but all the rest escaped witho