ards
the island. He besought me to allow him to take the canoe, which was
still where he left it the preceding night. As the bridge was now easy
to cross, I consented, only insisting on accompanying him to assist in
managing it. Jack, who was much afraid of being left behind, was the
first to leap in and seize an oar. There was, however, no need of it; I
steered my little boat into the current, and we were carried away with
such velocity as almost to take our breath. Fritz was at the helm, and
appeared to have no fear; I will not say that his father was so
tranquil. I held Jack, for fear of accidents, but he only laughed, and
observed to his brother that the canoe galloped better than Lightfoot.
We were soon in the open sea, and directed our canoe towards the object
we had remarked, and which we still had in sight. We were afraid it was
the boat upset, but it proved to be a tolerably large cask, which had
probably been thrown overboard to lighten the distressed vessel; we saw
several others, but neither mast nor plank to give us any idea that the
vessel and boat had perished. Fritz wished much to have made the circuit
of the island, to assure ourselves of this, but I would not hear of it;
I thought of my wife's terror; besides, the sea was still too rough for
our frail bark, and we had, moreover, no provisions. If my canoe had not
been well built, it would have run great risk of being overset by the
waves, which broke over it. Jack, when he saw one coming, lay down on
his face, saying he preferred having them on his back rather than in his
mouth; he jumped up as soon as it passed, to help to empty the canoe,
till another wave came to fill it again; but, thanks to my out-riggers,
we preserved our balance very well, and I consented to go as far as
_Cape Disappointment_, which merited the name a second time, for we
found no trace here of the vessel, though we mounted the hill, and thus
commanded a wide extent of view. As we looked round the country, it
appeared completely devastated: trees torn up by the roots, plantations
levelled with the ground, water collected into absolute lakes,--all
announced desolation; and the tempest seemed to be renewing. The sky was
darkened, the wind arose, and was unfavourable for our return; nor could
I venture the canoe on the waves, every instant becoming more
formidable. We moored our bark to a large palm-tree we found at the foot
of the hill, near the shore, and set out by land to our home