pproach if we
had intended it. They actually covered the beach and the rocks, opening
their huge mouths, armed with very sharp teeth, more frightful than
dangerous. As it was night when we entered the bay, they were all
sleeping, but they produced a most deafening noise with their breathing.
We left them to their noisy slumber; for us, alas! no such comfort
remained. The continual anxiety attending an affliction like ours
destroys all repose, and for three days we had not slept an hour. Since
the new misfortune of Jack's captivity, we were all kept up by a kind of
fever. Fritz was in a most incredible state of excitement, and declared
he would never sleep till he had rescued his beloved brother. His bath
had partially removed the colouring from his skin, but he was still dark
enough to pass for a savage, when arrayed like them. The shores of the
strait we were navigating were very steep, and we had yet not met with
any place where we could land; however, my sons persisted in thinking
the savages could have taken no other route, as they had lost sight of
their canoe round the promontory. As the strait was narrow and shallow,
I consented that Fritz should throw off the clothes he had on, and swim
to reconnoitre a place which seemed to be an opening in the rocks or
hills that obstructed our passage, and we soon had the pleasure of
seeing him standing on the shore, motioning for us to approach. The
strait was now so confined, that we could not have proceeded any further
with the pinnace; we could not even bring it to the shore. Ernest and I
were obliged to step into the water up to the waist; but we took the
precaution to tie a long and strong rope to the prow, and when we were
aided by the vigorous arm of Fritz, we soon drew the pinnace near enough
to fix it by means of the anchor.

There were neither trees nor rocks on that desert shore to which we
could fasten the pinnace; but, to our great delight and encouragement,
we found, at a short distance from our landing-place, a bark canoe,
which my sons were certain was that in which Jack had been carried off.
We entered it, but at first saw only the oars; at last, however, Ernest
discovered, in the water which half filled the canoe, part of a
handkerchief, stained with blood, which they recognized as belonging to
Jack. This discovery, which relieved our doubts, caused Fritz to shed
tears of joy. We were certainly on the track of the robbers, and might
trust that they had not