the sea: not
a hill or tree could be perceived, and a low black line almost level with
the water's edge was the only indication that we had of being near land.

LYELL'S RANGE.

This kind of shore continues for about nine miles, when low sandhills
begin to rise parallel to the coast, and these gradually increase in
altitude until they form that remarkable range of dunes which I have
called Lyell's Range. When it wanted about an hour to sunset we had made
about twenty-five miles, and then ran in closer along the coast to look
either for a boat harbour or some spot at which we could beach them. But
nothing suited to our purpose could we see: the coast was straight,
sandy, exposed and lashed by a tremendous surf; the wind now freshened
considerably and the sky looked very threatening; we had therefore no
resource left but either to run to the northward before the breeze or to
beach the boats. I chose the first alternative; and we coasted within
about a quarter of a mile of the shore, just outside the surf, looking
out for any spot which gave us the least hope of beaching in safety.

BEACH THE BOATS.

As the sun sank so freshened the breeze, until it blew a good half gale
of wind, and everything gave indications of approaching foul weather.
This was no coast to be on during a stormy night in heavily laden
whale-boats; and as it now began to grow dark I determined at all hazards
to beach rather than be driven out to sea in a gale of wind. I
accordingly ran my boat in through the surf, leaving the other one
outside to see what success we had before they made the attempt.

BOAT SWAMPED IN BEACHING.

The surf was very heavy but the men behaved steadily and well; and
through it we went, dancing along like a cork in a mill-pond; at last one
huge roller caught us, all hands gave way, and we were hurried along on
the top of the swelling billow, which then suddenly fell under us and
broke; in a moment after we had grounded, and although still upwards of
two hundred yards from the shore, we all jumped out to haul the boat up,
but ere we could move our heavily laden whaler beyond a few yards breaker
after breaker came tumbling in and completely swamped it. We continued to
haul away and presently found ourselves swimming. In fact the whole coast
hereabouts was fronted by a kind of bar of sand, distant about two
hundred yards from the shore, with not more than two feet water on it.
Between this and the shore the water was tolerabl