increased. It seemed so
terrible to have to die all alone away from friends and country.

At last I was driven to the very foot of the beacon, and I clutched it
as if it alone could afford me protection. I knew that I could not for
a single moment stand upon the rock with the sea breaking over it, but
the beacon itself withstood the furious waves. I had not as yet thought
of climbing to it to see how it was fixed, but I now did so with intense
anxiety. I found that the staff was of hard oak, and that it had been
imbedded in a deep hole formed by art in the rock, and further secured
by iron bars driven into it, and fastened round by iron hoops. This
gave me some hopes that it would stand the fury of the seas should they
rise high enough to strike it. That they would do this seemed every
moment more probable.

On every side around me they tossed and foamed and roared, as if eager
to seize me. I frantically clutched the pole, which, from its size, I
could with difficulty embrace. Even now, though my chance of escape
seemed small indeed, I did not abandon all hope. A small line hung down
through the bottom of the cask. I tried its strength. It would enable
me, I found, to mount upwards, but I was unwilling to make the attempt,
as I could not tell whether the cask was fixed securely enough to bear
my weight. There I stood, my arms round the pole, clutching the rope
with my hands, and awaiting my fate. That that ere long would come I
was fully convinced.

Though sea after sea broke on the rock, none actually touched me, though
my feet occasionally were washed by the foam. To my surprise, and
contrary to all my expectations, though the seas raged round me as
fiercely as ever, the water sank, and as the sea rolled up it struck a
lower level of the rock, and I began to hope once more that I should
escape. Then I recollected that if the tides had not yet reached their
extreme height, or the spring tides had not come on, the next day might
prove fatal. Though the water had receded, I dare not leave the
beacon-post, and kept clinging to it as my only comfort and friend. At
length weary I sank down to rest, still grasping it in my arms. Thus
hours passed away, even now too painful to think of. I ate the
remainder of the biscuit, and then fell into a heavy slumber, which must
have lasted many hours. I awoke to find that it was night, and that the
tide was once more rising, as I knew by hearing the seas breaking