he had been driven down the stream
for some miles along the forest; but at length, striking against a
projecting point of a log, she had gone down in shallow water, my father
and the skipper being providentially able to make their way to a large
tree, a branch of which projected from the stem only a few feet above
the surface. Here they rested till daylight. The skipper then managed
to reach the vessel, which had sunk close below them, and got hold of
some spars and one of the sails; which they hoisted up to their
resting-place. The second trip he made he managed to get hold of a
small cask of biscuits and a bottle of schiedam. This nourishment
greatly revived them, and they began to consider how they could come to
our assistance; for of course, not being aware that we should be able to
obtain an abundant supply of provisions, they feared that we should
perish from hunger. In vain, however, the skipper endeavoured to
recover a sufficient number of spars to form a raft. On the third trip
he made to the vessel he was nearly washed away, so my father entreated
him not again to venture. He did so, however, and getting hold of a
coil of rope, fastened one end of it to the branch and the other round
his waist. He made several more trips, and recovered a cask of
herrings, another of biscuits, and three more bottles of schiedam. The
current, however, driving against the vessel, already fearfully damaged
by the blows she had received, began to break her up; and although the
brave skipper made several attempts to recover more articles, they were
mostly unsuccessful. He had, however, got hold of Marian's small box of
clothing, which had been saved when so many things were washed out of
the boat. He had also saved a saucepan, some hooks and lines, an axe, a
saw, a small auger, a few nails, and some other articles, which had been
thrown into an empty cask. They had now no longer any dread of
immediate starvation for themselves, but their anxiety about us was by
no means lessened; and having sufficient provisions to last them for
several days, they felt more eager than ever to reach us.

They had seen several logs floating down the stream at a distance. At
length it struck them that if they could obtain one of these, they
might, with the aid of the sail and the spars they had saved, accomplish
their object. It would have been madness to get upon one of them unless
they could manage to secure it to their branch. At lengt