d
considerably, yet the sea ran dreadfully high upon the shore, and might
be well called _den wild zee_, as the Dutch call the sea in a storm.

And now our case was very dismal indeed; for we all saw plainly that the
sea went so high that the boat could not live, and that we should be
inevitably drowned. As to making sail, we had none, nor if we had could
we have done anything with it; so we worked at the oar towards the land,
though with heavy hearts, like men going to execution; for we all knew
that when the boat came near the shore she would be dashed in a thousand
pieces by the breach of the sea. However, we committed our souls to God
in the most earnest manner; and the wind driving us towards the shore, we
hastened our destruction with our own hands, pulling as well as we could
towards land.

What the shore was, whether rock or sand, whether steep or shoal, we knew
not. The only hope that could rationally give us the least shadow of
expectation was, if we might find some bay or gulf, or the mouth of some
river, where by great chance we might have run our boat in, or got under
the lee of the land, and perhaps made smooth water. But there was
nothing like this appeared; but as we made nearer and nearer the shore,
the land looked more frightful than the sea.

After we had rowed, or rather driven about a league and a half, as we
reckoned it, a raging wave, mountain-like, came rolling astern of us, and
plainly bade us expect the _coup de grace_. It took us with such a fury,
that it overset the boat at once; and separating us as well from the boat
as from one another, gave us no time to say, "O God!" for we were all
swallowed up in a moment.

Nothing can describe the confusion of thought which I felt when I sank
into the water; for though I swam very well, yet I could not deliver
myself from the waves so as to draw breath, till that wave having driven
me, or rather carried me, a vast way on towards the shore, and having
spent itself, went back, and left me upon the land almost dry, but half
dead with the water I took in. I had so much presence of mind, as well
as breath left, that seeing myself nearer the mainland than I expected, I
got upon my feet, and endeavoured to make on towards the land as fast as
I could before another wave should return and take me up again; but I
soon found it was impossible to avoid it; for I saw the sea come after me
as high as a great hill, and as furious as an enemy, which I had no