means
or strength to contend with: my business was to hold my breath, and raise
myself upon the water if I could; and so, by swimming, to preserve my
breathing, and pilot myself towards the shore, if possible, my greatest
concern now being that the sea, as it would carry me a great way towards
the shore when it came on, might not carry me back again with it when it
gave back towards the sea.

The wave that came upon me again buried me at once twenty or thirty feet
deep in its own body, and I could feel myself carried with a mighty force
and swiftness towards the shore--a very great way; but I held my breath,
and assisted myself to swim still forward with all my might. I was ready
to burst with holding my breath, when, as I felt myself rising up, so, to
my immediate relief, I found my head and hands shoot out above the
surface of the water; and though it was not two seconds of time that I
could keep myself so, yet it relieved me greatly, gave me breath, and new
courage. I was covered again with water a good while, but not so long
but I held it out; and finding the water had spent itself, and began to
return, I struck forward against the return of the waves, and felt ground
again with my feet. I stood still a few moments to recover breath, and
till the waters went from me, and then took to my heels and ran with what
strength I had further towards the shore. But neither would this deliver
me from the fury of the sea, which came pouring in after me again; and
twice more I was lifted up by the waves and carried forward as before,
the shore being very flat.

The last time of these two had well-nigh been fatal to me, for the sea
having hurried me along as before, landed me, or rather dashed me,
against a piece of rock, and that with such force, that it left me
senseless, and indeed helpless, as to my own deliverance; for the blow
taking my side and breast, beat the breath as it were quite out of my
body; and had it returned again immediately, I must have been strangled
in the water; but I recovered a little before the return of the waves,
and seeing I should be covered again with the water, I resolved to hold
fast by a piece of the rock, and so to hold my breath, if possible, till
the wave went back. Now, as the waves were not so high as at first,
being nearer land, I held my hold till the wave abated, and then fetched
another run, which brought me so near the shore that the next wave,
though it went over me, yet did no