but refrained, and
merely took a small draught, barely sufficient to quench my burning
thirst. I then made signs to him that when he was equally thirsty he
might also have some, but kept it in my own possession. I suspected,
however, that when I was again compelled to go to sleep he would seize
it, and perhaps drink the whole of the contents. Now and then the
dreadful thought came across me that he might perhaps murder me, or
throw me overboard. I might be wronging the man; but I knew he had been
a pirate, and was not likely to be very particular as to what he would
do.

Again daylight departed, and when at length I fell asleep, I was
dreaming of fountains and lakes and sparkling streams and draughts of
crystal water. I awoke to find my mouth parched with thirst, and on
lifting the bamboo, I discovered that every drop had been drained. I
felt sure that unless we could fall in with land death must be our
portion--at least, for my own part, I believed I could not go through a
whole day without water. The sun had not been up long before I began to
feel the suffering I had expected. I knew that drinking salt water was
dangerous in the extreme. I saw, however, that Ali was continually
chewing a little dried fish, and sometimes a few grains of rice, a
handful of which had been in the boat. I followed his example, but
found but little relief. Again and again I looked round in the hope of
seeing land. At length I caught sight ahead of a long line of white
breakers. I pointed them out to Ali, that we might avoid them,
supposing that a reef existed in that direction. He stood up and
examined them, and then altered the course of the boat a little. As we
approached, I saw beyond the breakers a line of white sand. It was, I
judged, a lately made coral island. We continued on till we got on the
lee side of it, when we ran close into the rocks. It appeared, as far
as I could judge, to be about a mile and a half in circumference, the
shore so steep that a big ship might have run in alongside it. The
whole was covered with fine white sand, without a vestige of vegetation.
I was unwilling to land, though I thought it possible water might be
obtained, for I had a dread that Ali might leave me there and go off by
himself. He seemed to understand my suspicions, and jumping out, made
the boat fast, and led the way over the sand. I saw that it was covered
with a great variety of sea-birds, some of which rose immediately