se the nearest land, and thus having it all
over as soon as possible. This would have been certain destruction.
The captain and pilot, well nigh stupefied by what they had undergone,
offered no opposition. I saw that a vigorous effort must be made; so I
laid hold of them both, shook them to arouse their attention, and bade
them take heed to what the rowers were about; adding that it was sheer
suicide, and that our only hope of life was to bear up for the sandy
creek, which I pointed out to them at a short distance.

Thus awakened from their lethargy, they started up, and joined with me
in expostulating with the sailors. But the men doggedly answered that
they could hold out no more; that wherever the land was nearest they
would make for it, come what might; and with this they pulled on
straight towards the cliff.

The captain hastily thrust the rudder into the pilot's hand, and
springing on one of the sailors, pushed him from the bench and seized
his oar, while I did the same to another on the opposite side; and we
now got the boat's head round towards the bay. The refractory sailors,
ashamed of their own faintheartedness, begged pardon, and promised to
act henceforth according to our orders. We gave them back their oars,
very glad to see a strife so dangerous, especially at such a moment,
soon at an end; and the men pulled for left, though full half an hour's
rowing yet remained between us and the breakers; and the course which
we had to hold was more hazardous than before, because it laid the boat
almost parallel with the sweep of the water: but half an hour! yet I
thought we should never come opposite the desired spot.

At last we neared it, and then a new danger appeared. The first row of
breakers, rolling like a cataract, was still far off shore, at least a
hundred yards; and between it and the beach appeared a white yeast of
raging waters, evidently ten or twelve feet deep, through which, weary
as we all were, and benumbed with the night-chill and the unceasing
splash of the spray over us, I felt it to be very doubtful whether we
should have strength to struggle. But there was no avoiding it; and when
we drew near the long white line which glittered like a watchfire in the
night, I called out to Yoosef and the lad, both of whom lay plunged
in deathlike stupor, to rise and get ready for the hard swim, now
inevitable. They stood up, the sailors laid aside their oars, and a
moment after the curling wave capsized th