t opposite the entrance. But
as he approached, driven along at a good pace, suddenly the canoe seemed
to be seized from beneath. He knew in a moment that he had grounded on
soft mud, and sprang up to lower the sail, but before he could do so the
canoe came to a standstill on the mud-bank, and the waves following
behind, directly she stopped, broke over the stern. Fortunately they
were but small, having only a mile or so to roll from the shore, but
they flung enough water on board in a few minutes to spoil part of his
provisions, and to set everything afloat that was loose on the bottom of
the vessel.

He was apprehensive lest she should fill, for he now perceived that he
had forgotten to provide anything with which to bale her out. Something
is always forgotten. Having got the sail down (lest the wind should snap
the mast), he tried hard to force the canoe back with his longer paddle,
used as a movable rudder. His weight and the resistance of the adhesive
mud, on which she had driven with much force was too great; he could not
shove her off. When he pushed, the paddle sank into the soft bottom, and
gave him nothing to press against. After struggling for some time, he
paused, beginning to fear that his voyage had already reached an end.

A minute's thought, more potent than the strength of ten men, showed him
that the canoe required lightening. There was no cargo to throw
overboard, nor ballast. He was the only weight. He immediately
undressed, and let himself overboard at the prow, retaining hold of the
stem. His feet sank deep into the ooze; he felt as if, had he let go, he
should have gradually gone down into this quicksand of fine mud. By
rapidly moving his feet he managed, however, to push the canoe; she rose
considerably so soon as he was out of her, and, although he had hold of
the prow, still his body was lighter in the water. Pushing, struggling,
and pressing forward, he, by sheer impact, as it were, for his feet
found no hold in the mud, forced her back by slow degrees.

The blows of the waves drove her forward almost as much as he pushed her
back. Still, in time, and when his strength was fast decreasing, she did
move, and he had the satisfaction of feeling the water deeper beneath
him. But when he endeavoured to pull himself into the canoe over the
prow, directly his motive power ceased, the waves undid the advance he
had achieved, and he had to resume his labour. This time, thinking
again, before he attemp