ou, sir, but all along here the shore's full of inlets,
as you call them; but they are deep water and go winding in and out, and
perhaps open out into big sheets of water like lagoons, as they call
them. But I am of opinion that if we don't turn into one to-night we
shall do so some time to-morrow, and perhaps find just the sort of spot
we want. It we don't we will go a bit farther south."

"But take us up beyond all this horrible mangrove swamp," said Rodd.

"You leave that to me, sir," said the skipper. "We have got a good bit
of work to do with that brig, and I want to bring my lads out again, and
the Count's too, well and hearty, not half of them eaten up with fever
and t'other half sucked into dry skins by the mosquitoes. No, we shall
have to sail right up to where it gets to be a forest and park-like
country."

"There'll be no towns?" said Rodd.

"No, sir, but we might come across a blacks' village, and if we do we
can anchor somewhere on the other shore."

Another afternoon had come before the mangrove forest seemed to turn
inland and run right up the country, just as if they had come to the end
of that portion of the land; but miles away the skipper pointed out that
the forest began again and also swept inland, while by using the glass
the lads were able to trace the configuration of the coast, and saw that
the two lines of coast north and south came together away east.

"There," said the skipper, "what do you say to this for the mouth of a
big river?"

"River?" said the doctor, coming up.

"Yes, sir--or estuary, which you like. This is the sort of one that
will suit us, though as far as I can make out it is not down in my
chart. So all the more likely to suit our book."

"But do you think it's a river, and not a bend of the coast?" asked the
doctor.

"If it was a bend of the coast, sir, the tide wouldn't be flowing in
like that. It's a good-sized tidal river, sir, and we are going to sail
in as far as we can get before dark, and if all turns out as I expect,
we shall be carried in past the mangroves and be able to moor to-night
perhaps to forest trees."

"And if we don't?" said Rodd.

"Why, then we shall anchor, and find plenty of good holding ground."

The tide carried them in rapidly, and a nice soft breeze filled the
sails, bearing them onward till the mangrove swamp on either hand began
to close in rapidly, while towards evening they were gliding where the
banks were about a mile apar