uld
tell the east; and they knew that in that point alone land might be
expected.

After the sun had gone down, the stars became their compass, and
throughout all the second night of the shipwreck they had continued to
paddle the spar in an easterly direction.

Day again dawned upon them; but without gratifying their eyes by the
sight of land, or any other object, to inspire them with a hope.

Famished with hunger, tortured with thirst, and wearied with their
continued exertions, they were about to surrender to despair when, as
the sun once more mounted up to the sky, and his bright beams pierced
the crystal water upon which they were floating, they saw beneath them
the sheen of white sand. It was the bottom of the sea, and at no great
depth, not more than a few fathoms below their feet.

Such shallow water could not be far from the shore. Reassured, and
encouraged by the thought, they once more renewed their exertions, and
continued to paddle the spar, taking only short intervals of rest
throughout the whole of the morning.

Long before noon they were compelled to desist. They were close to the
tropic of Cancer, almost under its line. It was the season of
midsummer; and of course at meridian hour the sun was right over their
heads. Even their bodies cast no shadow, except upon the white sand
directly underneath them, at the bottom of the sea. The sun could no
longer guide them; and, as they had no other index, they were compelled
to remain stationary, or drift in whatever direction the breeze or the
currents might carry them.

There was not much movement any way; and for several hours before and
after noon they lay almost becalmed upon the ocean. This period was
passed in silence and inaction. There was nothing for them to talk
about but their forlorn situation; and this topic had been exhausted.
There was nothing for them to do. Their only occupation was to watch
the sun until, by its sinking lower in the sky, they might discover its
westing.

Could they at that moment have elevated their eyes only three feet
higher, they would not have needed to wait for the declination of the
orb of day. They would have seen land, such land as it was, but sunk as
their shoulders were, almost to the level of the water, even the summits
of the sand-dunes were not visible to their eyes.

When the sun began to go down towards the horizon they once more plied
their palms against the liquid wave, and sculled the spar e