ded, to take a look-out. I hurried back to get
the jar and provisions, and unperceived placed them in the dinghy. I
felt about in her, and found two oars and a boat-hook.

The falls were, as I have said, so fitted that one person could lower
the boat, but to do so without capsizing her when the ship was moving
through the water was almost an impossible undertaking.

The wind had previously been very light, and the vessel had scarcely any
steerage way on her. To my intense satisfaction I noticed that it was
now almost a stark calm.

Now or never I must carry out my project. I thought not of the dangers
to be encountered; the chances of being chased and overtaken; the
savages on shore; the risk of starvation; the want of water; the current
that might sweep me along; or the chances of a storm arising before I
could gain the land. I had not a moment to lose. The mate remained
forward; the man at the helm stood motionless, and, I hoped, was asleep.
I slipped into the boat, and passing the slack of the falls under two
thwarts, gently lowered myself down. I had, the day before, unobserved,
thoroughly greased the blocks.

My chief fear now was, that the splash the boat would make on reaching
the water would be heard. I therefore eased away with the greatest
care, and stood ready in a moment to cast off the aft-most fall. I
cleared it in the nick of time, and the boat was towed slowly ahead. I
quickly cleared the foremost fall, and was now adrift. I was conscious
that a light splash had been made, but I hoped that if the mate heard it
he would fancy that it was caused by some monster of the deep rising
above the surface. Without waiting to ascertain whether this was the
case or not, I seized the oars and pulled rapidly away from the stern of
the vessel, the light from the cabin window assisting me to keep the
course I desired to make towards the land. I congratulated myself at
having accomplished my object before it was too late, for I felt a
breeze fanning my ears as I pulled on.

As I looked up at the tall masts, it seemed to me that the sails bulged
out, and that the ship was rapidly increasing her distance from me. I
was already a considerable way astern when I heard a loud hail. I
recognised the voice of the mate, who had probably just discovered that
the boat was gone. My fear was, that another would be lowered and sent
in chase of me. This made me pull all the harder. My only idea was, to
reach shor