looked eagerly around, dreading
lest I should see the ship near me, but to my infinite relief she was
not visible, nor was the land I had expected to see and so soon to
reach. My little boat was the only object on the waste of waters.

The coast, I knew, was to the westward, and as the rising sun would
guide me, I took out my oars and began to row away in that direction. I
had not rowed long before I began to feel very hungry. I therefore
again laid in my oars and took a hearty meal off the provisions I had
brought, washing it down with an ample draught of water. Then I once
more turned to, but the heat soon became excessive, and I was streaming
at every pore. Still, as long as my strength lasted I determined not to
give in. I occasionally stopped to take a pull at my water-bottle.
With very little rest beside, I continued to paddle on till it was again
dark. This showed me what had not occurred to me before, that I might
have been rowing part of the time along the coast, instead of towards
it, and I supposed that the ship had been much farther off than I had
previously imagined. I had been in a dreamy state all day, and unable
to think much. This was produced by the heat which beat down on my
head. I felt somewhat revived as the sun set, but after a time
excessive drowsiness came over me, and once more taking in my oars, I
lay down to sleep.

I must have slept the whole night, for when I again woke, it was already
dawn. I stood up and looked about me, when to my surprise I observed
some rocks between myself in the boat and the bright light which
heralded the rising sun. I must have been carried by a current inside
them. I was about to row away to the westward, when as the light
increased I saw what I at first thought was the mast of a small vessel
or boat near them. Seizing my oars, I eagerly pulled towards the
object. Again looking round I soon discovered it; it was not a mast,
but a pole stuck in the rock with a cask or basket fixed on the top of
it.

This was a sign that some civilised inhabitants must be on the
neighbouring shore, and that they had placed that beacon to warn
mariners of the dangers of the rock.

A number of sea-fowl circled over the rock, occasionally dipping their
wings in the clear water.

As the sun rose, I made out the land running in a long line to a far
distance, as I concluded north and south. It was now time for
breakfast.

I had no intention of landing on the rock,