e had passed, as had been our
custom from the first.

We walked in silence through the wood till we got down to the seashore,
when, continuing along it for nearly a mile, we at length reached a
little harbour formed by a bay at the mouth of the river. Here we found
the boat, with the two natives guarding her. She appeared, indeed, very
small for the long voyage we contemplated, though sufficiently large to
hold all our party. Uncle Paul was the only seafaring person among us,
for in his early days he had been a sailor; but my cousin and I, as well
as Tim and Jose, could row, so that should the weather prove calm we
might still be able to make good way.

Camo and the other two natives would willingly have accompanied us; but
it not being necessary for them to leave the island, as there was but
little danger of their being captured provided they kept concealed, my
father and uncle had agreed that it would be better to leave them
behind. They shed tears as they assisted us to load the boat and bade
us farewell.

The oars were got out, and Uncle Paul gave the order to shove off; then,
getting her head round, we pulled down the river. There was but little
wind, and that was off the shore, so that the water at its mouth was
perfectly smooth. Bending to our oars, we pulled out to sea; and as we
left the shore astern, we all breathed more freely than we had done for
many a day. We had, at all events, escaped from the dreaded
Inquisition, and we thought, in comparison, but little of the dangers
before us. Having got some distance from the shore we felt the breeze
come stronger, and Uncle Paul desired us to step the mast and hoist the
sail, when we glided much more rapidly through the water than we had
done when rowing. The weather, too, promised to be fine, and Uncle Paul
cheered us up by saying that he hoped we should fall in with a vessel
during the morning; if not, he proposed steering a course for Tobago.

The boat was pretty well loaded with provisions and water, so that there
was not much space for lying down. We managed, however, to fit a small
cabin for Marian in the afterpart with a spare sail, into which she
could retire to rest. The task of navigating the boat fell most heavily
on Uncle Paul, as neither Arthur nor I were accustomed to steer, while
Tim and Jose knew nothing about the matter. Uncle, therefore, did not
like us to take the helm.

We glided on till the shores of the island could scarcely b