ashore, which, we decided, could
scarcely be until the afternoon, if even then. And we soon came to the
conclusion that our companions ashore were in like case with ourselves,
so far at least as hunger was concerned, for about half an hour later we
saw them rise to their feet, point first to their mouths and then to the
top of the cliff, and presently proceed to the cliff foot, evidently in
search of a spot at which it might be climbed. And although, viewed
from the wreck, the cliff appeared to be quite vertical, they soon found
such a spot; for, as we watched, they began to ascend the cliff,
zigzagging to right and left and apparently following something that by
courtesy might be called a path, for they walked rather than climbed it,
reaching the top in about five minutes. Then, with a wave of the hand
to us, they turned into the bushes and disappeared, returning about an
hour afterwards with what, as they held it up for us to see, looked like
a small bunch of bananas.

Meanwhile, the gale having broken, the wind rapidly dropped, until about
midday it fell stark calm. But it was not until nearly sunset that the
surf on the beach had abated sufficiently to render it at all safe for
us to attempt the swim from the wreck to the shore, by which time we
were both so ravenously hungry that we were prepared to take quite an
appreciable amount of risk, if by doing so we could procure the
wherewithal to appease our craving for food. And while waiting for the
sea to go down we employed our time usefully in cutting adrift the
rigging by which the broken masts remained attached to the wreck, thus
giving the wreckage a chance to drive ashore upon the beach, where we
should eventually want it.

At length, however, when the sun had dropped to within some fifteen
degrees of the western horizon, and was shining full into the bay where
the wreck lay, the sea had so far gone down and the surf on the beach
had so far abated as to render it possible for us to land without
incurring much risk of injury to our limbs; we therefore awoke Murdock--
who had passed most of the day in sleep--and, finding him in pretty good
form after his long rest, forthwith proceeded to make the attempt. The
distance which we had to traverse was a mere trifle of about fifty
fathoms or thereabouts, and we did perfectly well until we reached the
inner line of breakers; but there, as luck would have it, something went
wrong with the boatswain, and without say