following safely.

By dint of tremendous struggling I managed to get close up to the shore,
but found it utterly impossible to climb up and land. Every time I
essayed to plant my legs on the beach, the irresistible backwash swept me
down, rolling me head over heels, and in my exhausted condition this
filled me with despair. On one occasion this backwash sent me spinning
into deep water again, and I am sure I should have been drowned had not
my brave dog come to my rescue and seized me by my hair--which, I should
have explained, I had always worn long from the days of my childhood.
Well, my dog tugged and tugged at me until he had got me half-way through
the breakers, nor did this exertion seem to cause him much trouble in
swimming.

I then exerted myself sufficiently to allow of his letting go my hair,
whilst I took the end of his tail between my teeth, and let him help me
ashore in this peculiar way. He was a remarkably strong and sagacious
brute--an Australian dog--and he seemed to enjoy the task. At length I
found myself on my legs upon the beach, though hardly able to move from
exhaustion of mind and body. When at length I had recovered sufficiently
to walk about, I made a hasty survey of the little island or sandbank
upon which I found myself. Thank God, I did not realise at that moment
that I was doomed to spend a soul-killing _two and a half years_ on that
desolate, microscopical strip of sand! Had I done so I must have gone
raving mad. It was an appalling, dreary-looking spot, without one single
tree or bush growing upon it to relieve the terrible monotony. I tell
you, words can never describe the horror of the agonising months as they
crawled by. "My island" was nothing but a little sand-spit, with here
and there a few tufts of grass struggling through its parched surface. As
a matter of fact the sand was only four or five inches deep in most
places, and underneath was solid coral rock.

Think of it, ye who have envied the fate of the castaway on a gorgeous
and fertile tropical island perhaps miles in extent! It was _barely a
hundred yards in length_, _ten yards wide_, _and only eight feet above
sea-level at high water_! There was no sign of animal life upon it, but
birds were plentiful enough--particularly pelicans. My tour of the
island occupied perhaps ten minutes; and you may perhaps form some
conception of my utter dismay on failing to come across any trace of
fresh water.

With what ea