bered.

Not expecting to be so long on the raft, and intending to have supper on
our arrival, we grew very hungry. Fortunately we had plenty of cooked
provisions, and fresh water alongside, so that we had no difficulty in
satisfying our appetites.

While the sergeant was engaged in again doing up the pack, a sudden
squall struck our sail, carrying away the mast, and had I not sprung up
and seized hold of it, the blanket would have been lost. Fortunately I
caught it before it was wet. This squall was quickly followed by
another, and we could see the white-topped waves curling up around us on
all sides. Our raft was but ill calculated to buffet with a tempest such
as seemed but too likely to come on. The wind being as yet favourable,
however, the sergeant attempted to repair the mast and re-hoist the
sail; but scarcely had he done so when it was again carried away.

"We must trust to our paddles, and the wind will still drive us along,"
said Manley.

We could hear the wind roaring among the trees on the shore, and every
instant it increased, raising up big waves which threatened to sweep
over us. The raft was tossed and tumbled about, and sometimes it was
with difficulty we could hold on sufficiently to prevent ourselves from
being shaken off into the seething water. We had, fortunately, at the
suggestion of the sergeant, secured our rifles and knapsacks to the top
of the platform in the centre of the raft, where they were tolerably
secure.

We were now driving on much faster than we had hitherto been doing, but
the darkness prevented us from knowing whether it was in the right
direction, for we could see only the foaming waters dancing up around
us. All we could do, therefore, was to hold on, and try with the
steering oar to keep the raft before the wind, hoping that we might be
driven into some sheltered bay, where we could land in safety.

I thought of what Clarice would have said, if she had been with
us--"Trust in God"--and I felt sure that she would not have been more
alarmed than we were. We saw our danger,--we could not be blind to
that,--but none of us gave way to cowardly fears. Manley sat with
perfect calmness, steering, while Sergeant Custis and I paddled away,
endeavouring to keep the raft before the following seas. At last I
caught sight of some dark object rising out of the water, but instead of
being ahead, it was on the right hand, or, as we judged, to the
northward of us. It was evidently land, bu