IMMINENT DANGER. 355 



pushed, and in a few minutes were plunged into 

 the midst of curling waves and large rocks ; but 

 the coolness of the crew, and the great dexterity 

 of the bow and steersmen, avoided each danger as 

 it arose. At length, however, one towering 

 wave threw us on a rock, and something crashed ; 

 luckily we did not hang, for nothing could have 

 resisted the force of the torrent, and the slightest 

 check at such a time would have been inevitable 

 destruction to the whole party. After being 

 whirled to and fro by the velocity of counter 

 currents, we escaped from this without other 

 damage than a broken keel plate — an acci- 

 dent which left that part from thenceforth un- 

 defended — but rapid still followed rapid in 

 disagreeably quick succession, and I was not 

 a little rejoiced when we were again fairly in 

 smooth water; for the lakes we had passed, 

 with their unknown but assuredly distant bound- 

 aries, and the numerous deep bays and other 

 impediments to a land journey, such as I had 

 acute reasons for remembering, made the safety 

 of the boat a paramount consideration. Not 

 that all ordinary accidents which could befall 

 men in our situation had not been already con- 

 templated, and as far as my ability extended 

 provided for ; but these hourly demands on the 

 nerves brought possible contingencies more home, 

 and made them sink deeper into the mind. In 



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