CuAP. 1. BOAT UPSET BY THE BREAKEES. 11 



which from time to time swelled up and arched 

 gently over, but with headlong speed, towards the 

 shore. We had not, however, the good fortune to be 

 borne by it in safety ; our boatmen, in their great 

 anxiety to avoid a mishap, were not venturesome 

 enough, they waited a few moments too long. In- 

 stead of carrying us onward, the huge wave broke 

 over our canoe, upsetting it and hurling us to a 

 distance away from it. Heavy, short breakers now 

 succeeded each other with awful rapidity ; the sea all 

 around became one mass of foaming billows ; and in 

 a few moments we were almost exhausted with the 

 buffetings we received. The negroes who had formed 

 the crew of the canoe, most of whom were my own 

 " boys," companions of my former expedition, swam 

 towards me, and with great exertions kept me from 

 sinking. They assisted me to divest myself of my 

 shoes and my coat, the pockets of which were filled 

 with small weighty articles, and as I became weaker, 

 through the effects of drinking so much salt water, 

 they swam under me and buoyed me up with their 

 own bodies. I caught a glimpse of poor Captain 

 Yardon at a distance from me, struggling with the 

 waves ; the men had devoted all their attentions to 

 me, so I shouted to some of them to go and help him. 

 Meantime, several unsuccessful attempts were made 

 by the negroes ashore to launch canoes to the rescue, 

 but they were all swamped one after the other. No- 

 thing could be done until the tumult of the waves 

 subsided ; for after the breakers have spent their fury 

 there is usually a lull, and it is during these lulls, 

 which are, however, very uncertain and limited in 



