136 PERILOUS SITUATION 



above our knees, and the tide having still several 

 hours to rise ; while the mangrove trees by which 

 we were surrounded, were all too slender to afford 

 the least support. 



In this state of affairs, leaving Mr. Helpman with 

 Ask — who had secured a piece of drift timber as a 

 last resource — I made my way to the edge of the 

 shore, only to find that the boat, unable to stem the 

 current, had anchored some distance above us ! Mr. 

 Helpman and myself might have reached her by 

 swimming ; but even could I have easily reconciled 

 myself to part with our arms and instruments, at any 

 rate to abandon poor Ask in the dilemma into 

 which I had brought him was not to be thought of. 

 By repeated discharges of my gun I at last succeeded 

 in attracting the attention of the boat's crew, who 

 made an immediate and desperate effort to come to 

 our assistance : while their strength lasted they just 

 contrived to hold their own against the tide, then, 

 drifting astern, were again compelled to anchor. 

 The attempt was renewed, when an equally despe- 

 rate struggle was followed by just as fruitless a 

 result : the force of the stream was clearly more 

 than they could overcome, and an intervening bank 

 precluded any attempt to creep up to us along the 

 shore. 



Most anxiously did I watch the water as it changed 

 its upward level almost with the rapidity of an inch 

 a minute, being in doubt whether it would rise 

 above our heads, ero it afforded a sufficient depth 



