

TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 155 



tide rose sufficiently to help us. And this proved the 

 method of our salvation, since in the space of an 

 hour the water had risen high enough to impart a 

 gentle heaving motion to the Lily. As Ralph said, 

 " the prognosis was favourable," all hands, including 

 the ladies, started hauling on the cables. Never did 

 tug-of-war teams struggle for an army championship 

 as did our two teams hang upon those ropes. Slowly 

 and surely, inch by inch, the ship moved backwards, 

 until suddenly, with a slight lurch, she glided back 

 into deep waters. 



Little time was lost in hoisting the foresail and 

 regaining the deep channel. Once there, an anchor 

 was dropped, and the skipper sent men ahead in a 

 boat to take soundings in order that they might 

 locate a safe spot for an anchorage inside the lagoon. 

 It was not long ere we found ourselves riding safely 

 at anchor in the placid waters of the lagoon, and 

 rather more than a mile from its junction with the 

 open sea. 



The situation was far from picturesque, since on 

 one side lay flat, uninteresting stretches of the main- 

 land, vast undulating sand dunes quite destitute of 

 timber far as the eye could reach, to where they rose 

 in steeper contours, till they merged in the blue dis- 

 tance with lofty, unknown mountain heights. Look- 

 ing outwards to the open sea a semicircle of low, 

 sandy islands lay, and formed a natural breakwater, 

 which closely resembled a coral reef to the eyes of 

 those who have seen these curious formations in 

 Southern seas. Beyond the reef for ever rolls that 



