226 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



such moss as we could find, and then we launched the 

 boat again, with four men at the oars and two men 

 bailing, and started. 



We had not gone a gun-shot from shore before the 

 water was up to the thwarts, and the boat fast sink- 

 ing. The seas met and howled, running up to the 

 rocks in huge, white-crested breakers, and it became 

 evident that we could not possibly survive the passage 

 across. Reluctantly, our captain gave the order to 

 go back ; we reached the little beach just as the water 

 touched the rail, jumped out and waded ashore. Some 

 sharks, whose triangular fins we could see cutting the 

 water outside the rocks, were evidently disappointed, 

 and manifested their disapprobation by darting in close 

 to the boat, much alarming the negroes. 



All hope of escape by means of the boat was 

 abandoned, and we turned our attention to the pros- 

 pect of obtaining help from our friends on the other 

 island. A portion of a sail was attached to an oar 

 and held aloft on a high point, as a signal of distress. 

 It was nearly dark by this time and the hour for dinner, 

 for the preparation of which Mr. C.'s cook had been 

 all day busy. We turned to our stores and discovered 

 nothing but the chicken-bones and a tin of sardines. 

 There was not a drink of water apiece, and we re- 

 verted regretfully to those bottles we had emptied so 

 lavishly a few hours before. 



Darkness inclosed us, and we- sought a couch on 

 the bank ; my game-basket served me for a pillow, as 

 it had often done before, and a heap of grass for a 

 bed. Fortunately the night was warm and dewless, 

 and had it not been for the groans of Frazer, whose 

 ankle was badly crushed, we should have slept 



