ON TEE SOLANDER GROUNDS. 347 



Slowly, slowly we forged past the danger; but the 

 moment we opened out the extremity of the island, a 

 fresh breeze, like a saving hand, swept across the bows, 

 filling the head-sails and swinging the old vessel away 

 from the island in grand style. Another minute, and 

 the other sails filled also. We were safe, all hands 

 breathing freely once more. 



Now the wind hung far round to the eastward — far 

 enough to frustrate any design we might have had of 

 going up the Straits again. The old man, however, was 

 too deeply impressed with the paramount necessity of 

 shelter to lightly give up the idea of getting in some- 

 where ; so he pointed her for Preservation Inlet, which 

 was only some thirty miles under her lee. We crowded 

 all sail upon her in the endeavour to get in before night- 

 fall, this unusual proceeding bringing our two friends 

 up from to leeward with a run to see what we were 

 after. Burdened as we were, they sailed nearly two 

 knots to our one, and consequently intercepted us 

 some while before we neared our port. Great was their 

 surprise to find we had a whale, and very anxious their 

 queries as to where the rest of the school had gone. 

 Reassured that they had lost nothing by not being 

 nearer, it being a " lone " whale, off they went again. 



With all our efforts, evening was fast closing in when 

 we entered the majestic portals of Preservation Inlet, 

 and gazed with deepest interest upon its heavily-wooded 

 shores. 



