S48 TRAVELS IN 
centre of the current ; they perceived it too t 
they colleded all their force; they took breath ; 
they found themfelves in a perfed: calm ; and 
prefently they gained the (hallow, where they 
could touch the bottom with their feet. The firft 
who felt it announced it by a fhout, which was 
repeated by the reft. In vain fliould I attempt 
to paint the emotion which how burft forth 
from us all. I difengaged myfelf from the 
grotefque fituation, which had excited alter- 
nately our pleafantry and our alarms 5 I leaped 
upon the ftiore ; 1 threw myfelf upon the neck 
of my deliverers, and they embraced me with 
tranfport. 
Our firft care was to kindle a large fire, by 
which to warm ourfelves and dry our clothes. 
Firom the combined efFed of fear and the 
w^ater, we (hivered as with an ague. My fwim- 
mers, by a happy forefight, had provided 
themfelves with a calabafli of brandy. Not- 
withftanding my repugnance to this liquor, in 
the prefent inftance I partook of it with plea- 
fure 5 and though the quantity I drank was 
fmqll, it braced up my nerves and inftilled new 
life into my frame. In order to have the free 
nfe of my hands in clinging to the trunk, I 
had 
