
          966.

could not.  I had, therefore, to return to the shore and get a long stick.
This I handed to Mr. W., with it, he raised the strap out of the water 
and I got hold of it and got <s>it safely out of the water.</s> <s>the vasculum</s>. <s>The vasculum</s> <s>It</s> the vasculum, which had in the meantime filled
with water safely out.  Luckily we had eaten the lunch and a piece of cake, which
was to be our dessert later when we had eaten dinner, alone was soaked.

The plants collected, of course, did not suffer.  When we reached dry
land, Mr. W. fixed up the vasculum so that I could use the strap.  While
he was doing this, I found several large patches of Opuntia growing close by
one plant had a flower.  I was very glad to see it, for it was the first time
that I have seen the flower.  We now tried to get around the inlet.  
Seeing a road leading in the proper direction, we followed it.  It 
lead us to a portion of the inlet.  We crossed and then climbed up
the hillside.  Reaching the top we found ourselves on a broad plateau
covered with corn fields.  We went along the edge of the field and coming
to a path, went along it.  We were very much surprised later to find
ourselves very near the spot where we had crossed the inlet.  Nothing
else could be done now, but to retrace our steps.  This we did and
this time we succeeded getting to the promontory and glad we were that
we had undertaken the task, despite all our trouble.  The view from 
the bluff is grand.  Thirty or more feet below flows the Severn, here
        