For I was unwilling to remain there a day without having
anything to detain me from my little girl, and from the letters
which I was impatient to get from you.
I began to expostulate, and even to scold the pilot, for not having
informed me of his ignorance previous to my departure. This made
him row with more force, and we turned round one rock only to see
another, equally destitute of the tokens we were in search of to
tell us where we were. Entering also into creek after creek which
promised to be the entrance of the bay we were seeking, we advanced
merely to find ourselves running aground.
The solitariness of the scene, as we glided under the dark shadows
of the rocks, pleased me for a while; but the fear of passing the
whole night thus wandering to and fro, and losing the next day,
roused me. I begged the pilot to return to one of the largest
islands, at the side of which we had seen a boat moored. As we drew
nearer, a light through a window on the summit became our beacon;
but we were farther off than I supposed.
With some difficulty the pilot got on shore, not distinguishing the
landing-place; and I remained in the boat, knowing that all the
relief we could expect was a man to direct us.
