244 A VISIT TO THE WRECK.

up over my head for shade, another large pot full of fresh water,
and about two dozen of my small loaves, or barley cakes, more
than before, with a bottle of goat’s milk, and a cheese: all which,
with great labour and sweat, 1 brought to my boat; and praying
to God to direct my voyage, 1 put out, and rowing or paddling the
canoe along the shore, I came at last to the utmost point of the
island on that side—namely, north-east. And now I was to
launch out into the ocean, and either to venture, or not to venture.
I looked on the rapid currents which ran constantly on both sides
of the island, at a distance, and which were very terrible to me,
from the remembrance of the hazard I] had been in before, and my
heart began to fail me; for I foresaw that if Twas driven into
either of those currents, ] should be carried a vast way out to sea,
and perhaps out of my reach or sight of the island again; and that
then, as my boat was but small, if any little gale of wind should
vise, I should be inevitably lost.

These thoughts so oppressed my mind, that I began to give over
my enterprise, and having hauled my boat into a little creek on the
shore, I stepped out, and sat me down upon a little rising bit of
ground, very pensive and anxious, between fear and desire about
my voyage; when, as | was musing, 1 could perceive that the tide
was turned and the flood come on, upon which my going was for
so many hours impracticable. Upon this, presently it occurred to
me that I should go up to the highest piece of ground | could
find, and observe, if I could, how the sets of the tide or currents
lay when the flood came in, that I might judge whether, if I was
driven one way out, I might not expect to be driven another way
home, with the same rapidness of the currents. This thought was
no sooner in my head, but I cast my eye upon a little hill, which
sufficiently overlooked the sea both ways, and from whence I had
a clear view of the currents, or sets of the tide, and which way 1
was to guide myself in my return. Tere I found that as the cur-
rent of the ebb set out close by the south point of the island, so the
current of the flood set in close by the shore of the north side, and
that ] had nothing to do but to keep to the north of the island in
my return, and I should do well enough.

Encouraged with this observation, I resolved the next morning