ROBINSON CRUSOE. : 161

boat was but small, if any little gale of wina should rise, I
should be inevitably lust.

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 down upon a rising
bit of ground, very pensive and anxious, between fear and de-
sire, about my voyage ; when as I was musing, I could perceive
that the tide was turned, and the flood came on ; upon which,
my going was impracticable for so many hours. Upon this,
presently it occurred to me, that I should go up to the highest
piece of ground I 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 rapidity
of the currents. This thought was no sooner in my head than
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 I was to guide my-
self in my return. Here I found that as the current of 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 I
had nothing to do but to keep the north side of the island in
my return, and I should do well enough.

Encouraged with this observation, I resolved, the next
morning, to set out with the first of the tide 3 and, reposing
myself for the night in my canoe, under the great watch-coat I
mentioned, I launched out. I first made a little out to sea, full
north, till I began to feel the benefit of the current, which set
eastward, and which carried me at a great rate ; and yet did
not so hurry me as the current on the south side had done
before, so as to take from me all government of the boat ; but
having a strong steerage with my paddle, I went, at a great
rate, directly for the wreck, and in less than two hours I came
up to it. -It was a dismal sight to look at: the ship, which, by its
building, was Spanish, stuck fast, jammed in between two rocks:
all the stern and quarter of her were beaten to pieces by the
sea ; and as her forecastle, which stuck in the rocks, had run on
with great violence, her mainmast and foremast were brought
by the board, that is to sa , broken short off ; but her bowsprit
was sound, and the head and bow appeared firm. ‘When I
came close to her, a dog appeared upon her, who, seeing me
coming, yelped and cried ; and, as soon as I called him, jumped
into the sea to come to me: I took him into the boat, but found
him almost dead with hunger and thirst. I gave him a cake