Onthefourthmorning,however,ourtroublesbegan,sincethefriendlywindfromthenorthgrewsteadilystronger,tillatlengthitrosetoagale。Soonourlittleragofcanvaswastornaway,butstillwerushedonbeforethefollowingseasataverygreatspeed。
NowIthoughtoftryingtomaketheland,butfoundthatwecouldnotdosowiththeoars,becauseofthecurrentthatsetouttowardstheoceanagainstwhichitwasimpossibletourgeourclumsycraft。
Thereforewemustcontentourselveswithtryingtokeepherheadstraightwiththesteeringoar,buteventhenwewereoftenwhirledroundandround。
Abouttwohoursafternoontheskycloudedover,andthereburstuponusagreatthunder—stormwithtorrentsofrain;alsothewindgrewstrongerandstronger。
Nowwecouldnolongersteerordoanythingexceptlieflatuponthebottomofthe/balsa/,grippingthecordswithwhichitwastiedtogether,tosaveourselvesfrombeingwashedoverboard,sinceoftenthefoamingcrestsofthewavesbrokeuponus。Indeed,itwasmarvellousthatthisfrailcraftshouldhangtogetheratall,butowingtothelightnessofthereedsandtheblown—upskinsthatweretiedinthem,stillshefloatedand,whirlingroundandround,speduponhersouthwardpath。YetIknewthatthiscouldnotendureforverylong,andcommittedmysoultoGodaswellasIwasableinmyhalf—drownedstate,wishingthatmymiserieswereended。