Wehadnotmade，however，morethanfiftyyardsfromtheshorebeforewebecamesufficientlycalmtoperceivethegreatoversightofwhichwehadbeenguiltyinleavingtheothercanoeinthepowerofthesavages，who，bythistime，werenotmorethantwiceasfarfromthebeachasourselves，andwererapidlyadvancingtothepursuit。Notimewasnowtobelost。Ourhopewas，atbest，aforlornone，butwehadnoneother。Itwasverydoubtfulwhether，withtheutmostexertion，wecouldgetbackintimetoanticipatethemintakingpossessionofthecanoe；butyettherewasachancethatwecould。Wemightsaveourselvesifwesucceeded，whilenottomaketheattemptwastoresignourselvestoinevitablebutchery。
Thecanoewasmodelledwiththebowandsternalike，and，inplaceofturningitaround，wemerelychangedourpositioninpaddling。Assoonasthesavagesperceivedthistheyredoubledtheiryells，aswellastheirspeed，andapproachedwithinconceivablerapidity。Wepulled，however，withalltheenergyofdesperation，andarrivedatthecontestedpointbeforemorethanoneofthenativeshadattainedit。Thismanpaiddearlyforhissuperioragility，Petersshootinghimthroughtheheadwithapistolasheapproachedtheshore。Theforemostamongtherestofhispartywereprobablysometwentyorthirtypacesdistantasweseizeduponthecanoe。Weatfirstendeavoredtopullherintothedeepwater，beyondthereachofthesavages，but，findinghertoofirmlyaground，andtherebeingnotimetospare，Peters，withoneortwoheavystrokesfromthebuttofthemusket，succeededindashingoutalargeportionofthebowandofoneside。Wethenpushedoff。Twoofthenativesbythistimehadgotholdofourboat，obstinatelyrefusingtolet90，untilwewereforcedtodespatchthemwithourknives。Wewerenowclearoff，andmakinggreatwayouttosea。Themainbodyofthesavages，uponreachingthebrokencanoe，setupthemosttremendousyellofrageanddisappointmentconceivable。Intruth，fromeverythingIcouldseeofthesewretches，theyappearedtobethemostwicked，hypocritical，vindictive，bloodthirsty，andaltogetherfiendishraceofmenuponthefaceoftheglobe。Itisclearweshouldhavehadnomercyhadwefallenintotheirhands。Theymadeamadattemptatfollowingusinthefracturedcanoe，but，findingituseless，againventedtheirrageinaseriesofhideousvociferations，andrushedupintothehills。
Wewerethusrelievedfromimmediatedanger，butoursituationwasstillsufficientlygloomy。Weknewthatfourcanoesofthekindwehadwereatonetimeinthepossessionofthesavages，andwerenotawareofthefactafterwardascertainedfromourcaptivethattwoofthesehadbeenblowntopiecesintheexplosionofthe_JaneGuy。
_Wecalculated，therefore，uponbeingyetpursued，assoonasourenemiescouldgetroundtothebaydistantaboutthreemileswheretheboatswereusuallylaidup。Fearingthis，wemadeeveryexertiontoleavetheislandbehindus，andwentrapidlythroughthewater，forcingtheprisonertotakeapaddle。Inabouthalfanhour，whenwehadgainedprobablyfiveorsixmilestothesouthward，alargefleetoftheflat-bottomedcanoesorraftswereseentoemergefromthebayevidentlywiththedesignofpursuit。Presentlytheyputback，despairingtoovertakeus。
WEnowfoundourselvesinthewideanddesolateAntarcticOcean，inalatitudeexceedingeighty-fourdegrees，inafrailcanoe，andwithnoprovisionbutthethreeturtles。Thelongpolarwinter，too，couldnotbeconsideredasfardistant，anditbecamenecessarythatweshoulddeliberatewelluponthecoursetobepursued。Thereweresixorsevenislandsinsightbelongingtothesamegroup，anddistantfromeachotheraboutfiveorsixleagues；butuponneitherofthesehadweanyintentiontoventure。Incomingfromthenorthwardinthe_Jane_Guywebadbeengraduallyleavingbehindustheseverestregionsofice-this，howeverlittleitmaybeinaccordancewiththegenerallyreceivednotionsrespectingtheAntarctic，wasafact-