AdayorsoafterwehadgottoworkuponthequapIfoundmyselfsosleeplessandmiserablethattheshipbecameunendurable。
JustbeforetherushofsunriseIborrowedPollack’sgun，walkeddowntheplanks，clamberedoverthequapheapsandprowledalongthebeach。Iwentperhapsamileandahalfthatdayandsomedistancebeyondtheruinsoftheoldstation。Ibecameinterestedinthedesolationaboutme，andfoundwhenIreturnedthatIwasabletosleepfornearlyanhour。Itwasdelightfultohavebeenaloneforsolong，——nocaptain，noPollack，noone。
AccordinglyIrepeatedthisexpeditionthenextmorningandthenextuntilitbecameacustomwithme。Therewaslittleformetodooncethediggingandwheelingwasorganised，andsotheseprowlingsofminegrewlongerandlonger，andpresentlyIbegantotakefoodwithme。
Ipushedthesewalksfarbeyondtheareadesolatedbythequap。
Ontheedgesofthatwasfirstazoneofstuntedvegetation，thenasortofswampyjunglethatwasdifficulttopenetrate，andthenthebeginningsoftheforest，asceneofhugetreestemsandtangledcreeperropesandrootsmingledwithoozymud。HereI