GROUND ON A SANDBANK.

About half an hour before sunset we sighted the land:  several low rounded hills were the first things seen; then what I conceived to be very lofty trees rose in sight, and almost at the same moment the boat grounded on a sandbank.

EXTENSIVE SHALLOWS.

I had observed this shoal several miles before we came to it and it appeared to extend as far as I could see both north and south, but, as I had no doubt that we should find sufficient water on it to enable us to cross, I had given it no attention.  I now however on looking more carefully could perceive no limit to its extent in those directions and, as I thought I saw deep water immediately to the eastward of us, I ordered the men to jump out and track the boat over.  This they did; but on coming to what appeared to be deep water we found it was only a continuation of the same sandbank, covered with seaweed, which gave the water a darker appearance.  The men now alternately tracked or pulled the boat for about five miles over a continuation of the sandbank; a work very fatiguing to those who were already exhausted by several days’ continuous exertion on a very short allowance of water in a tropical climate.  It had now been for some time night, and we had taken a star for our guide which just before sunset I had seen rising over the main.  I thought we had at last gained the shore, at least the boat was close to a dark line rising above the water which appeared like a wooded bank; two of the men now waded onwards to find out the best place for landing and to light a fire that the crew of the other boat might know where we were.  I saw them to my surprise not ascend a wooded bank but disappear amongst the trees; and still through the silence of the night I heard the splash of men walking through water, and in a minute or two afterwards the cries and screams of innumerable startled waterfowl and curlews, who came flying in flocks from amongst the mangrove trees.

FAIL IN MAKING THE LAND.

The men returned and reported that there was no land or any sign of land hereabouts; that the mangroves were a belt of trees upon a sandbank and that the water deepened inside; that the tide evidently rose very high, from the tufts of seaweeds in the bushes; that it was then rapidly coming in (which was evident enough, for the boat was afloat) and that the other side of the mangrove bushes was an open sea.

This was unpleasant intelligence.  That it was untrue I felt assured; but one man, who certainly could not have seen more than a hundred yards ahead of him on so dark a night, spoke as confidently as if he had seen fifty miles, and this discouraged the others:  so by way of keeping their minds occupied I got under weigh again and stood off a little to the southward in the hopes of falling in with the other boat.  We cheered at intervals of a few minutes, and fired a gun, whereupon ensued a great screaming, whistling, and flapping of wings amongst the waterfowl, but no human voices were heard in reply.