Scotia shore; but his experience of the tides had been so terrible a one, that he dreaded the tremendous drift which he would have to encounter, and had no confidence in his power of navigating under such circumstances.  Besides, he knew well that although the wind was now from the north, it was liable to change at any moment; so that even if he should be able to guide his boat, he might yet be suddenly enveloped by a fog when but half way over, and exposed once more to all those perils from which he had just escaped.  The more he thought of all these dangers, the more deterred he felt from making any such attempt.  Rather would he wait, and hope for escape in some other way.

But, as yet, he did not feel himself forced to anything so desperate as that.  There was another alternative.  At high tide the boat would be afloat, and then, as the tide fell, he could keep her afloat until it was at its lowest.  He could then embark, and be carried by the returning water straight on to the Straits of Minas, and up into the basin.  He now made a calculation, and concluded that it would be high tide about midday, and low tide about six in the evening.  If he were to embark at that time, he would have two hours of daylight in which to run up with the tide.  He saw now that his whole plan was perfectly feasible, and it only remained to make preparations for the voyage.  As the whole afternoon would be taken up in floating the boat down to low-water mark, the morning would have to be employed in making whatever arrangements might be necessary.

Certain things were needed which required all that time.  His hastily extemporized mast and sail had done wonderfully well, but he needed something to steer with.  If he could only procure something that would serve the purpose of a rudder, he would feel well prepared for his voyage.

On the search for this he now started.  He walked all about the open ground, looking around in all directions, to see if he could find anything, but without any success.  Then he ascended the declivity towards the woods, but nothing appeared which was at all adapted to meet his wants.  He saw a young tree, which he thought might do, and tried to cut it down with his pocket-knife.  After about an hour’s hard work he succeeded in bringing it down, and another hour was spent in trimming the branches.  The result of all this labor at length lay at his feet in the shape of a rough pole, with jagged splinters sticking out all over it, which promised to be of about as much utility as a spruce bush.  In utter disgust he turned away, leaving the pole on the ground, and making up his mind to sail, as he did before, without any rudder.  In this mood he descended the declivity, and walked disconsolately towards the shore which was on the side of the island directly opposite to where the boat lay.  He had not yet been near enough to see the beach; but now, as he came nearer, a cry of delight escaped him involuntarily;