We were shot up upon the
beach like an arrow from a bow, and seizing the boat, ran her up
high and dry, and soon picked up our oars, and stood by her, ready for
the captain to come down.
Finding that the captain did not come immediately, we put our oars
in the boat, and leaving one to watch it, walked about the beach to
see what we could, of the place. The beach is nearly a mile in
length between the two points, and of smooth sand. We had taken the
only good landing-place, which is in the middle; it being more stony
toward the ends. It is about twenty yards in width from high-water
mark to a slight bank at which the soil begins, and so hard that it is
a favorite place for running horses. It was growing dark, so that we
could just distinguish the dim outlines of the two vessels in the
offing; and the great seas were rolling in, in regular lines,
growing larger and larger as they approached the shore, and hanging
over the beach upon which they were to break, when their tops would
curl over and turn white with foam, and, beginning at one extreme of
the line, break rapidly to the other, as a long cardhouse falls when
the children knock down the cards at one end.
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