When I had swallowed all that I was able, without drinking water, I put
the rest of the fish into the pocket of my coat, and turned my thoughts
to the breakers on the bar. Soon it was evident to me that I could not
pass them standing in my barrel, so I hastened to upset myself into the
water and to climb astride of it. Presently we were in the surf, and I
had much ado to cling on, but the tide bore me forward bravely, and in
half an hour more the breakers were past, and I was in the mouth of the
great river. Now fortune favoured me still further, for I found a piece
of wood floating on the stream which served me for a paddle, and by its
help I was enabled to steer my craft towards the shore, that as I went I
perceived to be clothed with thick reeds, in which tall and lovely trees
grew in groups, bearing clusters of large nuts in their crowns. Hither
to this shore I came without further accident, having spent some ten
hours in my tub, though it was but a chance that I did so, because of
the horrible reptiles called crocodiles, or, by some, alligators, with
which this river swarmed. But of them I knew nothing as yet.
I reached land but just in time, for before I was ashore the tide
turned, and tide and current began to carry me out to sea again, whence
assuredly I had never come back. Indeed, for the last ten minutes, it
took all the strength that I had to force the barrel along towards the
bank.
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