He baked
up a quantity of cakes or loaves of bread and packed them in his
baskets. He had woven these so carefully that they would almost hold
water.
At last all was ready. It was on the sixth day of November in the
sixth year of his life on the island that Robinson hoisted his sail
and set out upon this voyage of discovery. He had waited until the
wind was gentle and blowing as far easterly as it does at that place.
He scudded along bravely, running with the land toward the East and
North. All went well until
[Illustration]
he came to a low reef or ledge of rocks running far out to sea in a
north-easterly direction.
When Robinson observed this he went on shore and climbed to a high
point to see if it was safe to venture. He was afraid of hidden
currents, or streams of water. These might carry him away from the
shore and prevent him from getting around the point.
He did indeed observe that there was a current running out to sea past
the ledge, but he thought he could by careful paddling keep his boat
from striking the rock. If he could once get beyond the ledge, the
wind would help him double or get around the point. Indeed the danger
was that the wind would blow him on to the rocks.
He waited for two days for a gentle wind. At last without sail he
pushed his boat into the current and was born swiftly seaward. He
found the current much stronger than he thought it would be. It rushed
his frail boat on past the point of the rocks and out into the sea.
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