When the breeze failed us at last we were perhaps something over three
miles from the shore, or rather from the great bed of reeds which at
this spot grow in the shallows off the Mazitu coast to a breadth of
seven or eight hundred yards, where the water becomes too deep for
them. The Pongos were then about a mile and a half behind. But as the
wind favoured them for a few minutes more and, having plenty of hands,
they could help themselves on by paddling, when at last it died to a
complete calm, the distance between us was not more than one mile.
This meant that they must cover four miles of water, while we covered
three.
Letting down our now useless sail and throwing it and the mast
overboard to lighten the canoe, since the sky showed us that there was
no more hope of wind, we began to paddle as hard as we could.
Fortunately the two ladies were able to take their share in this
exercise, since they had learned it upon the Lake of the Flower, where
it seemed they kept a private canoe upon the other side of the island
which was used for fishing.
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