How My Shore Adventure Began

           TheappearanceoftheislandwhenIcameondecknextmorningwasaltogetherchanged.Althoughthebreezehadnowutterlyceased,wehadmadeagreatdealofwayduringthenightandwerenowlyingbecalmedabouthalfamiletothesouth-eastoftheloweasterncoast.Grey-colouredwoodscoveredalargepartofthesurface.Thiseventintwasindeedbrokenupbystreaksofyellowsand-breakinthelowerlands,andbymanytalltreesofthepinefamily,out-toppingtheothers—somesingly,someinclumps;butthegeneralcolouringwasuniformandsad.Thehillsranupclearabovethevegetationinspiresofnakedrock.Allwerestrangelyshaped,andtheSpy-glass,whichwasbythreeorfourhundredfeetthetallestontheisland,waslikewisethestrangestinconfiguration,runningupsheerfromalmosteverysideandthensuddenlycutoffatthetoplikeapedestaltoputastatueon.

           TheHispaniolawasrollingscuppersunderintheoceanswell.Theboomsweretearingattheblocks,therudderwasbangingtoandfro,andthewholeshipcreaking,groaning,andjumpinglikeamanufactory.Ihadtoclingtighttothebackstay,andtheworldturnedgiddilybeforemyeyes,forthoughIwasagoodenoughsailorwhentherewaswayon,thisstandingstillandbeingrolledaboutlikeabottlewasathingIneverlearnedtostandwithoutaqualmorso,aboveallinthemorning,onanemptystomach.

           Perhapsitwasthis—perhapsitwasthelookoftheisland,withitsgrey,melancholywoods,andwildstonespires,andthesurfthatwecouldbothseeandhearfoamingandthunderingonthesteepbeach—atleast,althoughthesunshonebrightandhot,andtheshorebirdswerefishingandcryingallaroundus,andyouwouldhavethoughtanyonewouldhavebeengladtogettolandafterbeingsolongatsea,myheartsank,asthesayingis,intomyboots;