When it turned and ran narrowing every moment to the south, the wind failed him altogether.
On the right shore, wooded hills rose from the water like a wall; on the left, it was a perfect plain.

He could see nothing of the merchantman, although he knew that she could not sail here, but must be working through with her sweeps.

Her heavy hull and bluff bow must make the rowing a slow and laborious process; therefore she could not be far ahead, but was concealed by the winding of the strait.

He lowered the sail, as it was now useless, and began to paddle; in a very short time he found the heat under the hills oppressive when thus working.

He had now been afloat between six and seven hours, and must have come fully thirty miles, perhaps rather more than twenty in a straight line, and he felt somewhat weary and cramped from sitting so long in the canoe.
Though he paddled hard he did not seem to make much progress, and at length he recognised that there was a distinct current, which opposed his advance, flowing through the channel from east to west.