Under the land the wind was steady; yonder, where the gale struck the surface with all its force, the waves were large and powerful.
From this spot he could see nearly the whole length of the strait, and, gazing up it in the direction he had come, he saw some boats crossing in the distance.

As they moved so slowly, and appeared so broad, he conjectured that they were flat-bottomed punts, and, straining his eyes, he fancied he detected horses on board.

He watched four cross, and presently the first punt returned, as if for another freight.

He now noticed that there was a land route by which travellers or waggons came down from the northward, and crossed the strait by a ferry.

It appeared that the ferry was not in the narrowest part of the strait, but nearer its western mouth, where the shores were flat, and covered with reeds and flags.