It had, however, changed a little, and blew now from the west, almost too exactly abaft to suit his craft.

He could not make a map while sailing, or observe his position accurately, but it appeared to him that the shore trended towards the south-east, so that he was gradually turning an arc.

He supposed from this that he must be approaching the eastern end of the Lake.

The water seemed shallower, to judge from the quantity of weeds.

Now and then he caught glimpses between the numerous islands of the open Lake, and there, too, the weeds covered the surface in many places.
In an hour or two the breeze increased considerably, and travelling so much quicker, he found it required all his dexterity to steer past the islands and clear the banks upon which he was drifting.