Page:Adrift in the Pacific, Sampson Low, 1889.djvu/113

Rh Moko took in the sail which had even ceased to flap, for the wind had quite gone. The boys then had a morsel to eat, and then, with Moko forward and Jack at the tiller, the boat began to move to the north-east, the course being steered by compass. She was then in the centre of the large sheet of water, and just as if she were out at sea, the surface was bounded by the line of sky. Jack kept an anxious look-out for the shore opposite French Den.

About three o'clock, Moko, taking the glasses, announced that he saw signs of land. A little later, Briant agreed that he was not mistaken. At four o'clock the tops of trees showed themselves rising from a low, fiat shore, which Briant had been unable to detect from False Point. So the only heights on Charman Island were those of Auckland Hill.

The boat was still from two miles and a half to three miles away from the eastern shore, Briant and Moko rowing steadily on, and getting very tired owing to the great heat. The surface of the lake was like a mirror. Every now and then the bottom could be seen twelve or fifteen feet down covered with water plants, among which myriads of fish were swimming.

It was nearly six o'clock when the yawl neared the shore at the foot of a bank, above which spread the clustering branches of green oaks and sea-pines. The bank was too high for the boys to land, and they had to coast along for half a mile or so to the north.

"There is the river marked on the map," said Briant, pointing to an opening in the bank, through which flowed the waters of the lake.

"Well," said Moko, "I think we ought to give it a name."

"All right," said Briant, "let us call it East River, as it flows to the east."

"That will do," said Moko. "And now we have only to get into the stream and drift down it."

"We will do that to-morrow, Moko. We had better