(Continuing from Part 26)
Although I had lived on the island for several years, I still dreamed of escaping.
My first attempt to build a canoe had ended in failure. I had made a fine boat from an enormous tree, but it was too heavy to move to the water.
I had learned an important lesson.
Before beginning a project, I must consider how I intended to finish it.
This time, I decided to build a smaller canoe.
I chose a tree much closer to the shore and made certain that I could move the finished boat into the sea.
The work was difficult, but I had gained experience from building the first canoe.
I cut down the tree, removed its branches, and shaped the trunk.
Then I hollowed out the inside.
Because the canoe was smaller, the work took less time.
After many weeks, I completed it.
I was delighted when I finally pushed it into the water.
For the first time since reaching the island, I possessed a boat that I could actually use.
I made a paddle and began practicing in the shallow water near the shore.
At first, I moved awkwardly.
The canoe turned when I wanted it to go straight, and I had difficulty controlling its direction.
But gradually, I became more skillful.
I learned how to paddle steadily and keep the canoe balanced.
I also fitted a small mast and sail.
The sail helped move the boat when the wind was favorable.
I was pleased with my success.
I began imagining journeys around the island.
Perhaps I could discover a safe harbor or a place where ships sometimes passed.
I still hoped that one day I might reach the mainland.
But I knew that my small canoe was not suitable for such a dangerous crossing.
For the moment, I decided to use it only near the coast.
I prepared carefully for my first longer voyage.
I carried food, fresh water, my gun, powder, and shot.
I also brought my umbrella to protect myself from the sun.
I arranged everything so that it would remain dry and secure.
Then I set out.
At first, the journey was pleasant.
The sea was calm, and the canoe moved easily through the water.
I paddled along the coast, examining the shoreline from a new direction.
I saw rocks, sandy beaches, and wooded hills.
Places that had once seemed familiar looked very different from the sea.
I was delighted by the freedom of movement.
For years, I had been confined to the land.
Now I could travel along the shore without forcing my way through thick woods.
But as I approached a rocky point of the island, I noticed something troubling.
The water was moving rapidly around the rocks.
I could see waves breaking over hidden dangers beneath the surface.
Farther out, the sea appeared to be flowing in a strong current.
I remembered that currents could carry a small boat far from shore.
I should have turned back immediately.
But I wanted to see what lay beyond the point.
I continued paddling.
At first, I believed I could remain close enough to the land to avoid danger.
Then, suddenly, the current caught my canoe.
The boat began moving away from the shore.
I paddled with all my strength, trying to turn toward the island.
But the water carried me outward faster than I could move against it.
Within a short time, I was much farther from land than I had intended.
I looked back in terror.
The island was becoming smaller behind me.
I could see the hills and trees, but the distance was increasing.
I realized that I might be carried into the open sea.
If that happened, I would probably die.
My canoe was too small for a long ocean voyage.
I had only a limited supply of food and water.
A strong storm could overturn the boat.
I had no compass or proper navigation equipment.
Worst of all, there was nobody who could rescue me.
I thought bitterly about my foolishness.
I had been safe on the island.
I possessed food, shelter, and everything necessary for survival.
Yet I had risked my life simply because I wanted to explore.
Now I feared that I would lose everything.
I continued paddling, but my efforts seemed useless.
The current carried me farther away.
For a time, I almost gave up hope.
Then I noticed something that encouraged me.
Farther ahead, the surface of the sea appeared different.
I could see that the water was moving in another direction.
Perhaps there was a second current that might carry me back toward the island.
I studied the movement carefully.
I remembered that strong currents often formed where tides passed around islands and rocky points.
If I could reach the edge of the current carrying me outward, I might escape into calmer water.
I began paddling toward one side.
The effort was exhausting.
My arms ached, and the sun beat down upon me.
But I continued.
Gradually, I noticed that the canoe was moving less rapidly away from shore.
I had reached the edge of the strongest current.
Then the wind changed slightly.
I raised my small sail and tried to use it.
To my great relief, the canoe began moving in a direction that brought me closer to the island.
I could hardly believe my good fortune.
I continued steering carefully, afraid that another current might carry me away.
Slowly, the island grew larger.
I could see individual trees and the shape of the coast.
I felt hope returning.
After a long struggle, I reached calmer water on another side of the island.
I was exhausted, but I was alive.
I found a sheltered place near the shore and guided the canoe toward it.
When the boat touched the land, I climbed out and fell onto the ground.
For some time, I could do nothing but rest.
I thanked God for saving me from the sea.
I had survived a terrible shipwreck years earlier.
Now I had nearly lost my life in a boat of my own making.
I realized how foolish it would be to risk everything again without a very good reason.
The island had once seemed like a prison.
But while I was being carried away by the current, it had appeared to me as the safest and most desirable place in the world.
I had wanted nothing more than to return to it.
Now that I was safely ashore, I promised myself that I would be much more cautious.
I still wished to escape one day.
But I would never again underestimate the power of the sea.