About four o’clock in the evening
This eddy carried me about a league on my way back again , directly towards the island , but about two leagues more to the northward than the current which carried me away at first ; so that when I came near the island , I found myself open to the northern shore of it , that is to say , the other end of the island , opposite to that which I went out from . When I had made something more than a league of way by the help of this current or eddy , I found it was spent , and served me no further . However , I found that being between two great currents -- viz. that on the south side , which had hurried me away , and that on the north , which lay about a league on the other side ; I say , between these two , in the wake of the island , I found the water at least still , and running no way ; and having still a breeze of wind fair for me , I kept on steering directly for the island , though not making such fresh way as I did before . About four o'clock in the evening , being then within a league of the island , I found the point of the rocks which occasioned this disaster stretching out , as is described before , to the southward , and casting off the current more southerly , had , of course , made another eddy to the north ; and this I found very strong , but not directly setting the way my course lay , which was due west , but almost full north . However , having a fresh gale , I stretched across this eddy , slanting north-west ; and in about an hour came within about a mile of the shore , where , it being smooth water , I soon got to land . When I was on shore , God I fell on my knees and gave God thanks for my deliverance , resolving to lay aside all thoughts of my deliverance by my boat ; and refreshing myself with such things as I had , I brought my boat close to the shore , in a little cove that I had spied under some trees , and laid me down to sleep , being quite spent with the labour and fatigue of the voyage . I was now at a great loss which way to get home with my boat !