midday
Paddling round it , he tried again , but with the same result ; he found nothing but island after island , all narrow , and bearing nothing except bushes . Observing a channel which seemed to go straight in among these islets , he resolved to follow it , and did so -LRB- resting at noon-time -RRB- the whole morning . As he paddled slowly in , he found the water shallower , and weeds , bulrushes , and reeds became thick , except quite in the centre . After the heat of midday had gone over , he resumed his voyage , and still found the same ; islets and banks , more or less covered with hawthorn bushes , willow , elder , and alder , succeeded to islets , fringed round their edges with reeds and reed canary-grass . When he grew weary of paddling , he landed and stayed the night ; the next day he went on again , and still for hour after hour rowed in and out among these banks and islets , till he began to think he should never find his way out . The farther he penetrated the more numerous became the waterfowl . Ducks swam among the flags , or rose with a rush and splashing .