The boat , too , was nowhere to be seen . There was never a sail upon the ocean ; and in what I could see of the land was neither house nor man . I was afraid to think what had befallen my shipmates , and afraid to look longer at so empty a scene . What with my wet clothes and weariness , and my belly that now began to ache with hunger , I had enough to trouble me without that . So I set off eastward along the south coast , hoping to find a house where I might warm myself , and perhaps get news of those I had lost . And at the worst , I considered the sun would soon rise and dry my clothes . After a little , my way was stopped by a creek or inlet of the sea , which seemed to run pretty deep into the land ; and as I had no means to get across , I must needs change my direction to go about the end of it . It was still the roughest kind of walking ; indeed the whole , not only of Earraid , but of the neighbouring part of Mull -LRB- which they call the Ross -RRB- is nothing but a jumble of granite rocks with heather in among . At first the creek kept narrowing as I had looked to see ; but presently to my surprise it began to widen out again . At this I scratched my head , but had still no notion of the truth : until at last I came to a rising ground , and it burst upon me all in a moment that I was cast upon a little barren isle , and cut off on every side by the salt seas . Instead of the sun rising to dry me , it came on to rain , with a thick mist ; so that my case was lamentable . I stood in the rain , and shivered , and wondered what to do , till it occurred to me that perhaps the creek was fordable . Back I went to the narrowest point and waded in . But not three yards from shore , I plumped in head over ears ; and if ever I was heard of more , it was rather by God 's grace than my own prudence . I was no wetter -LRB- for that could hardly be -RRB- , but I was all the colder for this mishap ; and having lost another hope was the more unhappy . And now , all at once , the yard came in my head . What had carried me through the roost would surely serve me to cross this little quiet creek in safety . With that I set off , undaunted , across the top of the isle , to fetch and carry it back . It was a weary tramp in all ways , and if hope had not buoyed me up , I must have cast myself down and given up . Whether with the sea salt , or because I was growing fevered , I was distressed with thirst , and had to stop , as I went , and drink the peaty water out of the hags .
I came to the bay at last , more dead than alive ; and at the XXXXX glance , I thought the yard was something farther out than when I left it .
Earraid Mull Ross first hags house hunger sea shipmates weariness