Nor was that all , for crawling together on flat tables of rock or letting themselves drop into the sea with loud reports I beheld huge slimy monsters -- soft snails , as it were , of incredible bigness -- two or three score of them together , making the rocks to echo with their barkings . I have understood since that they were sea lions , and entirely harmless . But the look of them , added to the difficulty of the shore and the high running of the surf , was more than enough to disgust me of that landing-place . I felt willing rather to starve at sea than to confront such perils . In the meantime I had a better chance , as I supposed , before me . North of Haulbowline Head , the land runs in a long way , leaving at low tide a long stretch of yellow sand . To the north of that , again , there comes another cape -- Cape of the Woods , as it was marked upon the chart -- buried in tall green pines , which descended to the margin of the sea . I remembered what Silver had said about the current that sets northward along the whole west coast of Treasure Island , and seeing from my position that I was already under its influence , I preferred to leave Haulbowline Head behind me and reserve my strength for an attempt to land upon the kindlier-looking Cape of the Woods . There was a great , smooth swell upon the sea . The wind blowing steady and gentle from the south , there was no contrariety between that and the current , and the billows rose and fell unbroken . Had it been otherwise , I must long ago have perished ; but as it was , it is surprising how easily and securely my little and light boat could ride . Often , as I still lay at the bottom and kept no more than an eye above the gunwale , I would see a big blue summit heaving close above me ; yet the coracle would but bounce a little , dance as if on springs , and subside on the other side into the trough as lightly as a bird . I began after a little to grow very bold and sat up to try my skill at paddling . But even a small change in the disposition of the weight will produce violent changes in the behaviour of a coracle . And I had hardly moved before the boat , giving up at once her gentle dancing movement , ran straight down a slope of water so steep that it made me giddy , and struck her nose , with a spout of spray , deep into the side of the next wave . I was drenched and terrified , and fell instantly back into my old position , whereupon the coracle seemed to find her head again and led me as softly as before among the billows . It was plain she was not to be interfered with , and at that rate , since I could in no way influence her course , what hope had I left of reaching land ? I began to be horribly frightened , but I kept my head , for all that . First , moving with all care , I gradually baled out the coracle with my sea-cap ; then , getting my eye once more above the gunwale , I set myself to study how it was she managed to slip so quietly through the rollers . I found each wave , instead of the big , smooth glossy mountain it looks from shore or from a vessel 's deck , was for all the world like any range of hills on dry land , full of peaks and smooth places and valleys .
The coracle , XXXXX to herself , turning from side to side , threaded , so to speak , her way through these lower parts and avoided the steep slopes and higher , toppling summits of the wave .
First barkings bigness contrariety coracle landing-place left rollers sea-cap springs