the cable does not part, there is no chance of the boat striking the rocks. During this operation a line should be carried from the boat's stern to the shore, so as to prevent the boat from being turned broadside on by a retiring wave. By manipulating the cable and stern line, the boat can be easily hauled backwards and forwards between her anchorage and the shore.
There are occasions when even this method puts a boat to very great risk, so that in order to communicate with the shore one has to adopt other means. Thus it happened with me when I was off the desert island of Trinidada, which is surrounded with sharp coral rocks on which breaks with fury an almost continuous surge, the rollers being sometimes of extraordinary height. On one occasion communication between the yacht and the party on shore was interrupted for several weeks by the perilous breakers. It was rare, indeed, that we ventured to beach the boat; but sometimes, when the method I have above mentioned was impracticable, a landing was effected without much risk as follows:—The yacht's boat was anchored outside the surf; a line was then carried by a good swimmer, or thrown on shore, and made fast to a rock. We used to jump into the water, one at a time of course, and travel backwards and forwards, hand over hand, along this line—sometimes with small bundles of baggage or stores tied on our heads; and this with comparative ease, though the strong back undertow
