Here we had about the hardest work that I was ever engaged in in my life, to keep out of danger.

And even then we were in it all the while.

We twice attempted to land at Wood Yards, which we could see, but couldn't reach.
"The people would run out with lights, and try to instruct us how to get to shore; but all in vain.

Our boats were so heavy that we could not take them much any way except the way they wanted to go, and just the way the current would carry them.

At last we quit trying to land, and concluded just to go ahead as well as we could, for we found we couldn't do any better.
"Some time in the night I was down in the cabin of one of the boats, sitting by the fire, thinking on what a hobble we had got into; and how much better bear-hunting was on hard land, than floating along on the water, when a fellow had to go ahead whether he was exactly willing or not.