Besides, I reflected, she might strike on some of the insidious coral reefs that abound in those fair but terribly dangerous seas.

So I came to the conclusion that it would be better to let her remain where she was--at least, for the time being.

Moreover, I felt sure that the captain, with his knowledge of those regions, would know of some island or convenient sandbank, perhaps not very far distant, on which he might run his boat for safety until the storm had passed.
The boats receded farther and farther from view, until, about nine in the morning, I lost sight of them altogether.

They had started out soon after sunrise.

It then occurred to me that I ought to put the ship into some sort of condition to enable her to weather the storm, which was increasing instead of abating.