A tremendous sea was breaking upon it.

One of the midshipmen had, for the past hour, been in the foretop with a glass; and the captain himself now went up, and took his place beside him.

He saw at once that, accustomed as he was to use his telescope in rough weather, it would be useless here; for the motion was so great that it was only by following the midshipman's example, and lashing himself to the mast, that he could retain a footing.
"You are sure that you have seen no break in the surf, Mr.Eden ?" "Quite sure, sir." "We ought not to be far from it, now, if it is rightly marked on the chart." Another hour passed, and they were within a mile and a half of the shore.
"I think that I can see a break, over there, sir," and the midshipman pointed to a spot a mile along the coast.
"Pray God that it may be so," Fairclough said, "for it is our only chance." Two or three minutes later, he said: "You are right, there is certainly a break there.

There is a line of surf, but it does not run up the shore, as it does everywhere else." He at once descended to the deck.
"Thank God!" he said, as he joined Mr.Hardy and Harry who, on seeing him coming down, had made their way to the shrouds, "there is a break in the surf.

It is not a complete break, but there is certainly an inlet of some sort.