At that time the severe strain he had imposed upon himself began to be
felt, for when within hearing distance he stated that he had fallen
asleep for a few moments and had been unceremoniously awakened by a
sea breaking over him with such force on the side of the head as almost
to stun him. The crew now expressed their thorough appreciation
and admiration for Boyton's intrepidity and powers of endurance, and
declared he had done as much as to cross the straits three times over in
point of distance; but he persistently turned a deaf ear to their
entreaties to get into the boat. At 11:20 o'clock the bay of Tangier
opened ahead and the force of the current began to abate. They were
rapidly approaching Tangier reef, which was a source of uneasiness to
the boat's crew, who were afraid of being driven on it. They passed
the headland between Tangier and Cape Malabata and were inside the bay
before one o'clock. When within one hundred yards of the outside of a
reef of rocks, forming a natural breakwater, and the landing
place at Tangier, the impracticability of the boat clearing the reef
(toward which the current was driving her) with the aid of the oars
alone became manifest. They therefore advised Boyton to take a line as
they were going to set sail and would tow him around the point, for
otherwise they would inevitably be dashed against the rocks.
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