Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Chapter 54 Page 14

bows of a large transport with troops on the forecastle looking down at us.

And soon the tide began to slacken, and the craft lying at anchor to swing, and presently they had all swung round, and the ships that were taking advantage of the new tide to get up to the Pool began to crowd upon us in a fleet, and we kept under the shore, as much out of the strength of the tide now as we could, standing carefully off from low shallows and mudbanks.

Our oarsmen were so fresh, by dint of having occasionally let her drive with the tide for a minute or two, that a quarter of an hour's rest proved full as much as they wanted.

We got ashore among some slippery stones while we ate and drank what we had with us, and looked about. It was like my own marsh country,