Ni-Va, when he saw what Tul had done, chattered with delight, and sprang upon the log. In a moment, Tul had joined him, pushing the log away from the shore with his spear. It floated slowly out into the stream, carried along by the current, and Tul and Ni-Va found themselves upon Man's first boat. The two boys thought that they would be carried across the river on the log, but as soon as their clumsy craft drifted to the middle of the stream, the current caught it with full force, and began to sweep it at a great rate down the river. Tul, with his spear, tried to guide their boat by pushing against the bottom, but the water was far too deep for him to reach it and in his efforts he very nearly fell off the log. They knew nothing about paddling, even if they had had anything to paddle with, so they could only cling to the log and trust to some change in the current, to carry them to shore. To their dismay, however, they saw that the river was rapidly growing wider, and the banks getting further and further away. Hour after hour the log boat swept along in the swift current, and by the time the sun was ready to set, the river was so wide that they could hardly see the shore. There were no longer any thick woods, and all they could see were low sandy banks, with here and there clumps of bushes and tall grass. Suddenly the log, which had been drifting in a long curve around a point, came to a stop on a sand bar. Ni-Va slipped overboard, ready to swim, with Tul holding on to his shoulder, but to his surprise he found that the water came only up to his waist. Tul quickly joined him, and leaving their clumsy craft the two boys waded ashore. When they reached the sandy bank, and climbed up on it, a wonderful sight met their eyes. As far as they could see, before them and to either side, stretched a great shining body of water. They had never supposed there was so much water in the world, and the sight of it for a moment frightened them. The vast sheet of water before them was the Ocean, and they were the very first Men in all the world to see it. The bank on which they stood sloped down to a beach of shining white sand. The two boys crossed it eagerly, watching with wide eyes the great foaming breakers as they tumbled up on the shore. Tul, who was very thirsty, ran down to the edge of the water and scooping up a handful, tried to drink it. It was salt and bitter, however, and he quickly spat it out again.