observed the latitude 14° 15' south, and had made since yesterday 102 miles.

In the evening it rained hard, and we again experienced a dreadful night. At length the day came, and showed to me a miserable set of beings, full of wants, without any thing to relieve them. Some complained of great pain in their bowels, and every one of having almost lost the use of his limbs. The little sleep we got was no ways refreshing, as we were covered with sea and rain. I served a spoonful of rum at day-dawn, and the usual allowance of bread and water, for breakfast, dinner, and supper.

At noon it was almost calm, no sun to be seen, and some of us shivering with cold. Course since yesterday 89 miles.

The wet weather continued, and in the afternoon the wind came from the southward, blowing fresh in squalls. As there was no prospect of getting our clothes dried, I recommended to every one to strip, and wring them through the salt water, by which means they received a warmth, that, while wet with rain, they could not have.

This afternoon, we saw a kind of fruit on the water, which Nelson told me was the Barringtonia of Forster; and, as I saw the same again in the morning, and some men-of-war birds, I was led to believe that we were not far from land.

We continued constantly shipping seas, and baling, and were very wet and cold in the night; but I could not afford the allowance of rum at day-break.

During the succeeding days we discovered several islands. The largest I judged to be twenty leagues in circuit, the others five or six. The sight of them only served to increase the misery of our situation. We were very little better than starving, with plenty in view. Yet to attempt procuring relief was attended with so much danger, that prolonging life, even amidst such distress, was thought preferable, while there was any chance of being able to surmount our hardships. For my own part, I considered the general run of cloudy wet weather to be a blessing of Providence. Hot weather would have destroyed us with thirst; and probably our being so constantly covered with rain or sea protected us from that dreadful calamity. These islands I judged to be part of the New Hebrides; they are fertile and inhabited, as we saw smoke from several places.

The night of the 15th was very dark, not a star could be seen to steer by, and the sea continually broke over us. I found it necessary to counteract the effect of the southerly winds, to prevent being driven too near New Guinea, and therefore, at intervals of

moderate weather, steered a more southerly course. Next day, in addition to our allowance of one twenty-fifth of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, I issued for dinner about an ounce of salt pork to each person. For this pork I had been often solicited, but it was better to use it only in small quantities. We had strong breezes and dark gloomy weather, with storms of thunder, lightning and rain. The night was truly horrible.

At dawn of day, I found every person complaining, and some of them requested extraallowance, which I positively refused. Our situation was miserable, always wet, and suffering extreme cold in the night, without the least shelter from the weather. Being constantly obliged to bale the boat to keep her from filling, perhaps this should not have been reckoned an evil, as it gave us exercise.

7

The little rum we had was of great service; when our nights were particularly distressing, I generally served a tea-spoonful or two to each person, and it was always glad tidings to hear of my intentions.

At noon a water-spout was very near on board of us: I issued an ounce of pork, in addition to the allowance of bread and water; but before we began to eat, every person

stript, and having wrung his clothes through the sea-water, found much warmth and refreshment. Course since yesterday noon W SW, distance 100 miles. The night was dark and dismal, and nothing but wind and waves to direct our steerage. I designed, if possible, to gain New Holland to the southward' of Endeavour Straits, and it was thence necessary to preserve such a situation as to make a southerly wind a fair one.

Monday, May the 18th. In the morning, the rain abated, when we stripped, and wrung our clothes through the sea-water, as usual, which refreshed us greatly. Every person complained of violent pains in his bones: I was only surprised that no one was yet laid up. The customary allowance of one 25th of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, was served at breakfast, dinner, and supper.

At dawn of Wednesday the 20th, several of my people seemed half dead. Our appearance was shocking, and I could look no way without catching the eye of some one in distress. Extreme hunger was now too evident, but no one suffered from thirst, nor had we much inclination to drink, that desire, perhaps, being satisfied through the skin. The little sleep we got was in the midst of water, and we always awoke with severe cramps and

pains in our bones. All the afternoon we were covered with rain and salt water, so that we could scarcely see. The rain fell so heavy through the night, as to alarm us, lest it should fill the boat, and we were obliged to bale with all our might.

On Friday our condition was extremely calamitous. We were forced to take the course of the sea, running right before it, and watching with the utmost care, as the least error in the helm would, in a moment, have been our utter destruction. At noon it blew very hard, and the foam of the sea kept running over our stern and quarters. We had made 130 miles in the course of the day preceding. But the misery of this night increased; the sea flew over us with great force, and kept us baling, in horror and anxiety. I found every one in a most distressed state at dawn, and began to fear that another such night would put an end to the lives of several who seemed no longer able to support their sufferings. I served an allowance of two tea-spoonfuls of rum; after drinking which, having wrung our clothes, and taken our breakfast of bread and water, we became a little refreshed. Towards noon, the weather became fair, but with very little abatement of the gale, and the sea remained equally high,

A fine morning, on Sunday, I had the