great numbers of fish, we could never catch one. In the afternoon we cleaned out the boat, and it employed us till sunset to get everything dry and in order. Hitherto I had issued the allowance by guess, but I now made a pair of scales with two cocoanut shells; and having accidentally some pistol balls in the boat, 25 of which weighed one pound, or 16 ounces, I adopted one as the proportion of weight that each person should receive of bread at the times I served it. I also amused all hands with describing the situation of New Guinea and New Holland, and gave them every information in my power, that in case any accident happened to me, those who survived might have some idea of what they were about, and be able to find their way to Timor, which at present they knew nothing of more than the name, and some not even that. At night I served a quarter of a pint of water, and half an ounce of bread, for supper. sheets, which proved of great benefit to us. The wind had been moderate all day in the S.E. quarter, with fine weather; but about nine o'clock in the evening the clouds began to gather, and we had a prodigious fall of rain, with severe thunder and lightning. By midnight we caught about twenty gallons of water. Being miserably wet and cold, I served to the people a tea-spoonful of rum each, to enable them to bear with their distressed situation. The weather continued extremely bad, and the wind increased: we spent a very miserable night, without sleep, except such as could be got in the midst of rain. The day brought no relief but its light. The sea broke over us so much that two men were constantly baling, and we had no choice how to steer, being obliged to keep before the waves for fear of the boat filling. The allowance now regularly served to each person was one twentyfifth of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, at 'Saturday, 9th. In the morning a quarter of a pint of cocoa-eight in the morning, at noon, nut milk, and some of the de- and at sunset. To-day I gave cayed bread, was served for about half an ounce of pork breakfast; and for dinner I for dinner, which, though any divided the meat of four cocoa- moderate person would have nuts, with the remainder of the considered only as a mouthful, rotten bread, which was eatable was divided into three or four. only by such distressed people. The wind continued strong from In the afternoon I fitted a pair S.S. E. to S. E., with very squally of shrouds for each mast, and weather and a high breaking contrived a canvas weather cloth sea, so that we were miserably round the boat, and raised the wet, and suffered great cold in quarters about nine inches, by the night. nailing on the seats of the stern Monday, 11th. In the morning, at daybreak, I served to every person a tea-spoonful of rum, our limbs being so cramped that we could scarcely move them. Our situation was now extremely dangerous, the sea frequently running over our stern, which kept us baling with all our strength. At noon the sun appeared, which gave us as much pleasure as in a winter's day in England. I issued the twenty-fifth of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, as yesterday. In the evening it rained hard, and we again experienced a dreadful night. At length the day (Tuesday the 12th) came, and showed to me a miserable set of beings, full of wants, without anything 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 sup per. At noon it was almost calm, no sun to be seen, and some of us shivering with cold. The direction of our course was to pass to the northward of the New Hebrides. 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 daybreak. 'Wednesday, 13th.-All this day we were constantly shipping water, and suffered much cold and shiverings in the night.Thursday, 14th.-Fresh gales at S.E., and gloomy weather, with rain and a high sea. At six in the morning we saw land from S.W. by S. eight leagues to N.W. by W. W. six leagues, which soon after appeared to be four islands, one of them much larger than the others, and all of them high and remarkable. At noon we discovered a small island and some rocks bearing N.W. by N. four leagues, and another island W. eight leagues, so that the whole were six in number, the four I had first seen bearing from S. E. to S.W. by S., our distance three leagues from the nearest island. At four in the afternoon we passed the westernmost island.-Friday, 15th.-At one in the morning another island was discovered, bearing W.N.W. five leagues' distance; and at eight we saw it for the last time, bearing N. E. seven leagues. A very dark, not a star could be seen to steer by, and the sea broke continually over us. I found it necessary to counteract as much as possible the effect of the southerly winds, to prevent being driven too near New Guinea; for in general we were forced to keep so much before the sea, that if we had not at intervals of moderate weather steered a more southerly course, we should inevitably, from a continuance of the gales, have been thrown in sight of that coast; in which case there would most probably have been an end to our voyage. Saturday, 16th.—In addition to our miserable 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. I was often solicited for this pork; but I considered it number of gannets, boobies, and men-of-war birds were seen. The largest island I judged to be about twenty leagues in circuit, the others five or six. The easternmostis the smallest island, and most remarkable, having a high sugar-loaf hill. The sight of these islands served only to increase the misery of our situation. We were very little better than starving, with plenty in view; yet to attempt procuring any relief was attended with so much danger, that prolonging of life, even in the midst of misery, was thought preferable, whilst there remained hopes of being able to surmount our hardships. For my own part, I considered the general run of cloudy and wet weather to be a blessing of Providence. Hot weather would have caused us to have died with thirst; and probably being so constantly covered with rain or sea protected us from that dread-more proper to issue it in small ful calamity. As I had nothing to assist my memory, I could not then determine whether these islands were a part of the New Hebrides or not. I believed them to be a new discovery, which I have since found true; but though they were not seen either by Monsieur Bougainville or Captain Cook, they are so nearly in the neighbourhood of the New Hebrides, that they must be considered as part of the same group. They are fertile and inhabited, as I saw smoke in several places. The wind was at S.E., with rainy weather all day. The night was quantities than to suffer it to be all used at once or twice, which would have been done if I had allowed it. At noon, the sun breaking out through the clouds gave us hopes of drying our wet clothes; but the sunshine was of short duration. We had strong breezes at S. E. by S., and dark, gloomy weather, with storms of thunder, lightning, and rain. The night was truly horrible, and not a star to be seen, so that our steerage was uncertain.-Sunday the 17th.-At dawn of day I found every person complaining, and some of them solicited extra allowance, 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 to keep the boat from filling was, perhaps, not to be reckoned an evil, as it gave us exercise. 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 joyful tidings when they heard of my intentions. At noon, a waterspout 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 stripped, and having wrung their clothes through the sea-water, found much warmth and refreshment. The night was dark and dismal, the sea constantly breaking over us, and nothing but the wind and waves. to direct our steerage. It was my intention, it possible, to make New Holland, to the southward of Endeavour Straits, being sensible that it was necessary to preserve such a situation as would make a southerly wind a fair one; that we might range along the reefs till an opening should be found into smooth water, and the sooner be able to pick up some refreshments. 'Monday, 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 pain in his bones; I was only surprised that no one was yet laid up. The customary allowance of one twenty-fifth of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, was served at breakfast, dinner, and supper. Saw many boobies and noddies, a sign of being in the neighbourhood of land. In the night we had very severe lightning, with heavy rain, and were obliged to keep baling without intermission.-Tuesday, 19th.-Very bad weather, and constant rain. With the allowance of bread and water, served half an ounce of pork to each person for dinner.-Wednesday, 20th.-Fresh breezes E.N.E., with constant rain; at times a deluge. Always baling. At dawn of day some of my people seemed half dead; our appearances were horrible, and I could look no way but I caught 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 constantly awoke with severe cramps and pains in our bones. This morning I served about two tea-spoonfuls of rum to each person, and the allowance of bread and water as usual. At noon the sun broke out, and revived every one. All the afternoon we were so covered with rain and salt water that we could scarcely see. We suffered extreme cold, and every one dreaded the approach of night. Sleep, though we longed for it, afforded no comfort; for my own part, I almost lived without it. About two o'clock in the morning (Thursday, 21st) we were overwhelmed with a deluge of rain. It fell so heavily that we were afraid it would fill the boat, and were obliged to bale with all our might. At dawn of day I served a larger allowance of rum. Towards noon the rain abated, and the sun shone; but we were miserably cold and wet, the sea constantly breaking over us; so that, notwithstanding the heavy rain, we had not been able to add to our stock of fresh water. 'Friday, 22d.-Strong gales from E.S.E. to S.S. E., a high sea, and dark, dismal night. Our situation this day was extremely calamitous. We were obliged 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 destruction. At noon it blew very hard, and the foam of the sea kept running over our stern and quarters. The misery we suffered this night exceeded the preceding. The sea flew over us with great force, and kept us baling with horror and anxiety. At dawn of day (Saturday, 23d) I found every one in a most distressed condition, and began to fear that another such night would put an end to the lives of several, who Pemed no longer able to sup port 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. The wind moderated in the evening, and the weather looked much better, which rejoiced all hands, so that they ate their scanty allowance with more satisfaction than for some time past. The night also was fair; but being always wet with the sea, we suffered much from the cold.-Sunday, 24th.— A fine morning I had the pleasure to see produce some cheerful countenances, and the first time for fifteen days past we experienced comfort from the warmth of the sun. We stripped and hung our clothes up to dry, which were by this time become so threadbare that they would not keep out either wet or cold. With the usual allowance of bread and water for dinner, I served an ounce of pork to each person. This afternoon we had many birds about us which are never seen far from land, such as boobies and noddies. the sea began to run fair, and we shipped but little water, I took the opportunity to examine into the state of our bread, and found that, according to the present mode of issuing, there was a sufficient quantity remaining for twenty-nine days' allowance, by As |
