Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
very much, and we drifted from shore very slowly, and hoped the men would hastily form a
raft, or cut down a soft-wood tree, and paddle out to us, as we were still not more than a
third of a mile from shore. They seemed, however, to have half lost their senses, gesticulat-
ing wildly to us, running along the beach, then going into the forest; and just when we
thought they had prepared some mode of making an attempt to reach us, we saw the smoke
of a fire they had made to cook their shell-fish! They had evidently given up all idea of
coming after us, and we were obliged to look to our own position.
We were now about a mile from shore, and midway between two of the islands, but we
were slowly drifting out to sea to the westward, and our only chance of yet saving the men
was to reach the opposite shore. We therefore set our jib and rowed hard; but the wind
failed, and we drifted out so rapidly that we had some difficulty in reaching the extreme
westerly point of the island. Our only sailor left, then swam ashore with a rope, and helped
to tow us round the point into a tolerably safe and secure anchorage, well sheltered from the
wind, but exposed to a little swell which jerked our anchor and made us rather uneasy. We
were now in a sad plight, having lost our two best men, and being doubtful if we had
strength left to hoist our mainsail. We had only two days' water on board, and the small,
rocky, volcanic island did not promise us much chance of finding any. The conduct of the
men on shore was such as to render it doubtful if they would make any serious attempt to
reach us, though they might easily do so, having two good choppers, with which in a day
they could make a small outrigger raft on which they could safely cross the two miles of
smooth sea with the wind right aft, if they started from the east end of the island, so as to al-
low for the current. I could only hope they would be sensible enough to make the attempt,
and determined to stay as long as I could to give them the chance.
We passed an anxious night, fearful of again breaking our anchor or rattan cable. In the
morning (23d), finding all secure, I waded on shore with my two men, leaving the old
steersman and the cook on board, with a loaded musket to recall us if needed. We first
walked along the beach, till stopped by the vertical cliffs at the east end of the island, find-
ing a place where meat had been smoked, a turtle-shell still greasy, and some cut wood, the
leaves of which were still green,—showing that some boat had been here very recently. We
then entered the jungle, cutting our way up to the top of the hill, but when we got there
could see nothing, owing to the thickness of the forest. Returning, we cut some bamboos,
and sharpened them to dig for water in a low spot where some sago-trees were growing;
when, just as we were going to begin, Hoi, the Wahai man, called out to say he had found
water. It was a deep hole among the sago-trees, in stiff black clay, full of water, which was
fresh, but smelt horribly from the quantity of dead leaves and sago refuse that had fallen in.
