As Soon As It Was Daylight,
We Saw That We Had Drifted Back, And Were Again Opposite Our
Former Anchorage, And, For The Third Time, Had To Row Hard To Get
To It.
As we approached the shore, I saw that the current was
favourable to us, and we continued down the coast till we were
close to the entrance to the lower harbour.
Just as we were
congratulating ourselves on having at last reached it, a strong
south-east squall carne on, blowing us back, and rendering it
impossible for us to enter. Not liking the idea of again
returning, I determined on trying to anchor, and succeeded in
doing so, in very deep water and close to the reefs; but the
prevailing winds were such that, should we not hold, we should
have no difficulty in getting out to sea. By the time the squall
had passed, the current had turned against us, and we expected to
have to wait till four in the afternoon, when we intended to
enter the harbour.
Now, however, came the climax of our troubles. The swell produced
by the squall made us jerk our cable a good deal, and it suddenly
snapped low down in the water. We drifted out to sea, and
immediately set our mainsail, but we were now without any anchor,
and in a vessel so poorly manned that it could not be rowed
against the most feeble current or the slightest wind, it word be
madness to approach these dangerous shores except in the most
perfect calm. We had also only three days' food left. It was
therefore out of the question making any further attempts to get
round the point without assistance, and I at once determined to
run to the village of Gani-diluar, about ten miles further north,
where we understood there was a good harbour, and where we might
get provisions and a few more rowers. Hitherto winds and currents
load invariably opposed our passage southward, and we might have
expected them to be favourable to us now we had turned our
bowsprit in an opposite direction. But it immediately fell calm,
and then after a time a westerly land breeze set in, which would
not serve us, and we had to row again for hours, and when night
came had not reached the village. We were so fortunate, however,
as to find a deep sheltered cove where the water was quite
smooth, and we constructed a temporary anchor by filling a sack
with stones from our ballast, which being well secured by a
network of rattans held us safely during the night. The next
morning my men went on shore to cut wood suitable for making
fresh anchors, and about noon, the current turning in our favour,
we proceeded to the village, where we found an excellent and
well-protected anchorage.
On inquiry, we found that the head men resided at the other Gani
on the western side of the peninsula, and it was necessary to
send messengers across (about half a day's journey) to inform
them of my arrival, and to beg them to assist me.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 174 of 213
Words from 90583 to 91106
of 111511