They
Seemed, However, To Have Half Lost Their Senses, Gesticulating
Wildly To Us, Running Along The Beach, Then Going Unto
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 sot 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 male 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 allow 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 musketto recall us if needed. We
first walked along the beach, till stopped by the vertical cliffs
at the east end of the island, finding 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.
Hastily concluding that it was a spring, or that the water had
filtered in, we baled it all out as well as a dozen or twenty
buckets of mud and rubbish, hoping by night to have a good supply
of clean water. I then went on board to breakfast, leaving my two
men to make a bamboo raft to carry us on shore and back without
wading. I had scarcely finished when our cable broke, and we
bumped against the rocks. Luckily it was smooth and calm, and no
damage was done. We searched for and got up our anchor, and found
teat the cable had been cut by grating all night upon the coral.
Had it given way in the night, we might have drifted out to sea
without our anchor, or been seriously damaged. In the evening we
went to fetch water from the well, when, greatly to our dismay,
we found nothing but a little liquid mud at the bottom, and it
then became evident that the hole was one which had been made to
collect rain water, and would never fill again as long as the
present drought continued. As we did not know what we might
suffer for want of water, we filled our jar with this muddy stuff
so that it might settle. In the afternoon I crossed over to the
other side of the island, and made a large fire, in order that
our men might see we were still there.
The next day (24th) I determined to have another search for
water; and when the tide was out rounded a rocky point and went
to the extremity of the island without finding any sign of the
smallest stream. On our way back, noticing a very small dry bed
of a watercourse, I went up it to explore, although everything
was so dry that my men loudly declared it was useless to expect
water there; but a little way up I was rewarded by finding a few
pints in a small pool. We searched higher up in every hole and
channel where water marks appeared, but could find not a drop
more. Sending one of my men for a large jar and teacup, we
searched along the beach till we found signs of another dry
watercourse, and on ascending this were so fortunate as to
discover two deep sheltered rock-holes containing several gallons
of water, enough to fill all our jars. When the cup came we
enjoyed a good drink of the cool pure water, and before we left
had carried away, I believe, every drop on the island.
In the evening a good-sized prau appeared in sight, making
apparently for the island where our men were left, and we had
some hopes they might be seen and picked up, but it passed along
mid-channel, and did not notice the signals we tried to make.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 81 of 109
Words from 81798 to 82835
of 111511