Our Expedition Was To Join Him There In Two Or
Three Days At The Farthest, Perhaps Sooner; But, Whatever Happened,
He was
to remain with the cutter at the rendezvous, and on no account, nor under
any inducement, was he
To quit until he either saw or heard from us,
however long the time might be. During the daytime the whale-boat was to
be kept hauled up alongside the cutter, with the carbines belonging to the
crew loaded and triced up under the thwarts, ready for immediate service,
and a bright look-out was to be kept on the channel, in both directions.
If the natives attempted the smallest communication with the mainland, the
whale-boat was to give chase immediately, and either intercept and capture
the canoes, or compel them to return to Hinchinbrook Island.
Such was the rough plan we sketched out for the guidance of the 'Daylight'.
With regard to ourselves, we could make no standing rule, for the country
was comparatively unknown to us, and we must, Micawber-like, trust to
something turning up and, in the pursuit of this happy event, must follow
whithersoever fortune and Miss Lizzie thought fit to lead us.
At least an hour before dawn we were astir, and swallowing the scalding tea
that the man on watch had prepared: this done, and a snack of damper and
cold meat eaten, we got quietly into the boat and were pulled ashore.
Until daylight, we were unable to make our way, for paths there were none,
and the ground was dangerous from the quantity of stones, etc., so we were
compelled to sit down quietly and smoke our pipes until we could see to
pick our way.
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