Galley" on Ocean Island, says that he
cooked them all day. Only a portion of the bird could be masticated.
However, it was voted superior to seal, the latter being so tough that
Graves has to parboil it overnight and fry it in the morning. The hard
tack is exhausted, but so much of the flour has been found good that
we are to have a tablespoonful every other day and the same quantity
of beans on the alternate days as substitutes for the hard tack. A cup
of coffee or tea every day for the morning meal. Supper we have at
five.

We had a luxury after supper. There are nine of us in the wardroom
mess who smoke, and each of us was generously supplied with a cigar by
Passed Assistant Engineer Blye, whose chest was rescued the second
day; it contained a box of five hundred Manila cigars.

_Monday, November 7._ The mainmast is ready to raise to-morrow. An
excavation has been made at the highest point of the island, near the
captain's tent, and the mast rolled up to it with the rope guys ready
to hold it upright. The carpenter's gang have been busy all day in
sorting out material for the gig's deck and for raising her sides
eight inches.

While the weather is fine, there seems to be a considerable swell at
sea from the late storm, and the wreck is gradually, as it were,
melting away. To-day a piece of the hull floated towards us and a boat
was sent after it. When it reached the beach I recognized the remains
of my stateroom, with twisted bolts protruding from the edge where it
had been wrenched away from the rest of the hull. I viewed mournfully
the remnant of my long-time home and reflected how it had once been my
protection and that now fate had turned me out of its shelter. Many of
the hopes that were bred within its wooden walls have been shattered
by its destruction, and I thought it would be appropriate to bury it
on the beach with an epitaph above it showing the simple words "Lights
out" which I had so often heard at its door when the ship's corporal
made his nightly rounds at the "turning-in" hour. However, it was
valuable even in its ruin for building and burning material. Besides,
we are not ready yet to think of anything like a funeral.

_Tuesday, November 8._ I am writing my journal this evening with
feelings of cheer and strengthened hopes, for although the fore part
of the day was full of gloomy forebodings it has ended eventfully and
happily. Our task to-day, as I have said, was to set up the mainmast,
and th