om the occupants of some of the large conch-shells taken from the
beach, cooking it for a considerable length of time in a large brass
kettle, the only available utensil. Those who partook of it in our
little group had cause to repent of their rashness; but we did not like
to charge the injury to the lovely creatures which were sacrificed for
this feast, preferring to "blame it on" to the brass kettle, as the
California children would express it. The more cautious ones contented
themselves with their two sea-biscuits and fragment of beef or pork per
day, which were the regular rations served to each from the stores saved
from the ship. Some surface water, found among the rocks, was carefully
guarded, and sparingly dealt out.

After we had been four or five days on the island, two of the ship's
boats were sent out to seek assistance, manned by volunteer crews; one
headed for Aspinwall, which was thought to be about two hundred and
fifty miles distant, and the other to search for what was supposed to be
the nearest land.

Very early on the morning of the tenth day we heard the cry of "A
sail!" We started up from our rocky beds, and stood, without daring to
speak. There was a little upright shadow, about as large as a finger,
against the sky. Every eye was turned to it, but no one yet dared to
confirm it; and, even if it were a sail, those on board the vessel might
not see our island, it was so low, or our flag of distress, as we had
nothing on which to raise it very high. We stood for several minutes,
without daring to look at each other with the consciousness that we were
saved. We presently saw that there were two little schooners beating up
against the wind, directly towards us, and that they carried the red
English flag. They had been catching turtles on the Mosquito Coast. As
soon as our boat reached them, they unloaded their turtles (which
occupied them a day), with the exception of three large ones which they
reserved for us, and then started at once.

These small vessels were unequal to carrying away half the people on the
island, and they had no arrangements for the comfort of passengers. A
considerable number decided to embark on them, and commenced doing so;
while the larger part of the company remained on the spot, to take their
chance of escape in some other way, since communication with the world
was now established.

The next day we were all rejoiced by the appearance of two United States
gunboats from