on
whilst the crew were launching, got frightened from the depth of water
and the violence of the surf, and let go his hold; when the next surf
threw the boat broadside on to the sea and, there being nearly half a ton
weight of stores in her, and the wind at this juncture unfortunately
freshening, she was in the course of two or three minutes knocked
completely to pieces. By this mischance all the stores in the boat were
lost, and nothing but a few planks and some articles of clothing were
recovered. I placed my own boat at anchor in a little cove for the night
and, leaving two men in her as keepers, the rest of us swam ashore
through the surf to render what assistance we could.

The loss of this boat was a very heavy misfortune to commence with; but
as I had taken the precaution in case of such an accident to provide a
spare one it was by no means irremediable; the other boat was all ready
for launching within half an hour, for by not allowing the men to remain
in a state of inactivity, and by treating the matter lightly, I hoped to
prevent their being dispirited by this unlucky circumstance.

The wind however continued freshening rapidly, and during the evening and
night we had heavy squalls accompanied by rain from all quarters, and
much thunder and lightning. During the night we collected a few quarts of
water in the sails.

February 28.

About ten A.M. the wind moderated so much that we ventured to launch our
remaining boat, now become the second, and in a few minutes both were
riding alongside one another in the little cove. We then commenced
pulling along the shore of the island, making about a south by east
course. Having the wind very nearly right ahead, and a heavy head-sea,
and about half a ton of stores in each of the boats, it was no very
enviable position that we were in; but anything appeared preferable to
dying of thirst on Bernier Island; my dislike to which was much increased
from the fact of Mr. Smith and myself, who slept side by side, having
been nearly tormented to death in the night by myriads of minute ants
crawling over us, by mosquitoes stinging us, and by an odious land-crab
every now and then running over us and feeling with his nippers for a
delicate morsel.

PULL FOR DORRE ISLAND.

It was nearly three P.M. when we reached the north-eastern extremity of
Dorre Island and found a most convenient little boat harbour, sheltered
by a reef from all winds. We therefore stepped out from the b