s there was sufficient light for me to distinguish the coastline
I found that it was somewhat losing its monotonous character by breaking
into more detached hills; and about ten A.M., we reached the northern
extremity of Gantheaume Bay.

TO GANTHEAUME BAY.

The men being now completely worn out by want of rest, incessant
exertion, and the mental anxiety they had undergone in the last fifty-six
hours, during the whole of which time they had been in actual danger, I
determined to attempt a landing in Gantheaume Bay, and therefore pulled
along shore with the intention of finding a spot where we could easily
land and yet be near a place likely to afford us water; for
notwithstanding the economy we had practised none now was left. I soon
came to an opening in the bay which I thought would suit our purpose, but
Ruston, on whose opinion in such matters I placed great reliance,
reported it to be utterly impracticable; we still therefore pulled along
the shore, and found it lashed throughout its whole extent by a fearful
surf. The south end of the bay, although protected by a reef, had just as
heavy a surf breaking on it as any other part of the shore and was also
very rocky, we therefore turned back to a sandy beach which we had passed
in pulling round the bay and, having carefully examined this, it appeared
in every way suited to our purpose, so we committed ourselves to the
mercy of the breakers and in we went. As I stood at the steer-oar I saw
that this was a heavier surf than we had ever yet been in. We were swept
along at a terrific rate, and yet it appeared as if each following wave
must engulf us, so lofty were they, and so rapidly did they pour on.

WRECK OF ONE OF THE BOATS.

At length we reached the point where the waves broke; the breaker that we
were on curled up in the air, lifting the boat with it, and when we had
gained the summit I looked down from a great height, not upon water, but
upon a bare, sharp, black rock. For one second the boat hung upon the top
of the wave; in the next I felt the sensation of falling rapidly, then a
tremendous shock and crash which jerked me away amongst rocks and
breakers, and for the few following seconds I heard nothing but the din
of waves whilst I was rolling about amongst men, and a torn boat, oars,
and water-kegs, in such a manner that I could not collect my senses.

END OF VOLUME 1.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Journals Of Two Expeditions Of
Discovery