intricate passage, one boat to
meet another, where they must be in each other's way, and
subject, by that means, (if a surf should rise at the moment) to
very great danger.

I found it necessary, in unloading the ships which arrived at
this time, (in consequence of seeing the boats going out and
meeting those coming in considerably endangered by the entangling
their oars, so narrow is the passage in its most dangerous part,)
to give orders that no boat should put off from the shore, when a
loaded boat was near in, nor indeed until such loaded boat was
safely landed.

The arrival of supplies for our relief at this very critical
juncture, was truly comfortable, and a strong instance of the
kindness of Divine Providence to us: for our great and indeed
only resource began to fail us very fast,--the Mount Pitt birds,
on which it may justly be said we had for a very considerable
time principally lived, were now very scarce; many people who
went out to catch them, were frequently, after remaining a whole
night on the ground, where they were, during the plentiful
season, so very numerous, contented to bring in six or eight
birds, and were sometimes unable to find one. The fish also
failed us entirely; for the ships, during the time they were
cruizing about the island and landing the provisions, did not
catch one fish: it will therefore appear, that had not these
supplies arrived so timefully, or had they been detained six
weeks longer, through any accident, or other cause, what a
deplorable situation we should have been reduced to.

Thank God, such consequences as must have attended it, were
prevented by this providential relief, and the dejected gloom,
and pale sickly look, which was to be seen in every countenance,
now gave way to a chearful and happy appearance of
satisfaction.

In the month of January, 1791, finding it impossible to get
any of the remaining stores out, which were under the lower and
orlop decks of the wreck, I determined to attempt getting the
guns out, which, until then, I did not incline to try; the gun
deck being in so infirm a state, I was suspicious, that by moving
the guns, which had hitherto (being housed) hung chiefly by the
bolts in the side, it might cause the deck to fall in, as the
beams, from the opening of the ship's sides, did but barely keep
hold of the clamp, the bolts of the knees being all broken: had
this deck fallen in upon the others, it would have prevented
every endeavour to