pportunity afforded by this interval of tranquillity to
point out to my small command the necessity for placing them upon a
short allowance of food. I reminded them that, at the conclusion of the
meal which we were then discussing, only one clear day's rations would
remain to us, and that, though the French boat had doubtless made good
her escape down the river--and, in that case, would probably reach the
creek early enough that same evening to make Captain Vernon acquainted
with our critical situation--we could scarcely reckon upon the
appearance of a relief expedition under twenty-four hours from the time
of speaking. I added that, further, it would be only wise to allow
another twenty-four hours for possible unforeseen delays, rendering it
not improbable that we should have to pass forty-eight hours in our
present position, and that I had therefore decided, for these prudential
reasons, that it would be necessary to place the party for that period
on half rations. The men accepted this decision of mine with the utmost
readiness, and, in fact, seemed agreeably surprised to find that I
considered it likely we should be rescued in so short a time.

By the time that we had concluded our hasty meal the barrack--which
after all, and notwithstanding its size, was a mere wooden shell of a
place--had become a shapeless heap of smouldering ruins, and we were
consequently to a great extent relieved of the annoyance from the heat
and smoke. Now that the place was actually destroyed I was glad rather
than otherwise, for standing as it did so close to the battery, it
would, had it remained in existence, have afforded splendid "cover" for
the enemy, behind which they would have been enabled to steal close up
to us unobserved, necessitating a most unremitting watch, in spite of
which a sudden unexpected rush might have put them in possession of the
battery. Now, however, nothing in the nature of a surprise could well
occur, for by the destruction of the barrack we were enabled to obtain
an uninterrupted view from the battery all over the diminutive islet
upon which it stood.

Half an hour after the conclusion of our meal the wind dropped away to a
flat calm, the sun went down behind the low range of hills which
stretched away to the westward of us, the landscape assumed a tint of
rapidly deepening, all-pervading grey, the mist-wreaths rose from the
bosom of the whirling river and stealthily gathered about the island
like a bel