utual
assistance. The steerage passengers were generally small tradesmen, and
had emigrated for much the same reason as the others. Three gentlemen
of the first-class, who were bachelors, had begged leave to join our
mess. One of them had already been in New South Wales, and was able to
give us much interesting information about it. So much taken was I,
indeed, with what I heard, that I resolved, should I be unable to find
the _Barbara_, to visit the colony before returning home. We thus, as I
have explained, formed three chief messes. We were not as yet either
very badly off. We had saved provisions from the wreck sufficient, with
economy, to last us a couple of months or more; and now that we could
obtain fresh water, though but in small quantities, we were not afraid
of dying of thirst. We were in hopes, too, of finding turtles and
turtles' eggs, and perhaps wild fowl, and we might also catch fish to
add to our stock of provisions. Could we only find water, and some sort
of vegetables, we might be able, we thought, to support existence for
any length of time; and as far, indeed, as we could judge we might not
have an opportunity of escaping from the island for months, or it might
be for years. This was not, however, a subject pleasant to contemplate.
I thought of my merchandise, William of his promotion, and of the
opportunities he might lose of distinguishing himself, while Jacotot,
though not idle, was unable to make money where he was. Toby Trundle,
however, took things very easily. He laughed and joked as much as ever,
and declared that he never was more jolly in his life. He used to say
the same thing in the midshipmen's berth; he had said it on board the
boat, and I believe he would have said it under nearly any circumstances
in which he could have been placed. The poor emigrants, on the
contrary, were very far from content. Most of them had lost all they
possessed in the world, and knew that, should they even ultimately
arrive at their destination, they must land as beggars, dependent on the
bounty of others. They were therefore naturally very loud in their
complaints of the captain and his mate, while they were continually
bewailing their own hard lot. Those persons had, as I observed, removed
themselves to a distance from the rest of our shipwrecked band.

We had retired to tents for the night, and had lain down to sleep, when
after some time I was awoke by sounds of shouting and laughter, fo