punts, with tents and stores;
but their supply of provisions appears to have been very scanty.
Scarcely had they pitched their tents when the natives collected in
considerable numbers, and threatened to attack them. To avoid
collision, they ultimately took to their boats, intending to seek
another spot where they might form their station. They put to sea; but
in going out of the harbour the _Speedwell_, under charge of Dr
Williams, got entangled among the rocks, and was nearly lost. All hands
on board suffered much. Captain Gardiner had in the meantime found
Bloomfield Harbour, which he thought would suit them, but during his
cruise had lost the punts he had in tow. He at last returned to Banner
Cove; but on sailing again his boat got on shore. Then it was
discovered that all their powder had been left on board the ship, and so
they had no means of killing the wild-fowl on which they depended
chiefly for their support. Some of their provisions they buried here as
a reserve. Again they put to sea; but their boats, which they clearly
had not strength to manage, were beached on their way to Bloomfield
Harbour. After a fortnight's delay, they got afloat and sailed on to a
spot about forty miles along that iron-bound coast, called Spaniards'
Harbour, which, after much consultation, they agreed would be the
fittest place for their location. Here they arrived at the end of
January 1851; but the _Pioneer_ was driven on shore, and irretrievably
wrecked. So they collected what stores they could save, and dragged
them into a cave near the spot--her remains being hauled up on the
beach. Dr Williams, meantime, carried the _Speedwell_ further up the
harbour, and anchored her there. Disasters followed them. A tide
higher than usual washed into the cave, and swept away a large portion
of their stores; then a hut they had built under the rook caught fire;
and Captain Gardiner barely escaped with his life; lastly, scurvy broke
out. Their provisions were running very short, so they sailed back to
Banner Cove, to procure those they had left there. The provisions were
found; but the scanty store could only last them a few months. They
seemed to have a foreboding of the fate which awaited them. On
conspicuous places on the rocks they wrote in large letters, "Go to
Spaniards' Harbour. Hasten! hasten! We are suffering from sickness--we
are nearly starving!" Words of the same signification were written on
paper, and buried i