ome sailcloth and
rugs, and covered the bodies of my shipmates--the dreadful appearance
they presented just unnerved me, and I felt like sitting down and
crying. But I had to hustle. I wanted to get under way as quickly as
possible before darkness came on, and it was now noon.

"First of all I rove the mainsail halliards, and then bent on the jib,
stopping only now and then to fire a rifle at the village, just to
let the natives know I was keeping my eyes skinned. Then I hoisted the
mainsail and hove up my anchor without any trouble, for the wind was
very light, and got a good cant off shore as soon as I ran up the jib.

"As soon as I was well away from the land, I stood north--about so as so
clear Cape Queen Charlotte, the westerly point of New Hanover, and ran
on for three or four hours, the vessel steering herself while I sewed up
poor Merriman's and the boatswain's bodies as well as I could under the
circumstances. I should have done the same for the natives had I had the
time, especially for Rul, but I had not. About dusk I brought to, just
off the Cape, and dropped them over the side one after another--only
just realising, ten minutes previously, that I was still stark naked!

*****

"After rounding the north point of New Hanover, I stood away down the
coast of New Ireland till I made Gerrit Denys Island, where I anchored
for a couple of days, the natives being very friendly, and giving me all
the fresh provisions I wanted for a little tobacco and some hoop-iron.
There was an old white beachcomber named Billy living with them; he
seemed to do pretty well as he liked, and had a deal of influence
with them, not allowing any one of them to hang about the vessel after
sunset, and each night he slept on board with me. I gave him a case of
Hollands for lending me a hand to set up my rigging, which so pleased
him that he turned to and got drunk in ten minutes.

"After leaving Gerrit Denys I had a hard struggle to make Cape St.
George, on the south end of New Ireland. For eight or ten days I had
rainy weather, with heavy squalls from the eastward, and did not feel
very well into the bargain, for I had a touch of fever and ague."

I asked him how he managed at night-time as regarded sleep.

He laughed quietly, and assured us that he never lost a night's rest
during the whole of the time he was at sea. He would simply "scandalise"
his mainsail without reefing it, haul the staysail sheet to windward,
and let the cutte