little bay called Spaniards' Harbour,
in Picton Island, the Falkland Island vessel found the _Speedwell_ on the
beach, and near it an open grave. In the boat lay one body, near the
grave another. They returned with these tidings, and in the meantime the
_Dido_ having come out, her boats explored the coast, and a mile and a
half beyond the first found the other boat, beside which lay a skeleton,
the dress of which showed it to be the remains of Allen Gardiner. Near
at hand was a cavern, outside which were these words painted, beneath a
hand:--

"My soul, wait thou still upon God, for my hope is in Him.

"He truly is my strength and my salvation; He is my defence, so that I
shall not fall.

"In God is my strength and my glory; the rock of my might, and in God
is my trust."

Within the cave lay another body, that of Maidment. Reverent hands
collected the remains and dug a grave; the funeral service was read by
one of the officers, the ship's colours were hung half-mast high, and
three volleys of musketry fired over the grave--"the only tribute of
respect," says Captain Morshead, "I could pay to this lofty-minded man
and his devoted companions who have perished in the cause of the Gospel."
There was no doubt of the cause and manner of their death, for Captain
Gardiner's diary was found written up to probably the last day of his
life.

It appeared that in their first voyage, on the 20th of December, they had
fallen in with a heavy sea, and a great drift of seaweed, in which the
anchor of the _Speedwell_ and the two lesser boats had been hopelessly
entangled and lost. It was found impossible for such small numbers to
manage the launches in the stormy channels while loaded, and it was
therefore resolved to lighten them by burying the stores at Banner Cove,
and, while this was being done, it was discovered that all the
ammunition, except one flask and a half of powder, had been left behind
in the _Ocean Queen_; so that there was no means of obtaining either
guanacos or birds. Attempts were made at establishing friendly barter
with the natives, but no sooner did these perceive the smallness of the
number of the strangers, than they beset them with obstinate hostility.
Meantime, Gardiner's object was to reach a certain Button Island, where
was a man called Jemmy Button, who had had much intercourse with English
sailors, and who, he hoped, might pave the way for a better understanding
with the natives.