nd, but
exposed to a little swell which jerked our anchor and made us rather
uneasy. We were now in a sad plight, having lost our two best men, and
being doubtful if we had strength left to hoist our mainsail. We had
only two days' water on board, and the small, rocky, volcanic island
did not promise us much chance of finding any. The conduct of the men on
shore was such as to render it doubtful if they would make any serious
attempt to reach us, though they might easily do so, having two good
choppers, with which in a day they could male a small outrigger raft on
which they could safely cross the two miles of smooth sea with the wind
right aft, if they started from the east end of the island, so as to
allow for the current. I could only hope they would be sensible enough
to make the attempt, and determined to stay as long as I could to give
them the chance.

We passed an anxious night, fearful of again breaking our anchor or
rattan cable. In the morning (23d), finding all secure, I waded on shore
with my two men, leaving the old steersman and the cook on board, with
a loaded musketto recall us if needed. We first walked along the beach,
till stopped by the vertical cliffs at the east end of the island,
finding a place where meat had been smoked, a turtle-shell still greasy,
and some cut wood, the leaves of which were still green, showing that
some boat had been here very recently. We then entered the jungle,
cutting our way up to the top of the hill, but when we got there could
see nothing, owing to the thickness of the forest. Returning, we cut
some bamboos, and sharpened them to dig for water in a low spot where
some sago-trees were growing; when, just as we were going to begin, Hoi,
the Wahai man, called out to say he had found water. It was a deep hole
among the Sago trees, in stiff black clay, full of water, which was
fresh, but smelt horribly from the quantity of dead leaves and sago
refuse that had fallen in. Hastily concluding that it was a spring, or
that the water had filtered in, we baled it all out as well as a dozen
or twenty buckets of mud and rubbish, hoping by night to have a good
supply of clean water. I then went on board to breakfast, leaving my two
men to make a bamboo raft to carry us on shore and back without wading.
I had scarcely finished when our cable broke, and we bumped against
the rocks. Luckily it was smooth and calm, and no damage was done. We
searched for and got up our anchor, and found