th three leagues distant. Our situation being very
low we could see nothing of the reef towards the sea.

The afternoon was advantageously spent in sleep. There were however a few
not disposed to it, and those were employed in dressing some clams to
take with us for the next day's dinner: others we cut up in slices to
dry, which I knew was the most valuable supply we could find here, but
they were very scarce.

Towards evening I cautioned everyone against making too large a fire or
suffering it after dark to blaze up. Mr. Samuel and Mr. Peckover had
superintendence of this business, while I was strolling about the beach
to observe if I thought it could be seen from the main. I was just
satisfied that it could not when on a sudden the island appeared all in a
blaze that might have been discerned at a much more considerable
distance. I ran to learn the cause and found that it was occasioned by
the imprudence and obstinacy of one of the party who in my absence had
insisted on having a fire to himself, in making which the flames caught
the neighbouring grass and rapidly spread. This misconduct might have
produced very serious consequences by discovering our situation to the
natives for, if they had attacked us, we had neither arms nor strength to
oppose an enemy. Thus the relief which I expected from a little sleep was
totally lost and I anxiously waited for the flowing of the tide that we
might proceed to sea.

It was high-water at half-past five this evening whence I deduced the
time on the full and change of the moon to be 58 past 10 in the morning:
the rise was nearly five feet. I could not observe the set of the flood
but imagined it to come from the southward, and that I was mistaken at
Restoration Island as I found the time of high-water gradually later the
more we advanced to the northward.

At Restoration Island high-water full and change : 7 hours 10.
Sunday Island high-water full and change : 9 hours 19.
Here high-water full and change : 10 hours 58.

After eight o'clock Mr. Samuel and Mr. Peckover went out to watch for
turtle and three men went to the east key to endeavour to catch birds.
All the others, complaining of being sick, took their rest, except Mr.
Hayward and Mr. Elphinston whom I directed to keep watch. About midnight
the bird party returned with only twelve noddies, birds which I have
already described to be about the size of pigeons: but if it had not been
for the folly and obstinacy of one of