off and followed them for some time,
but in the afternoon they gave up the chase. It rained heavily that day,
and everyone in the boat did his best to catch some water, and they
succeeded in increasing their stock to thirty-four gallons, besides
having had enough to drink for the first time since they had been east
adrift; but the rain made them very cold and miserable, and as they had
no dry things their shiverings were terrible.

The next morning they had an ounce and a half of pork, a teaspoonful of
rum, half a pint of cocoanut milk, and an ounce of bread for breakfast,
which was quite a large meal for them. The rum, though (or because) in
such small quantities, is said to have been of the greatest service to
them.

Through fifteen weary days and nights of ceaseless rain they toiled,
sometimes through fierce storms of thunder and lightning, and before
terrific seas lashed into foam and fury by swift and sudden squalls,
with only their miserable pittance of bread and water to keep body and
soul together. Now and then a little rum was given after any extra
fatigue of baling, but only at the times set apart for meals.

In this rain and storm the little sleep they got only added to their
discomfort, save for the brief forgetfulness it brought; for they had to
lie down in water in the bottom of the boat, and with no covering but
the streaming clouds above them.

The captain then advised them to wring their clothes through sea-water,
which they found made them feel much warmer for a time.

On May 17 everyone was ill and complaining of great pain, and begging
for more food; but the captain refused to increase their allowance,
though he gave them all a small quantity of rum.

Until the 24th they flew before the wild seas that swept over stem and
stern of their boat, and kept them constantly baling.

Some of them now looked more than half dead from starvation, but no one
suffered from thirst, as they had absorbed so much water through the
skin.

A fine morning dawned on the 25th, when they saw the sun for the first
time for fifteen days, and were able to eat their scanty allowance in
more comfort and warmth. In the afternoon there were numbers of birds
called boobies and noddies near, which are never seen far from land.

The captain took this opportunity to look at the state of their bread,
and found if they did not exceed their allowance there was enough to
last for twenty-nine days, when they hoped to reach Timor.