I might find at New
Holland, until I came to Timor, a distance of full 1200 leagues, where
was a Dutch settlement, but in what part of the island I knew not, they
all agreed to live on one ounce of bread, and a quarter of a pint of
water, per day. Therefore, after examining our stock of provisions, and
recommending this as a sacred promise for ever to their memory, we bore
away across a sea, where the navigation is but little known, in a small
boat, twenty-three feet long from stern to stern, deep laden with
eighteen men; without a chart, and nothing but my own recollection and
general knowledge of the situation of places, assisted by a book of
latitudes and longitudes, to guide us. I was happy, however, to see
every one better satisfied with our situation in this particular than
myself.

[Sidenote: 1789. May 3.]

Our stock of provisions consisted of about one hundred and fifty pounds
of bread, twenty-eight gallons of water, twenty pounds of pork, three
bottles of wine, and five quarts of rum. The difference between this and
the quantity we had on leaving the ship, was principally owing to loss
in the bustle and confusion of the attack. A few cocoa-nuts were in the
boat, and some bread-fruit, but the latter was trampled to pieces.

It was about eight o'clock at night when I bore away under a reefed lug
fore-sail: and, having divided the people into watches, and got the boat
in a little order, we returned God thanks for our miraculous
preservation, and, fully confident of his gracious support, I found my
mind more at ease than for some time past.

At day-break the gale increased; the sun rose very fiery and red, a sure
indication of a severe gale of wind. At eight it blew a violent storm,
and the sea ran very high, so that between the seas the sail was
becalmed, and when on the top of the sea it was too much to have set:
but I was obliged to carry to it, for we were now in very imminent
danger and distress, the sea curling over the stern of the boat, which
obliged us to bale with all our might. A situation more distressing has,
perhaps, seldom been experienced.

Our bread was in bags, and in danger of being spoiled by the wet: to be
starved to death was inevitable, if this could not be prevented: I
therefore began to examine what cloaths there were in the boat, and what
other things could be spared; and, having determined that only two suits
should be kept for each person, the rest was thrown overboard, with some