ay brought greater strength and spirits to us than I
expected; for, notwithstanding every one was very weak, there appeared
strength sufficient remaining to make me conceive the most favourable
hopes of our being able to surmount the difficulties we might yet have
to encounter.

As soon as I saw that there were not any natives immediately near us, I
sent out parties in search of supplies, while others were putting the
boat in order, that I might be ready to go to sea in case any unforeseen
cause might make it necessary. The first object of this work, that
demanded our attention, was the rudder: one of the gudgeons had come
out, in the course of the night, and was lost. This, if it had happened
at sea, would probably have been the cause of our perishing, as the
management of the boat could not have been so nicely preserved as these
very heavy seas required. I had often expressed my fears of this
accident, and, that we might be prepared for it, had taken the
precaution to have grummets fixed on each quarter of the boat for oars;
but even our utmost readiness in using them, I fear, would not have
saved us. It appears, therefore, a providential circumstance, that it
happened at this place, and was in our power to remedy the defect; for
by great good luck we found a large staple in the boat that answered the
purpose.

The parties were now returned, highly rejoiced at having found plenty of
oysters and fresh water. I also had made a fire, by help of a small
magnifying glass, that I always carried about me, to read off the
divisions of my sextants; and, what was still more fortunate, among the
few things which had been thrown into the boat and saved, was a piece of
brimstone and a tinder-box, so that I secured fire for the future.

[Sidenote: 1789. MAY 29.]

One of my people had been so provident as to bring away with him a
copper pot: it was by being in possession of this article that I was
enabled to make a proper use of the supply we found, for, with a
mixture of bread and a little pork, I made a stew that might have been
relished by people of more delicate appetites, of which each person
received a full pint.

The general complaints of disease among us, were a dizziness in the
head, great weakness of the joints, and violent tenesmus, most of us
having had no evacuation by stool since we left the ship. I had
constantly a severe pain at my stomach; but none of our complaints were
alarming; on the contrary, every one re