THEPACIFIC OCEAN. 185 



and one of them joined the party, after havino; been ab- ^ '777. 



■' ^ ■' " December. 



fent twenty-four hours, and been in great diflrefs. Not 

 a drop of frefli water could be had, for there is none upon 

 the whole ifland ; nor was there a fingle cocoa-nut tree on 

 that part of it. In order to allay his third, he had recourfe 

 to the fingular expedient of killing turtle, and drinking 

 their blood. His mode of refrefhing himfclf, when weary, 

 of which he faid he felt the good efrc(5ls, was equally whim- 

 fical. He undrefTed himfelf, and lay down for fome time in 

 the fliallow water upon the beach. 



It was a matter of furprizc to every one, how thefc two 

 men could contrive tolofe thcmfelves. The land over which 

 they had to travel, from the fea-coaft to the lagoon, where 

 the boats lay, was not more than three miles acrofs ; nor 

 was there any thing to obftrucR: their view ; for the country 

 was a flat, with a few flirubs fcattered upon it ; and, from 

 many parts of it, the marts of the fhips could eafily be feen. 

 But this was a rule of dirc(5tion they never once thought of; 

 nor did they recollecft in what quarter of the ifland the fliips 

 had anchored ; and they were as much at a lofs how to gee 

 back to them, or to the party they had flraggled from, as if 

 they had but jufl: dropped from the clouds. Confidering 

 how ftrange a fet of beings the generality of feamen are, 

 when on fliore, inftead of being furprized that thefe two 

 men lliould thus lofe their way, it is rather to be wondered 

 at, that no more of the party were miffing. Indeed, one 

 of thofe who landed with me, was in a flmilar fituation ; but 

 he had fagacicy enough to know that the fliips were to lee- 

 ward, and got on board almoft as foon as it was] difcovcred 

 that he had been left behind. 



Vol. II. B b As 



