To Waigiou. 521 



us, running along the beach, then going into the forest ; and 

 just when we thought they had prepnred some mode of mak- 

 ing an attempt to reach us, we saw the smoke of a fire they 

 had made to cook their shell-fish ! They had evidently given 

 up all idea of coming after us, and we were obliged to look to 

 our own position. 



We were now about a mile from shore, and midway be- 

 tween two of the islands, but we were slowly drifting out to 

 sea to the westward, and our only chance of yet saving the 

 men was to reach the opposite shore. We therefore set our 

 jib and rowed hard ; but the wind failed, and we drifted out 

 so rapidly that we had some difficulty in reaching the extreme 

 westerly point of the island. Our only sailor left then swam 

 ashore with a roj^e, and helped to tow us round the point into 

 a tolerably safe and secui-e anchorage, well sheltered from the 

 wind, but exposed to a little swell which jerked our anchor 

 and made us rather uneasy. We were now in a sad plight, 

 having lost our two best men, and being doubtful if we had 

 strength left to hoist our mainsail. We had only two days' 

 water on board, and the small, rocky, volcanic island did not 

 promise us much chance of finding any. The conduct of the 

 men on shore was such as to render it doubtful if they Avould 

 make any serious attempt to reach us, though they might 

 easily do so, having two good choppers, with which in a day 

 they could make a small outrigger raft on which they could 

 safely cross the two miles of smooth sea with the wind right 

 aft, if they started from the east end of the island, so as to al- 

 low for the current. I could only hope they would be sensi- 

 ble enough to make the attempt, and determined to stay as 

 long as I coiild to give them the chance. 



We passed an anxious night, fearful of again breaking our 

 anchor or rattan cable. In the morning (23d), finding all se- 

 cure, I waded on shore with my two men, leaving the old 

 steersman and the cook on board, with a loaded musket to re- 

 call us if needed. We first walked along the beach, till stop- 

 ped by the vertical cliffs at the east end of the island, finding 

 a place where meat had been smoked, a tuille-shell still greasy, 

 and some cut wood, the leaves of which were still green — 

 showing that some boat had been here very recently. We 

 then entered the jungle, cutting our way up to the top of the 



