CHAP. III.] BAHIA TO THE CAPE. 153 



surf, and tliey were obliged to cut it in two and patch up the 

 best half of it, and use it as best they might in smooth weather 

 close to the shore. 



They went from time to time to the upper plateau and shot 

 goats and pigs. When they first arrived, they counted a flock 

 of twenty-three goats ; three of these were killed during the 

 summer of lS71-'72 by the Tristan people, and six by them- 

 selves ; the remaining fourteen remained over the winter of 

 1872. The flesh of the goats they found extremely delicate. 

 Pigs were much more numerous, but their flesh was not so pal- 

 atable, from their feeding principally on sea-birds; that of the 

 boars was es2:)ecially rank. They found the pigs very valuable, 

 however, in yielding an abundant supply of lard, which they 

 used to fry their potatoes. 



In the month of April, 1872, a singular misfortune befell 

 them. While burning some of the brush below to make a 

 clearing, the tussock in the gully by which they had been in 

 the habit of ascending the cliff caught fire, and as it had been 

 only by its assistance that they had been able to scramble up 

 the plateau, their only hunting-ground was now inaccessible 

 from the strip of beach on which their hut and garden stood, 

 which was closed in at cither end by a headland jutting' into 

 the sea. While their half boat remained sea- worthy, they were 

 able to paddle round in fine weather to the west side of the 

 island, wdiere there was an access to the top ; but the " sea-cart," 

 as they called it, was washed off the beach and broken up in 

 June, and after that the only way they had of reaching the 

 plateau was by swimming round the headland — a risky feat, 

 even in the finest weather, in these wild regions. 



In winter it was found to be impossible to reach the terrace, 

 and as their supply of food was low, they experienced consid- 

 erable privations during their first winter. Their daily allow- 

 ance of food was reduced to a quantity just sufiieient to main- 

 tain life, and in August they " were little better than skeletons." 



