MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 



433 



the captain and officers, who re- 

 mained by the ship^ to secure what 

 provisions and stores could be ob- 

 tained 3 a task of considerable 

 labour and difficulty, for all ^vas 

 under water, which now rose above 

 the orlop-deck. 



When she struck, the tide must 

 have been rising, for towards the 

 afternoon it fell outside, and con- 

 sequently inside the ship several 

 feet ; thereby enabling us to save 

 ourselves from absolute starvation 

 by laying hold of some articles of 

 provender which floated up, as- 

 sisted by divers, and which the 

 boats were employed in convey- 

 ing to the shore. A raft was also 

 constructed, on w hich were placed 

 the heavier stores, with some bag- 

 gage, and towed towards the 

 island. By the return of those 

 boats which carried his Excellency 

 on shore we learnt the very great 

 difficulty of effecting a landing, the 

 mangrove trees growing out to a 

 considerable distance in the water ; 

 and it was not until after ranging 

 alongshore for nearly three miles 

 from the place they at first at- 

 tempted, that a small opening ap- 

 peared, through which, by scram- 

 bling from rock to rock, they at 

 last obtained a footing on terra 

 firina. Here, by cutting away a 

 quantity of the smaller jungle at 

 the foot of a hill (for the island 

 was completely ovei'grown with 

 wood), a space was cleared away, 

 where, under the shade of the lof- 

 tier trees,, they bivouacqued for 

 that day anci night. 



On board tlic shij) the work 

 went on with activity, endeavour- 

 ing to save whatever might be 

 most useful on such an occasion ; 

 but, as the tide rose, the swell of 



Vol. I.IX. 



the sea lifting her from the rocks, 

 she dashed on them again with 

 such violence, as to render it 

 necessary about midnight to cut 

 away the topmasts. At day-light, 

 on Wednesday the 19th, Mr. 

 M'Leod landed with two men who 

 had been severely wounded by the 

 fall of the masts, and with a re- 

 port from the captain to Lord 

 Amherst. The spot in which our 

 party were situated was sufficiently 

 romantic, but seemed at the same 

 time the abode of ruin and of 

 havoc. Few of its inhabitants (and 

 among the rest the embassador) 

 had more than a shirt or pair of 

 trowsers on. The wreck of books, 

 or, as it was not unaptly termed, 

 " a literary manure," was spread 

 about in all directions ; whilst 

 parliamentary robes, court-dresses, 

 and mandarin habits, intermixed 

 with check shirts and tarry jack- 

 ets, were hung around in wild 

 confusion on every tree. 



On his lordship being informed 

 that no fresh water had as yet been 

 obtained from the ship, and that 

 it was barely probable some might 

 be got by scuttling the lower deck, 

 he desired every body might be 

 called around him, and ordered 

 that a gill of that which had been 

 sent on shore the day before 

 (what happened to be on deck in 

 the dripstones and water -jugs), 

 with half that quantity of rum, 

 should be equally served out to 

 every man witliout distinction, and, 

 taking his own share with perfect 

 good lumiour, afforded to others 

 an example of calm fortitude ; and 

 a cheerful leadiness to share in 

 eveiy pri\ation, which never fails 

 on such occasions to have a pow- 

 erful and beneficial effect, more 



2 F especially 



