LEFT ON AN ISLAND WITHOUT WATER. 171 



birds mentioned, when dressed and cooked, were 

 palatable and appetizing. 



Whilst on this island mvself and another were 

 left ashore, the rest having gone to the main with the 

 boats. Throngh an oversight, they took the wator-kog 

 along with them, leaving ns unprovided with water. 

 We immediately searched for a spring, or some other 

 depository of the priceless liquid, but it was in vain. 

 As we had but a short time before been freely eating 

 of salt junk, our thirst became intolerable, so that we 

 even went so far as to drink of the water of the river, 

 which was salt and brackish. After we had thus 

 suffered for several hours, one of the boats returned, 

 and supplied our want. Never before in my life did I 

 taste so grateful and sweet a draught as I imbibed at 

 that time from the most ordinary of boat-piggins. This 

 was the nearest approach to deprivation of water for 

 any length of time that I ever experienced. If any 

 person should wish to be pestered with a gnawing, 

 unquenched thirst, let him follow our example by 

 eating about a pound of salt meat, and then sitting 

 for hours on an island where no water is to be 

 found, except such as will have a tendency to aggra- 

 vate bis thirst. 



After the arrival of the English ships, our nights 

 were passed in an excess of mirth. The rainy weather 

 preventing any amount of work being performed 

 during daytime, their listlessly lolling about the ship 

 made the men feel prime for sport at night ; and as none 

 of our ship's compan}^, since the desertion of our men, 

 wore allowed to leave her after twilight, by common 

 consent our barque became the rendezvous for all; 

 so that, about half an hour after supper, whole boats' 



