NEWS OF OUR MISSIXG BOAT. 213 



or he is hove down in some foreign hospital, a pre}' to 

 disease brought on by his own imprudence. His life 

 ebbs out, amongst strangers, when, if at home, his 

 sick couch would be surrounded by kind friends, or, 

 perhaps, a fond mother or sister, who, at the dictates 

 of affection, would minister to his dying wants, 

 and smooth his dreary passage with all the comforts 

 procurable by affection. 



But I must resume the legitimate course of my log, 

 which was interrupted, I believe, as we were making 

 our way down the Derwent. By night we were out- 

 side and beating up for the Southwest Cape. There, 

 on Sunday the 9th, we sighted sperm whales. We 

 lowered away, and in about an hour had one snugly 

 moored alongside. The following day we cut him 

 in despite a gale of wind ; fortunately, saving the 

 whale. On the following Wednesday we saw another 

 school of whales, but, after chasing all day, gave up 

 the pursuit as hopeless. As soon as we were done 

 boiling, the James Allen hove in sight, having left 

 Hobartown several da^'S after we sailed. They in- 

 formed us that after we left, her cooper, and one of 

 her boatsteerers deserted, having been enticed away 

 by the smiles of some of Hobartown's syrens. They 

 also stated that the Prince Regent had arrived, and 

 brought news of our missing boat's crew. That, a 

 few days after our leaving the coast of New Zealand, 

 they came alongside the Prince Regent and begged 

 for provisions and some water, saying that they 

 had been lying in a bay a short distance South 

 of Milford Haven, waiting for our departure from 

 the coast. Those who saw them said that they were 

 emaciated and woe-begone to a painful degree. The 



