BAKNEY DESERTS IIIS VOLUNTAEY RETURN. 223 



low, who did not care w^liat name be answered to, 

 and became more accustomed to bis alias than to his 

 true cognomen. A call for John would pass un- 

 noticed, when one for Barney would secure his atten- 

 tion in double-quick time. Having no taste for 

 whaling, and being desirous of getting home speedily, 

 he had donned several suits of clothes, and deter- 

 mined to run for it. He separated himself from the 

 rest of the party soon after going ashore, and started 

 directly for the town of Albany, where he arrived 

 at midnight; but finding those who had left the ships 

 before mentioned in a sad predicament — destitute 

 and wretched — he changed his mind, and gave him- 

 self up to the captain, who was about instituting a 

 search, and offering a reward for his apprehension. 

 Two days afterward he was aboard the ship again. 



On the 21st we had all our work done, but were 

 unable to get to sea, being wind-bound by a heavy 

 easterly gale. The mouth of the bay being narrow, 

 precluded the possibility of our beating out. The 

 gale gradually increased ; but our ground-tackle was 

 good, and, with both anchors down, we rode it out. 

 On the afternoon of this day the steamship Simla 

 made her appearance. She is a noble vessel, of 

 twent3'-five hundred tons burden — three hundred 

 and sixt)'-five feet in length. Just before approach- 

 ing the sound she took the pilot aboard, and under 

 his guidance proceeded in. Here she came to anchor 

 alongside the Larkin, in order to receive her coal — 

 this being, after leaving Melbourne, the first station 

 for fuel for the line of steamships to which she be- 

 longs. Tliej^ remain here for twenty-four hours, and 

 bring hither and convey hence the mail to and from 



