150 FROM CONCEPTION BAY 



wishes, because we soon saw that a boat could not 

 pass through the surf. 



This supposition was confirmed by Zacharin on 

 his return ; but two sailors, resolved not to leave the 

 new discovery unexplored, swam through the surf j 

 a courage which made me wonder the more, as they 

 had not, like the South Sea islanders, the faculty of 

 living constantly in the sea. They landed safely, but 

 did not venture far, as there were many traces of 

 the island being inhabited; to prove, however, 

 that they had really been on shore, they brought 

 us several cocoa shells, and also a braided cord, 

 which was tied to a pole. I was now seized with 

 a greater desire than ever to land, and resolved, as 

 it was too late to-day, to satisfy it to-morrow, at all 

 events. A pram seemed to me the most convenient 

 for this purpose ; in a moment all the boards and 

 poles on board the Rurick were collected together ; 

 we worked the whole of the night, and at day- 

 break, on the 21st, to my great joy, our pram, 

 which was made large enough to carry one person 

 with ease, was finished. We had tacked, during 

 the night, with a north wind and rain, and as soon 

 as it began to dawn, we approached the shore with- 

 in half a mile ; two boats were instantly put into the 

 water, and Lieutenant SchischmarefF, myself, and 

 our scientific gentlemen, left the Rurick, with our 

 newly-made pram, at seven o'clock, A.M. About 

 forty fathoms from the shore, we anchored our 

 boats, on a bottom of hard coral, in ten fathoms 



