On the Verge of Starvation. 415 



when I had but three days' half-rations left, a country 

 vessel laden with rice did pull up. I had fortunately 

 enough money, and bought sufficient provisions to last 

 us a month. Towards the end of June the steamer 

 did arrive. She had to lie fully three or four miles 

 off on the east face ; we were on the south-west. So 

 I had to transport all the convicts, free workmen, a 

 lot of sick, all appliances, extra stores, &c. , round to 

 the only place where the boats could come. This was 

 no easy task, for the beach was a mass of rocks and 

 the sea beating over it, and there was not a vestige of 

 a road anywhere. There were only two boats, and 

 they could only make two trips during the day, and 

 then were dangerously crowded. It poured from day- 

 light to dark. We were soaking wet. We lit huge 

 fires and took off and dried our garments one by one, 

 but they were soon saturated again. We had nothing 

 to eat ; all the things were packed away ; but about 

 3 P.M., being famished, I broke open two or three 

 boxes and managed to find one of Crosse and Black- 

 well's plum -puddings and some pints of beer ; and on 

 this Reid, the third mate of the vessel, and I made our 

 first meal. Just at dark I got the last of the people 

 and stores on a boat, most inconveniently crowded, 

 considering the heavy seas we had to encounter to get 

 to the steamer, which was pitching and rolling about, 

 threatening to part with her cable every moment. We 

 were all drenched of course, but for that we did not 

 care much, but what I regretted most was that some 

 half a dozen of the rats of the island, which I had in 

 cages, intending to send them to Mr. Blyth, the 

 curator of the Calcutta Museum, were all drowned. 

 I let loose on the Great Coco, for the use of future 



