PERILS OF THE SWAN 127 



some jeopardy, while the wind was at its height. We 

 shipped several seas, and there was some anxiety amongst 

 us. Fortunately my men were good sailors, and no chances 

 of making the best of the little Swan's capabilities were 

 lost. But we were driven an alarming distance from the 

 land : it is believed about four hundred miles. 



I wished to make for Swan River ; but in the face of 

 opposition from the men I had to abandon that intention. 

 They consented, however, to try and beat up to King 

 George's Sound ; chiefly, I suspect, because that there we 

 should find the nearest harbour of refuge, but the wind 

 was too strong. In vain we strove to tack : every hour we 

 were driven further and further out to sea ; and at length 

 we threw up the boat's head, and shaped the best course 

 we could back to Adelaide. 



The last part of the coast of the Bight we saw was a 

 group of small islands, the largest appearing to be less 

 than a mile across, and on an outlying rock of which we 

 nearly came to an end. The wind took us perilously near, 

 and it was only by a nice manoeuvring of the sail that we 

 escaped a disaster that could not have been less than fatal 

 to us all. 



On the 28th we passed close to a large foreign steamer 

 (believed to be a Russian), the name of which could not be 

 discerned. We were in such straits at the time that I 

 felt justified in ordering signals of distress to be shown, 

 but no notice whatever was taken of them. The same 

 thing happened again on the 29th, and this time, I am 

 sorry to say, with a ship that was undoubtedly English. 

 As she passed under full steam at a distance of four miles 

 it is possible that we were not seen, for merchant ships at 

 sea, I fear, seldom keep an efficient lookout — if, indeed, 

 they keep any at all. I earnestly hope that this was the 

 cause of our being left to our own resources by both the 

 Russian and the Englishman. At anyrate their remiss- 

 ness, or unkindness, saved the Swan and the few belong- 

 ings we had on board of her, for if the opportunity had 

 offered, I should have deemed it my duty to abandon 

 her. 



