THE RESCUE OF CAPTAIN GREY's PARTY. 125 



Melville Water, just ruffled by a breeze that came 

 sweeping over its surface with all the delicious cool- 

 ness of the sea. The beauty of the scene did not 

 divert me from the events of my friend's story, 

 serving rather to impress them the more vividly on my 

 mind. I remember well the animated and affecting 

 manner in which he delivered his narrative, and how 

 his hard features became lit up as he proceeded by 

 an expression of honest pride, fully justified by the 

 fact that he had on that occasion been the means of 

 saving the lives of several of his fellow-creatures. 

 When he found them they were under a headland, 

 which they had not sufficient strength left to ascend, 

 Dor were they able to round the sea face of it. One 

 of them, finding all hope of proceeding further at an 

 end, went down on his knees and prayed to the 

 Almighty for assistance; and just as another had 

 bitterly remarked on the uselessness of proffering 

 such a request, Mr. Roe and his party, as if directed 

 by the hand of Providence, appeared on the ridge 

 above them. It would be painful to describe 

 minutely the condition to which these poor fellows 

 had been reduced ; it will be sufficient to state, that 

 thirst had compelled them to resort to the most 

 offensive substitute for pure and wholesome water. 

 One of their party, Mr. Frederic Smith, had been 

 left behind ; and so bewildered were they in their 

 despair, that they could give no definable account of 

 what had become of him. Mr. Roe immediately 

 went in search, and not many miles in the rear. 



