134 ACCIDENT TO STEAM APPARATUS. 



buckets. It was the first we had found, and, 

 though not equal to the heather, was very ac- 

 ceptable : it had a strong, harsh, aromatic flavour. 

 Dr. Briggs procured a fine specimen of rock 

 from the eastern bank, which appeared to be ex- 

 clusively composed of mica slate. 



Having laid in a stock of fuel, and Mr. Lander 

 having found the passage to Bocqua intricate and 

 shallow, steam was got up in the Alburkah to 

 lead the way. We contrived to make an engi- 

 neer out of the steward of the Alburkah, and it 

 was expected that he w^ould perform the duty of 

 one as well as men of greater pretensions. Mr. 

 Hector, the purser, was the only one of the 

 Quorra's crew able to stand, and I was very weak 

 and excessively nervous. To add to my nervous- 

 ness, we touched once or twice ; but we scrambled 

 on until eleven a.m. when we were obliged to 

 anchor, in consequence of our young engineer 

 having opened the connexion between the boiler 

 and the deck-hose, instead of the sea-cock. The 

 pressure of the steam blew the scalding water 

 over the decks, and the whole of my black crew 

 began capering about like madmen, as the water 

 scalded their feet. I had great difficulty to pre- 

 vent them from jumping overboard, and still 



