334 THE ANTARCTIC MANUAL, 
the boats continued to work briskly for a few days, but these being the 
only animals up, with the exception of a few stragglers, it was soon 
put a stop to. 
March 11.—On the 11th, I found no prospect of doing any more good 
with the boats, and determined to fit the cutter out and examine the 
different islands to the southward. On the 17th the Haquisite sailed for 
London, and on the 18th I went out with the cutter. Hitherto, during 
my stay in New Plymouth, the wind had been from the N.W. and S.W., 
but without bringing in any considerable sea, so that I conceived the 
Tula perfectly safe while I should be away with the Lively. I now 
stood for James’, or Smith’s Island, but found nothing, Low Island, 
Snow Island, the South Beaches, etc., etc. But on Snow Island I found 
eleven pup elephants and at the great risk of losing the boat and crew. 
The weather has been so bad since my leaving the harbour, that 
examining these islands occupied me till the 2nd of April, on which day 
I again anchored in New Plymouth, having been several days without a 
boat on the cutter, and under considerable anxiety for those that were 
away. On my return the mate told me he had been under great 
apprehensions for the vessel, as the swell had set into the harbour very 
heavy a few days before. We nowset about fitting both vessels for sea, 
the cutter I intended sending to England, and to proceed with the Tula 
to the nearest sperm ground, which together with watering, etc., detained 
us till the 10th, when I had everything in readiness. For several days 
back the wind had been very strong from the N.W., N.E., and sometimes 
from the southward, which brought in occasionally a considerable swell 
to the anchorage. At the same time the breakers between Low Island 
and Ragged Island were terrific, and on the opposite side of the sound. 
On this day the swell increased very much, owing to the wind suddenly 
shifting from N.W. to N.E., which appeared to set the swell immediately 
into this anchorage from the opposite side of the sound. At 7.30 the 
Tula struck abaft. Iimmediately veered away the inshore cable, and hove 
on the starboard one, but the vessel still continuing to strike both fore 
and aft, I let go the sheet anchor and again hove in on the inshore cable 
in hopes to shoot her ahead. She now remained some minutes without 
striking, and I was in hopes the danger was over, but the swell coming 
in still heavier and the water falling, she began to strike still heavier, 
and the rudder was carried away from the stern post; finding now that I 
could not do anything more for the safety of the vessel, I next turned 
my thoughts to the safety of the crew; and at 10 p.m., after securing 
the rudder in the best way I could, and after embarking the crew in the 
boats to be sent aboard the cutter with much difficulty, I found it 
necessary to abandon the vessel for the present, and proceeded with the 
people on board the cutter. During all this time, from the best soundings 
we could get, we never had less than 44 fathoms of water, and the 
vessel not drawing more than 10 feet water forward, the dip of the swell 
