PROVISIONS THROWN OVERBOARD. 447 



at three a.m. sighted land, lying very low, which, from the shallowness 

 and great discoloration of the water, and the quantities of driftwood which 

 lay around us, I took to be near the mouth of the Colville. At 3.15 a.m. 

 the water had shoaled to two feet, and before we could haul off we grounded ; 

 then poled into deep water, and pulled to the northward. Our situation now 

 became rather critical, with such a sea on and the land barely in sight. We 

 accordingly bore away south, to try for a landing at all risks, dead lee-shore 

 as it was. At 3.40 a.m. the ' Supply ' pitched under, and from the weight 

 of water on her head sheets, broke off the rail, and tore the skin nearly 

 down to her water-line. As the whalers were not in a much better condi- 

 tion, or able to relieve her of any of her weight, I reluctantly gave the 

 word to lighten the boats, but we threw overboard only the bread, etc., that 

 had been damaged while we were crossing Smith's Bay on the 5th. The 

 boats felt the relief directly, and bounded on to the distant shore with 

 increased speed, reaching it at 6.30 a.m:. ; and we succeeded in landing 

 on a low, gravelly beach, on the eastern shores of Harrison's Bay, in lat. 

 70° 28' N. We hauled up and cleared immediately, and on examining the 

 stores, found that 250 pounds of bread, seven cases of preserved potatoes 

 (about 190 pounds), and a ten-gallon cask, had been thrown overboard. 



" This was quite an unavoidable calamity, for even before the things had 

 been consigned to the deep, I had hardly expected to see the ' Supply ' keep 

 up much longer, far less to reach the shore ; and, could I have foreseen such 

 an occurrence, I never would have attempted to cross the bay in so direct 

 a line. When we left Cape Halkett there was no reason to expect such 

 weather ; and by making a straight course, we should avoid the shoals of 

 the Colville, which Simpson had such difficulty in clearing ; as it was, we 

 did not escape the outer points of these. We had certainly great reason to 

 be thankful to Him who orders all things for the best ; and it now became 

 our duty to determine to be extremely economical in the consumption of 

 that portion of our stores which still remained to us. The worst part of the 

 voyage I considered over, for there were no more of these deep bays to cross ; 

 and I hoped to be able to keep the shore close the remainder of the way. 

 At ten A.M. the weather cleared a little, and the sun favoured us with his 

 cheering warmth, raising the thermometer up to 47°, of which favourable 

 event we took advantage by exposing our wet bread, clothes, and bedding. 

 Of the latter articles, indeed, our stock was very limited, for where provision 

 was the main object, and took up so much room, we thought of little else 

 on leaving the vessel, and amongst the fourteen we could not even muster 

 a blanket. I often found it a difl&cult job to manage a change if any of my 

 things got wet, or to keep myself warm, particularly when I was sitting in 

 the boat. 



" After breakfast I sent the men to have a sleep, and at one P.m. got 



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