404 



AVEATHER DISCOMFORTS TIDES. Feb. 1830, 



three children, had escaped by swimming ashore during the 

 preceding night. Thus, after much trouble and anxiety, much 

 valuable time lost, and as fine a boat of her kind as ever was 

 seen being stolen from us by these savages, I found myself 

 with three young children to take care of, and no prospect what- 

 ever of recovering the boat. It was very hard work for the 

 boats' crews, for during the first ten days we had incessant 

 rainy weather, with gales of wind ; and though the last few- 

 days had been uncommonly fine, the men's exertions in pulling 

 about among the coves, and in ascending hills, had been ex- 

 tremely fatiguing. 



" While the bad weather lasted, the men's clothes were seldom 

 dry, either by day or night. Frequently they were soaked by 

 rain during the greater part of the day, and at night they were 

 in no better condition ; for although a large fire (when made) 

 might dry one side, the other as quickly became wet. Obliged, 

 as we were, to pitch our small tent close to the water in order 

 to be near our boat ; — and because every other place was either 

 rocky or covered with wood ; — we were more than once awakened 

 out of a sound sleep by finding that we were lying partly in 

 the water, the night-tide having risen very much above that 

 of the preceding day : although the tides should have been at 

 that time 'taking off' (diminishing). 



" Sometimes extreme difficulty was found in lighting a fire, 

 because every thing was saturated with moisture ; and hours 

 have been passed in vain attempts, while every one was shiver- 

 ing with cold, — having no shelter from the pouring rain, — and 

 after having been cramped in a small boat during the whole 

 day. 



" In Courtenay Sound I saw many nests of shags (corvo- 

 rants) among the branches of trees near the water : until then, 

 I had understood that those birds usually, if not invariably, 

 built their nests on the ground or in cliffs. 



" Much time had certainly been spent in this search, yet it 

 ought not to be considered as altogether lost. Mr. Stokes had 

 been hard at work during my absence, making plans of the 

 harbours, and taking observations, and I am happy to say, that 



