A DIARY OF THE 



though squally-looking clouds were passing ra- 

 pidly over our heads — a high irregular surf 

 breaking on all sides around us with a noise and 

 roar not to be forgotten. The dangerous nature 

 of the surf made it evident that no common 

 boat could pass through it in safety j and the 

 ship having become, in a measure, less labour- 

 some, the jolly-boat and gig were prepared as 

 life-boats by lashing to them small boats' breakers 

 and spars, to be ready for use on the return of 

 daylight. 



May SO. — At daylight the shore presented a 

 long, low, flat sandy beach, with a tremendous 

 surf rolling in on it, extending to the southward 

 a distance interminable to the eye; in the w.n.w. 

 direction an elevated promontory of land ex- 

 tended out to the westward, with a reef of scat- 

 tered rocks, distant from us between two and 

 three miles. To land the crew was the first ob- 

 ject to which our attention was directed. The 

 only mode to effect this appeared to be by suc- 

 ceeding in establishing a means of communica- 

 tion by a rope, or hawser, whence to raft the 

 crew from the ship to the beach, the nearest dis- 

 tance to which was about two cable-lengths. 

 With this view the jolly-boat was lowered over 



