102 



A DIARY OF THE 



ground ; and in cutting down trees to form a bar- 

 ricade round the encampment. The greatest 

 regularity was observed in the hours of break- 

 fast, dinner, supper 5 and such issues of provi- 

 sions made as the state of our store-tent, and 

 the destruction of the mice, would permit. We 

 had brought the ship's bell with us, which was 

 under the charge of the sentinel posted at the 

 entrance of our camp, and who struck it regu- 

 larly on receiving the time from the officer on 

 guard. The lights in the ship's company's tents 

 were reported as put out every night at 8, 

 and the midshipmen and warrant officers' at 9. 

 None of the crew were allowed to go outside 

 the barricade after 6 p. m. Having some spare 

 canvass, with abundance of timber surrounding 

 us, two tents were put up in the form of a house, 

 with a good sloping roofj which we covered, and 

 used, one as a mess tent for the Captain and 

 officers, the other for the warrant officers and 

 midshipmen. This description of tent we found 

 superior in point of dryness to the usual form, 

 and, after a short interval, others were put up 

 by the officers : one w^as occupied by the captain, 

 and shared with Mr. Saijeant 5 and in another 

 were four or five of the officers. However, 



