282 
SOUTH SEA 
and there was every appearance, on looking around us, 
of the coming of a bad night. Every now and then the 
foam of the waves broke over us in a merciless manner, 
and two or three of the crew were employed in baling 
very frequently. Under these unfortunate circumstances 
I proposed to get near the land, in the event of very bad 
weather coming on, so that we might still possess a 
slight chance of saving our lives, by endeavouring to 
run the boat into some creek. This was opposed by 
the mate and several of the crew in a positive manner. 
They stated that there could be no hope of landing 
even if we could get near the shore, for they knew of 
no inlet in this part of the coast in which a boat could 
find shelter from the storm. X told them I had noticed 
several places in the surf, through which I thought a 
boat might venture, but more particularly one which X 
had observed while fishing,— although it was a dreadful 
place even to look upon, much more to venture into; 
but it was a forlorn hope in case the wind should increase 
much more, of which X had little doubt, and so they 
thought also, as X could observe in their melancholy 
looks. 
All this time the boat's head had been kept in the 
direction in which the blue light was observed, but now 
the men began to flag at their oars ; there was a general 
murmuring among them,— they were cold, wet, and 
much fatigued, and they knew there was no hope of 
reaching the ship. We now saw in the horizon, but 
faintly, a glimmering bluish light spring up suddenly; it 
was in a direction from the beam of our boat, at an 
