STOBY OF THE BBOTHEBS STOLTENHOFF. 101 
supplies. The meat of the wild goats we found to be most 
delicate and finely flavoured. In November 1871 the 
number of goats we counted to be twenty-three, chiefly 
rams. Of these, three were shot by the Tristan people, six 
were shot by us, and fourteen remained during the winter. 
The number of wild pigs was great ; the boars, although of 
different sizes, standing in some cases as high as a sheep. 
Their food, other than roots and grass, is furnished in 
endless quantity by the birds and their eggs, of which an 
immense number are consumed by them. The meat of the 
boar is rank and uneatable ; that of the sows wdiolesome and 
good. On 14th May 1872 (by our reckoning) an English 
ship came in sight ; we lighted a fire and attracted the 
attention of her crew. The Sea Cart was not in a condition 
to go off to the vessel, and the look of the surf on the beach 
prevented the captain from attempting to land; and to our 
regret and disappointment the vessel made sail again and 
passed on. At Tristan d’Acunha her master reported that 
he had seen two people and a large square-sterned black 
boat on the beach, but that no one came off. Had we been 
able to communicate with this vessel, it was not our intention 
to leave the island if we could have obtained supplies. The 
winter set in in June, the month following ; but was never 
very severe, although we experienced a lot of rain, and 
heavy gales generally from the north-west. It never froze 
on the level of the sea ; but during a strong gale from the 
south-east the Sea Cart was washed off the beach and broken 
up. In May our first and only crop of potatoes obtained 
that year was dug, and during the following months some of 
the other vegetables were fit for food. Unable to reach the 
plateau, after the loss of the boat, our store of provisions 
was soon so reduced, although husbanded with care, that 
we were obliged to diminish our allowance daily to a quantity 
just sufficient to maintain life ; and at the middle of August 
we were little better than skeletons. The male penguins, 
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