90 
IN FORBIDDEN SEAS 
The second mate, the cook, and three of the men, 
were washed or jumped overboard when the seas 
swept over us, suffering only a few bruises in getting 
ashore. With their aid we soon had lines ashore, 
and landed blankets, clothing, and other stores. 
The second mate and one sailor came on board again 
on the line, but the others failed and made their 
way down to the Ainu house, about a mile distant. 
All were more or less frost-bitten about the hands 
and feet. I remained on board the vessel. She 
was lying over at an angle of about 40 degrees, 
and was half full of water. About midnight the 
tide had fallen, and the heavy seas only struck us 
occasionally. Fagged out, we tried to get some rest 
whilst awaiting daylight; so I turned into my bunk, 
which had fortunately remained dry. The sky had 
cleared, and the stars were now shining so that it 
was fairly light. On the reef running off the point, 
about a quarter of a mile from us, the seas were 
breaking as heavily as ever. The skipper, who had 
imbibed somewhat freely, no doubt to try and keep 
the cold out, and who when under such influence 
was inclined to be talkative, was fascinated by the 
enormous breakers, and annoyed me considerably 
by repeatedly asking me to go on deck to look at 
them, while congratulating himself that we had not 
been carried on to the reef amongst them. I stood 
it for a while, but eventually put an effective stop 
to his ranting, and got some rest. 
After daybreak the Ainu and Japanese from 
Onebetsu came down to us, when we saved many 
things from the vessel. Some of our stores, such 
as rice and potatoes, were spoiled, but we secured, 
among other things, all our clothes, bedding, rifles, 
