SIGHT OF LAND, 53 
" June 9 th. — At daylight, as usual, I had 
much complaining, which my own feelings con- 
vinced me was too well founded. Gannets, 
boobies, men-of-war, and tropic birds, were con- 
stantly about us. Served the usual allowance 
of bread and water, and at noon dined on the 
remains of the dolphin, which amounted to about 
an ounce per man. This afternoon I suffered 
great sickness from the oily nature of part of 
the stomach of the fish, which had fallen to my 
share at dinner. At sunset I served an allow- 
ance of bread and water for supper. In the 
morning, after a very comfortless night, there 
was a visible alteration for the worse in many 
of the people. Extreme weakness, swelled legs, 
hollow and ghastly countenances, a more than 
common inclination to sleep, with an apparent 
debility of understanding, seemed to me the 
melancholy presages of approaching dissolution." 
How cheering are the words which follow: 
" Birds and rock-weed showed that we were not 
far from land !" 
This simple passage reminds us of the words 
of the old sea-song : 
* Look out, look out, my trusty crew, 
Strain every anxious eye ; 
Though spray and mist obscure the view, 
We know the land is nigh !" 
At three o'clock in the morning of the 12th 
of June, to their inexpressible joy, they dis- 
covered the island of Timor. Here Bligh breaks 
out in language which will find an echo in the 
heart of every reader, who has accompanied him 
