PRAYEE IN THE LAUNCH. 41 
occurred to Bligh, that they were within a few 
miles of Providential Channel. A small island 
within the reefs, he named, Island of Direction, 
as it served to show the entrance of the channel 
to which they had been conducted. At this 
hopeful period, he wrote, " We now returned God 
thanks 'for His gracious protection ; and with 
much content took our miserable allowance of a 
twenty-fifth of a pound of bread, and a quarter- 
of-a-pint of water for dinner." 
They had the advantage of using frequently 
a devout and humble prayer to God, which had 
been drawn up by their commander. This form 
of prayer, which is in Mr. Bligh's handwriting 
in the manuscript book alluded to, and which 
is now for the first time printed, the author has 
been enabled, through the kindness of Miss 
Bligh, to lay before the reader : 
" O Lord our Heavenly Father, Almighty 
and Everlasting God, [Thou hast safely brought 
us to the beginning of this day].* In and 
through the merits of our Blessed Saviour, 
through whom we are taught to ask all things, 
we, thy unworthy servants, prostrate ourselves 
before Thee, and humbly ask Thee forgiveness 
of our sins and transgressions. 
" We most devoutly thank Thee for our pre- 
servation, and are truly conscious, that only 
through thy Divine mercy we have been saved. 
We supplicate thy glorious Majesty to accept 
our unfeigned prayers and thanksgivings for 
* In the evening, [" Receive us this night into Thy 
Almighty Protection."] 
D 
