46 SIGHT OF L4ND. 
" June 9th. At daylight, as usual, I had much 
complaining, which my own feelings convinced 
me was too well founded. Gannets, boobies, 
men-of-war, and tropic birds, were constantly 
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 me- 
lancholy presages of approaching dissolution." 
How cheering are the words which follow 
" Birds and rock- weed showed that we were not 
far from land." 
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 accom- 
panied him in fancy thus far in all his trou- 
bles and privations: "It is not possible for 
me to describe the pleasure which the bless- 
