POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
17 
ing the Indian ocean, proceeded towards New South 
Wales. Our passage was pleasant, and eleven weeks 
after leaving Brazil, we made the western coast of 
Van Diemen’s Land. We passed through Bass’s Straits 
on the same day, and sailed along the eastern shore of 
New Holland towards Port Jackson. Soon after day¬ 
light the next morning, we perceived a sail some miles 
before us, which we found on nearer approach to be a 
small schooner. Our captain on visiting her found only 
three men on board, who were in the greatest distress. 
They had been at Kangaroo Island procuring seal-skins, 
with a quantity of which they were now bound to Syd¬ 
ney. They had remained on the island, catching seals, 
till their provisions were nearly expended 5 and during 
their voyage, they had encountered much heavy weather, 
had been nearly lost, and were so exhausted by fatigue, 
want of food, and constant exposure, that they could not 
even alter the sails, when a change in the wind rendered 
it necessary. They had been for some time living on 
seal-skins; pieces of which were found in a saucepan 
over the fire, when the boat’s crew boarded them. The 
men from our ship trimmed their sails, and our captain 
offered to take them in tow; but as they were so near 
their port, which they hoped to reach the next day, they 
declined accepting his proposal. When he returned to the 
ship, he sent them some bread and beef, a bottle of wine, and 
some water; which the poor starving men received with an 
indescribable degree of eagerness and joy. The seamen 
who conveyed these supplies returned to the ship, and we 
kept on our way. We did not, however, hear of their 
arrival, and as we remained nearly six months in Sydney 
after this time, and received no tidings of them, it is 
probable their crazy bark was wrecked, or foundered 
D 
