330 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
affording, however, several harbours, of which 
Port Jackson, leading to the town of Sidney, is 
probably the most capacious and secure. The 
weather is often stormy and the sea tempestuous, 
and fatal to the bark that may be exposed to its 
violence. We experienced somewhat of its fury 
on our first arrival off the coast in 1816. 
Our passage from Rio Janeiro had been 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 be¬ 
fore us, which on nearer approach proved 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 pro¬ 
curing seal-skins, with a quantity of which they 
were now bound to Sydney. They had remained 
on the island, catching seals, till their provisions 
were nearly expended, and, during their voyage, 
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 their 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 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 
