The want of bread was not so easily remedied;
though our Captain treated it lightly, saying
be was sure of getting a supply by making a
requisition to the missionaries. He accordingly
waited upon them, and acquainted them
with our distressed condition : they had plenty
(for only a few weeks previously they had received
a large supply), and as we knew their
agent at Sydney, Mr. Campbell, we had no
doubt of procuring a sufficiency from them
to carry us home; but in this wre were disappointed.
Captain Kent did not ask them
for a supply as a gift, but solicited merely the
loan of a cask or two till we arrived at Sydney,
when he guaranteed that the owners of the
brig should return the same quantity into the
missionary storehouse there. The little monosyllable
No was again put in requisition, with
this qualification, —“ that they did not like the
Botany Bay skippers.” Through their “ dislike,”
the passengers and seamen of the brig
might have gone unprovided to sea, had not a
“ worldly-minded” whaler (fortunately for us)
at that critical moment come into port, who,
the instant he heard of the ill success of our
entreaty, vented his indignation in pretty coarse
language, and said, “ if it detained his vessel a
week, he would supply us ; ” and he kept his
word : he gave us a bountiful supply, which
rendered us comfortable during the whole
way home.
It was most interesting to observe our
savages when we got well out to sea. They
soon appeared to become accustomed to their
novel situation, and seemed to feel quite at
home and at their ease “ on board ship.”
Their exertions at the pumps were indefatigable.
I felt convinced they thought that
during all voyages the same labour was gone
through to keep the vessel afloat ; and as it
only required strength and exertion, they
cheerfully took that department entirely to
themselves, especially as they soon perceived
how useless they were when they attempted
to perform any other duty on board of the
brig, as their knowledge of voyaging extended
no further than the distance they go in their
own canoes, which, though very beautiful,
are sad leaky things at sea ; and as, during
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