island, finding a place where meat had been smolced, a
turtle-shell still greasy, and some cut wood, the leaves of
which were still green,—showing that some boat had been
here very recently. We then entered the jungle, cutting
our way up to the top of the hill, but when we got there
could see nothing, owing to the thickness of the forest.
Returning, we cut some bamboos, and sharpened them to
dig for water in a low spot where some sago-trees were
growing; when, just as we were going to begin, Hoi, the
Wahai man, called out to say he had found water. I t was
a deep hole among the sago-trees, in stiff black clay, full
of water, which was fresh, but smelt horribly from the
quantity of dead leaves and sago refuse that had fallen
in. Hastily concluding that it was a spring, or that
the water had filtered in, we baled it all out as well as a
dozen or twenty buckets of mud and rubbish, hoping by
night to have a good supply of clean water. I then went
on board to breakfast, leaving my two men to make a
bamboo raft to carry us on shore and back without
wading. I had scarcely finished when our cable broke,
and we bumped against the rocks. Luckily it was smooth
.and calm, and no damage was done. We searched for and
rgot up our anchor, and found that the cable had been cut
by grating all night upon the coral. Had it given way
in the night, we might have drifted out to sea without our
anchor, or been seriously damaged. In the evening we
went to fetch water from the well, when, greatly to our
dismay, we found nothing but a little liquid mud at the
bottom, and it then became evident that the hole was
one which had been made to collect rain water, and would
never fill again as long as the present drought continued.
As we did not know what we might suffer for want of
water, we filled our jar with this muddy stuff so that
it might settle. In the afternoon I crossed over to the
other side of the island, and made a large fire, in order
that our men might see we were still there.
The next day (24th) I determined to have another
search for water; and when the tide was out rounded a
rocky point and went to the extremity of the island
without finding any sign of the smallest stream. On our
way back, noticing a very small dry bed of a watercourse,
I went up it to explore, although everything was so dry
that my men loudly declared it was useless to expect
water there; but a little way up I was rewarded by
finding a few pints in a small pool. We searched higher
up in every hole and channel where water marks appeared,
but could find not-a drop more. Sending one of my men
for a large jar and teacup, we searched along the beach till
we found signs of another dry watercourse, and on ascending
this were so fortunate as to discover two deep sheltered
rock-holes containing several gallons of water, enough to
fill all our jars. When the cup came we enjoyed a good