Wednefday 3,
C H A P . XVII.
Pajfagê 'ffóm Nfw Ètoüand to ffréIfJapd "ftmor.■—Jifrive m
Coupang.—Reception then.
A T eight o’clock in the evening, we once more daunch-
■ed into the open oceai* Miferable:as;©ur fttuatlón
was in every refpeCt, I was fccretly furprifed to fee that I t
did hot appear to affeél any one fo ftrongly as myfelf; on
the contrary, it feettied as if they had embarked on a
voyage to Timor, in a veffel fufficiently calculated for fafe-
ty and convenience. So much confidence- gave -me great
pleafure, .and I may venture to aflert, that to this caufe our
prefèrvatión is chiefly to be attributed, -
I encouraged every one with hopes that eight or ten days
would bring us to a land of fafety; and, after praying to
God for a continuance of his möft gracious protection, I
ferved an allowance of water for fupper, and directed oUr
courfe to the W S W, to counteract the fbutherly winds, in
cafe they fhould blow ftrong.
We had been juft fix days on the eoaft of New Holland,
in the courfe of which we found oyfters, a few dams, fome
birds, and water. But perhaps a benefit nearly equal to this
we received, by having been relieved from the,fatigue of
being conftantly in the boat, and enjoying good reft at night.
Thèfe advantages certainly-preferved our lives'; and, fmall
as the fupply was, I am very fenfible how much it alleviated
4 our
our diftreffes. 'Ef^|ps time, ha^phmpft haye fbnk under
the extremes of, hunger-and? fatigue. - ^ome would have
cea£ed;tO’ftruggie for a' life,that only prpmifed wretched-
nefs a'ndmifery; andotliers, though pofteftedof more bodily
ftrengtli,1 muft'foon *b$ve followed thpir. unfortunate companions,.!
Esjenin ojir prefent fituation,. wje»were naoft deplorable
dbjbCfsi! but the-hopes- of a fpeed-y neljef kept-jup
ourfprrits. ;j'iE©>r.my.q.wnpart:, irieredJhte a^itmay appear,
I felt neither extreme hunger ppr fchirft:. - My allowance
contented me, knowing that rtoftld'bavet no more.
Thurfday the 4th. I ferwed ®ne ^stb:jof a pound of Tturfday 4.
"bread, and an allowance of „water, »for brpakfaft, and the
fame for dinnei, with an addition ©f lix oyftersr to each per-
fbn/’ At noon, latitude obferved io° >48' S^courfe finee
yeffiesday) noon S §4° W, diftanee « 1 mftps*; longitude, by
acconnt, from Shoal Cjape, 10 - 4-5' W. A ftrong rfrade: wind
a$, E,:S E, with fair weather.
This day, we faw a- number Qf watemfniake^} that were
ringed yellow and black, and towards noon we paffed a
great- deal' of rock-:weed. Though the' weather wis fair,
we wipe conftantly fhipping water, which kept two meh-
always employed to. bale tbefhoat. -
- '’Friday the-5th. At noun.,bobrferved in latitude 50° 45'S.>; Fridays-
our courfe fjnee yefterday W miles;.,longitude
made? 30 -35' W. ‘ Six oyfters were, as yefterday,! ferved to
each man, in addition to the ufual-allowance -of bread, and
water..
Tn the evening, a few boobies;:-,came about us, one of
which I caught with my hand. The blood was divided
among three of the men who were weakeflt, but the bird I
ordered- to be kept for our dinner the' next day-.-. Served
<•: :a quarter