Volume I Part 34 (1/2)
REPAIR OF THE BOATS.
Nothing however could be done but to have the boats rendered as seaworthy as possible and, having given this order, the want the men experienced for water was the best guarantee that they would execute this task with the utmost diligence. As soon as I saw them at their work I started with a party in search of water whilst another party under Mr. Smith dug for it; and Mr. Walker superintended the rearrangement of the stores and the digging up the seaweed for the purpose of recovering lost articles. I returned just before nightfall from a vain search; Mr. Smith had been equally unsuccessful in his digging operations, and we thus had to lie down upon the sand parched with thirst, our only chance of forgetting our misfortunes being a few minutes sleep.
THE BOATS NEARLY READY.
March 2.
The men continued working hard at the boats, and it appeared that their task would be concluded this day. I once more started to look for water and to examine the island; but our search was again unsuccessful. On measuring the distance that the sea had risen I found that it had spread up in the direction of our boats fifty-three yards above high water mark; but what will give a better idea of the hurricane is the circ.u.mstance of my catching a cormorant on the beach, about seven o'clock on the morning of the 1st, and during the height of the storm, the bird not even attempting to fly, being in appearance completely appalled at the violence of the wind. It was reported to me at night that another hour's work in the morning would render the boats fit for sea.
Sunday March 3.
The men had slept but little during the night for they were oppressed with thirst; and when I rose in the morning I saw evident symptoms of the coming of another roasting day. They were busy at the boats as soon as they could see to work, whilst Mr. Smith and myself ascended the cliffs to get a view towards the main. When I looked down upon the calm and gla.s.sy sea I could scarcely believe it was the same element which within so short a period had worked us such serious damage. To the north-east we could see the lofty white sandhills in Lyell's Range; to the eastward nothing was visible; yet this was the point to which I had determined to steer, for several reasons. In the first place, the land in that direction had never been visited; and secondly, I had found the sh.o.r.es of Dorre Island covered with great forest trees, which must have been washed across the bay, and which from their size could only have been brought out from the continent by some large and rapid stream, which we at this moment would gladly have seen as there was only about a pint and half of water per man left.
SAIL FOR THE MAIN.
When we returned to breakfast I found the boats nearly ready for sea, and about eleven o'clock they had been all hauled down, the stores stowed away, and everything made ready for launching, and off we went, not a little rejoiced at the prospect of soon having an abundant supply of that liquid on which our lives depended. There was scarcely any wind but that little was right aft so that between sailing and pulling we made about five knots an hour. The boats were however so heavily laden that the men found it very laborious work, for they were exposed to the rays of a burning sun and had nothing to drink but half a pint of water, which was all I could allow them.
We however persevered from soon after eleven A.M. until five P.M., when the men began to get disheartened from seeing no signs whatever of land, and I ordered my boat's crew to knock off pulling for a little, and in Mr. Walker's boat, which was about a mile astern, they did the same. In twenty minutes time I made my crew again take to their oars, but the other boat did not in this instance follow our example, so that we kept dropping her rapidly astern. This was very annoying; but as I was anxious at all events to get a glimpse of the land before sundown we still pulled away, trusting that the other boat would soon follow in our wake.
GROUND ON A SANDBANK.
About half an hour before sunset we sighted the land: several low rounded hills were the first things seen; then what I conceived to be very lofty trees rose in sight, and almost at the same moment the boat grounded on a sandbank.
EXTENSIVE SHALLOWS.
I had observed this shoal several miles before we came to it and it appeared to extend as far as I could see both north and south, but, as I had no doubt that we should find sufficient water on it to enable us to cross, I had given it no attention. I now however on looking more carefully could perceive no limit to its extent in those directions and, as I thought I saw deep water immediately to the eastward of us, I ordered the men to jump out and track the boat over. This they did; but on coming to what appeared to be deep water we found it was only a continuation of the same sandbank, covered with seaweed, which gave the water a darker appearance. The men now alternately tracked or pulled the boat for about five miles over a continuation of the sandbank; a work very fatiguing to those who were already exhausted by several days'
continuous exertion on a very short allowance of water in a tropical climate. It had now been for some time night, and we had taken a star for our guide which just before sunset I had seen rising over the main. I thought we had at last gained the sh.o.r.e, at least the boat was close to a dark line rising above the water which appeared like a wooded bank; two of the men now waded onwards to find out the best place for landing and to light a fire that the crew of the other boat might know where we were.
I saw them to my surprise not ascend a wooded bank but disappear amongst the trees; and still through the silence of the night I heard the splash of men walking through water, and in a minute or two afterwards the cries and screams of innumerable startled waterfowl and curlews, who came flying in flocks from amongst the mangrove trees.
FAIL IN MAKING THE LAND.
The men returned and reported that there was no land or any sign of land hereabouts; that the mangroves were a belt of trees upon a sandbank and that the water deepened inside; that the tide evidently rose very high, from the tufts of seaweeds in the bushes; that it was then rapidly coming in (which was evident enough, for the boat was afloat) and that the other side of the mangrove bushes was an open sea.
This was unpleasant intelligence. That it was untrue I felt a.s.sured; but one man, who certainly could not have seen more than a hundred yards ahead of him on so dark a night, spoke as confidently as if he had seen fifty miles, and this discouraged the others: so by way of keeping their minds occupied I got under weigh again and stood off a little to the southward in the hopes of falling in with the other boat. We cheered at intervals of a few minutes, and fired a gun, whereupon ensued a great screaming, whistling, and flapping of wings amongst the waterfowl, but no human voices were heard in reply.
ANCHOR OFF MANGROVE CREEK FOR THE NIGHT.
When we had gone as far to the southward as I thought prudent I stood out from the sh.o.r.e for about a mile so as to have a good peep in amongst the mangrove bushes in the morning for the other boat, and having dropped our anchor we laid down as we best could for the night; and, speculating upon what explanation the native wise men would give to their fellows of the unknown and novel sounds they had this night heard upon the coast, I soon fell asleep.
CHAPTER 15. THE GASCOYNE RIVER.
REACH AND ENTER A MANGROVE CREEK.
March 4.
Early in the morning I had a good lookout kept for the other boat, which I was very anxious to see in order that I might have a sufficiently numerous party for the purpose of landing and looking for water; as I always held it to be better, upon first appearing amongst natives who had never before seen Europeans, to show such strength as might impress them with a certainty that we were well able to resist any attack which they might naturally feel inclined to make on such strange and incomprehensible intruders as white men must necessarily appear to them.
Soon after the sun rose we descried the other boat about three miles to the southward of us; and I despatched two men to wade along the flats and communicate with Mr. Walker: they were to direct him to get under weigh and to make the best of his course, either by tracking, pulling, or sailing, until he reached the point where I might land.