their bowels, and every one of
having almost lost the use of his limbs. The little sleep we got was in
no way refreshing, as we were constantly covered with the sea and rain.
The weather continuing, and no sun affording the least prospect of
getting our clothes dried, I recommended to every one to strip and wring
them through the sea-water, by which means they received a warmth that,
while wet with rain-water, they could not have.' The shipping of seas
and constant baling continued; and though the men were shivering with
wet and cold, the commander was under the necessity of informing them,
that he could no longer afford them the comfort they had derived from
the teaspoonful of rum.

On the 13th and 14th the stormy weather and heavy sea continued
unabated, and on these days they saw distant land, and passed several
islands. The sight of these islands, it may well be supposed, served
only to increase the misery of their situation. They were as men very
little better than starving with plenty in their view; yet, to attempt
procuring any relief was considered to be attended with so much danger,
that the prolongation of life, even in the midst of misery, was thought
preferable, while there remained hopes of being able to surmount their
hardships.

The whole day and night of the 15th were still rainy; the latter was
dark, not a star to be seen by which the steerage could be directed, and
the sea was continually breaking over the boat. On the next day, the
16th, was issued for dinner an ounce of salt pork, in addition to their
miserable allowance of one twenty-fifth part of a pound of bread. The
night was again truly horrible, with storms of thunder, lightning, and
rain; not a star visible, so that the steerage was quite uncertain.

On the morning of the 17th, at dawn of day, 'I found,' says the
commander, 'every person complaining, and some of them solicited extra
allowance, which I positively refused. Our situation was miserable;
always wet, and suffering extreme cold in the night, without the least
shelter from the weather. The little rum we had was of the greatest
service: when our nights were particularly distressing, I generally
served a teaspoonful or two to each person, and it was always joyful
tidings when they heard of my intentions. The night was again a dark and
dismal one, the sea constantly breaking over us, and nothing but the
wind and waves to direct our steerage. It was my intention, if possible,
to make the coast of New Holland to the southward of Endeavour Straits,
being sensible that it was necessary to preserve such a situation as
would make a southerly wind a fair one; that we might range along the
reefs till an opening should be found into smooth water, and we the
sooner be able to pick up some refreshments.'

On the 18th the rain abated, when, at their commander's recommendation,
they all stripped and wrung their clothes through the sea-water, from
which, as usual, they derived much warmth and refreshment; but every one
complained of violent pains in their bones. At night the heavy rain
recommenced, with severe lightning, which obliged them to keep baling
without intermission. The same weather continued through the 19th and
20th; the rain constant--at times a deluge--the men always baling; the
commander, too, found it necessary to issue for dinner only half an
ounce of pork.

At dawn of day, Lieutenant Bligh states, that some of his people seemed
half dead; that their appearances were horrible; 'and I could look,'
says he, 'no way, but I caught the eye of some one in distress. Extreme
hunger was now too evident, but no one suffered from thirst, nor had we
much inclination to drink, that desire perhaps being satisfied through
the skin. The little sleep we got was in the midst of water, and we
constantly awoke with severe cramps and pains in our bones. At noon the
sun broke out and revived every one.

'During the whole of the afternoon of the 21st we were so covered with
rain and salt water, that we could scarcely see. We suffered extreme
cold, and every one dreaded the approach of night. Sleep, though we
longed for it, afforded no comfort; for my own part, I almost lived
without it. On the 22nd, our situation was extremely calamitous. We were
obliged to take the course of the sea, running right before it, and
watching with the utmost care, as the least error in the helm would in a
moment have been our destruction. It continued through the day to blow
hard, and the foam of the sea kept running over our stern and quarters.

'The misery we suffered this night exceeded the preceding. The sea flew
over us with great force, and kept us baling with horror and anxiety. At
dawn of day I found every one in a most distressed condition, and I
began to fear that another such night would put an end to the lives of
several, who seemed no longer able to support their sufferings. I served
an allowance of _two_ teaspoonfuls of rum; after drinking which, and
having wrung our clothes and taken our breakfast of bread and water, we
became a little refreshed.

On the evening of the 24th, the wind moderated and the weather looked
much better, which rejoiced all hands, so that they ate their scanty
allowance with more satisfaction than for some time past. The night also
was fair; but being always wet with the sea, we suffered much from the
cold. I had the pleasure to see a fine morning produce some cheerful
countenances; and for the first time, during the last fifteen days, we
experienced comfort from the warmth of the sun. We stripped and hung up
our clothes to dry, which were by this time become so thread-bare, that
they could not keep out either wet or cold. In the afternoon we had many
birds about us, which are never seen far from land, such as boobies and
noddies.'

As the sea now began to run fair, and the boat shipped but little water,
Lieutenant Bligh took the opportunity to examine into the state of their
bread; and it was found that, according to the present mode of living,
there was a sufficient quantity remaining for twenty-nine days'
allowance, by which time there was every reason to expect they would be
able to reach Timor. But as this was still uncertain, and it was
possible that, after all, they might be obliged to go to Java, it was
determined to proportion the allowance, so as to make the stock hold out
six weeks. 'I was apprehensive,' he says, 'that this would be ill
received, and that it would require my utmost resolution to enforce it;
for, small as the quantity was which I intended to take away for our
future good, yet it might appear to my people like robbing them of life;
and some who were less patient than their companions, I expected would
very ill brook it. However, on my representing the necessity of guarding
against delays that might be occasioned by contrary winds, or other
causes, and promising to enlarge upon the allowance as we got on, they
cheerfully agreed to my proposal.' It was accordingly settled that every
person should receive one twenty-fifth part of a pound of bread for
breakfast, and the same quantity for dinner as usual, but that the
proportion for supper should be discontinued; this arrangement left them
forty-three days' consumption.

On the 25th about noon, some noddies came so near to the boat, that one
of them was caught by hand. This bird was about the size of a small
pigeon. 'I divided it,' says Bligh, 'with its entrails, into eighteen
portions, and by a well-known method at sea, of "_Who shall have
this?_"[9] it was distributed, with the allowance of bread and water for
dinner, and eaten up, bones and all, with salt water for sauce. In the
evening, several boobies flying very near to us, we had the good
fortune to catch one of them. This bird is as large as a duck. They are
the most presumptive proof of being near land, of any sea-fowl we are
acquainted with. I directed the bird to be killed for supper, and the
blood to be given to three of the people who were the most distressed
for want of food. The body, with the entrails, beak, and feet, I divided
into eighteen shares, and with the allowance of bread, which I made a
merit of granting, we made a good supper compared with our usual fare.

'On the next day, the 26th, we caught another booby, so that Providence
appeared to be relieving our wants in an extraordinary manner. The
people were overjoyed at this addition to their dinner, which was
distributed in the same manner as on the preceding evening; giving the
blood to those who were the most in want of food. To make the bread a
little savoury, most of the men frequently dipped it in salt water, but
I generally broke mine into small pieces, and ate it in my allowance of
water, out of a cocoa-nut shell, with a spoon; economically avoiding to
take too large a piece at a time, so that I was as long at dinner as if
it had been a much more plentiful meal.'

The weather was now serene, which, nevertheless, was not without its
inconveniences, for, it appears, they began to feel distress of a
different kind from that which they had hitherto been accustomed to
suffer. The heat of the sun was now so powerful, that several of the
people were seized with a languor and faintness, which made life
indifferent. But the little circumstance of catching two boobies in the
evening, trifling as it may appear, had the effect of raising their
spirits. The stomachs of these birds contained several flying-fish, and
small cuttle-fish, all of which were carefully saved to be divided for
dinner the next day; which were accordingly divided with their entrails,
and the contents of their maws, into eighteen portions, and, as the
prize was a very valuable one, it was distributed as before, by calling
out, '_Who shall have this?_'--'so that to-day,' says the lieutenant,
'with the usual allowance of bread at breakfast and at dinner, I was
happy to see that every person thought he had feasted.' From the
appearance of the clouds in the evening, Mr. Bligh had no doubt they
were then near the land, and the people amused themselves with
conversing on the probability of what they would meet with on it.

Accordingly, at one in the morning of the 28th, the person at the helm
heard the sound of breakers. It was the 'barrier reef' which runs along
the eastern coast of New Holland, through which it now became the
anxious object to discover a passage; Mr. Bligh says this was now become
absolutely necessary, without a moment's loss of time. The idea of
getting into smooth water and finding refreshments kept up the people's
spirits. The sea broke furiously over the reef in every part; within,
the water was so smooth and calm, that every man already anticipated the
heartfelt satisfaction he was about to receive, as soon as he should
have passed the barrier. At length a break in the reef was discovered, a
quarter of a mile in width, and through this the boat rapidly passed
with a strong stream running to the westward, and came immediately into
smooth water, and all the past hardships seemed at once to be forgotten.

They now returned thanks to God for His generous protection, and with
much content took their miserable allowance of the twenty-fifth part of
a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, for dinner.

The coast now began to show itself very distinctly, and in the evening
they landed on the sandy point of an island, when it was soon discovered
there were oysters on the rocks, it being low water. The party sent out
to reconnoitre returned highly rejoiced at having found plenty of
oysters and fresh water. By help of a small magnifying--glass a fire was
made, and among the things that had been thrown into the boat was a
tinder-box and a piece of brimstone, so that in future they had the
ready means of making a fire. One of the men too had been so provident
as to bring away with him from the ship a copper pot; and thus with a
mixture of oysters, bread, and pork, a stew was made, of which each
person received a full pint. It is remarked that the oysters grew so
fast to the rocks, that it was with great difficulty they could be
broken off; but they at length discovered it to be the most expeditious
way to open them where they were fixed.

The general complaints among the people were a dizziness in the head,
great weakness in the joints, and violent tenesmus, but none of them are
stated to have been alarming; and notwithstanding their sufferings from
cold and hunger, all of them retained marks of strength. Mr. Bligh had
cautioned them not to touch any kind of berry or fruit that they might
find; yet it appears they were no sooner out of sight, than they began
to make free with three different kinds that grew all over the island,
eating without any reserve. The symptoms of having eaten too much began
at last to frighten some of them; they fancied