at each other — we looked at the place where she
had so latel}'" been afloat — and we did not cease to
look till the terrible conviction of our abandoned
and perilous situation roused us to exertion, if de-
liverance were yet possible.

" We now consulted about the course which it mig?7^
be best to take — west ward to India, eastward to South
America, or south-westward to the Society Isles.

* If there were <Arfe instruments and ''"^<>e ooats there must have
been one for each, for the Quadrant was jusi as gocid as a sextant. — Ed.



ADDITIONAL NOTE. 299

We knew that we were at no gre^t distance from
Tahiti, but were so ignorant of the state and temper
of the' inhabitants, that we feared we should be de-
voured bv cannibals, if we cast ourselves on their
mercy. It was determined, therefore, to make for
South America, which we computed to be more than
two thousand miles distant. Accordingly we steered
eastward, and though for several days harassed with
squalls, we contrived to keep together. It was not
long before we found that one of the boats had
started a plank, which was no wonder, for whale-
boats are all clinker-built, and very slight, being
made of half-inch plank only, before planing. To
remedy this alarming defect we all turned to, and
having emptied the damaged boat into the two others,
we raised her side as well as we could, and suc-
fieeded in restoring the plank at the bottom.
Throup-h this accident, some of our biscuit had be-
come Injured by the salt-water. This was equally
divided among the several boats' crews. Food and
water, rueanwhile, with our utmost economy, rapidly
failed. Our strensrth was exhausted, not by absti-
nence only, but by the labours which we were
obliged to employ to keep our little vessels afloat
amid the storms which repeatedly assailed us.
One night we were parted in rough weather ; but
though the next day we fell in with one of our com-
panion-boats, we never saw or heard any more of
the other, which probably perished at sea, being
without either sextant or quadrant.*

" When we were reduced to the last pinch, and
out of every thing, having been more than three
weeks abroad, we were cheered with the sight of a
low, uninhabited island, which we reached in hope, but
were bitterly disappointed. There were some bar-
ren bushes and many rocks on this forlor.n spot.
The only provisions that we could procure were a
few birds anc^- their eggs; this supply was soon

* The mistake is here again repented ; it would be absurd to suppose
that one boat had both quadrant and sextant



300 ADDITIONAl, NOTE.

reduced ; the sea-fowls appeared to have been fright-
ened away, and their nests were left empty after we
had once or twice plundered them. What distressed
us most was the utter want of fresh water ; we could
not find a drop anywhere, till, at the extreme verge
of ebb tide, a small spring was discovered in the
sand ; but even that was too scanty to afford us suffi-
cient to quench our thirst before it was covered by
the waves at their turn.

" There being no prospect but that of starvation
here, we determined to put to sea again. Three of
our comrades, however, chose to remain, and we
pledged ourselves to send a vessel to bring them off,
if we ourselves should ever escape to a Christian
port. With a very small morsel of biscuit for each,
and a little water, we again ventured out on the wide
ocean. In the course of a few days our provisions
were consumed. Two men died ; w^e had no other
alternative than to hve upon their remains. These
we roasted to dryness by means of fires kindled on
the ballast-sand at the bottom of the boats.* When
this supply was spent, what could we do? We
looked at each other with horrid thoughts in our
minds, but we held our tongues. I am sure that we
loved one another as brothers all the time ; and yet
our looks told plainly what must be done. We cast
lots, and the fatal one fell on my poor cabin-boy. 1
started forward instantly, and cried out, ' My lad, my
lad, if you don't like your lot, I'll shoot the first mj^n
that touches you.' The poor emaciated boy hesi-
tated a moment or two ; then, quietly layhig his head
down upon the gunnel of the boat, he said, ' / like it
as loell as any olher.^ He was soon despatched, and
nothing of him left. 1 think, then, another man died
of himself, and him too we ate. But I can tell you
no more — my head is on fire at the recollection ; I
hardly know what I say. I forgot to say that we

* It is not explained witli what kind of fuel they oerformed this dis-
tressing operation.



ADDITIONAL NOTE. 301

had parted company with the second boat before
now. After some more days of horror and despair,
when some were lying down at the bottom of' the
boat not able to rise, and scarcely one of us could
move a limb, a vessel hove in sight. We were taken
on board, and treated with extreme kindness. The
second lost boat was also picked up at sea, and the
survivors saved. A ship afterward sailed in search
of our companions on the desolate island, and brought
the-m away."

Captain Pollard closed his dreary narrative with
saying, in a tone of despondency never to be forgot-
ten by him who heard it, " After a time I found my
way to the United States, to which I belonged, and
got another ship. That too I have lost by a second
wreck off the Sandwich Islands, and now I am
utterly ruined. No owner will ever trust me with a
whaler again, for all will say I am an unlucky man."

The following account respecting the three men
that were left on the uninhabited island, is given in a
note of the same work, and said to be extracted from
a religious tract. No. 679, issued by the society in
Paternoster-row.

" On the 26th December the boats left the island :
this was indeed a trying moment to all : they sepa-
rated with mutual prayers and good wishes, seven-
teen* venturing to sea with almost certain death be-
fore them, while three remained on a rocky isle, des-
titute of water, and affording hardly any thing to
support life. The prospects of these three poor
men were gloomy : they again tried to dig a well,
but without success, and all hope seemed at an end,
when providentially they were relieved by a shower
of rain. They were thus delivered from the imme
diate apprehension of perishing by thirst. Their

* Here again is another mistake ; the number must have been eleven
tt most, one of the boats having parted before the others reached the
Islaad.— £p. ^



502 ADDITIONAL NOTE.

next care was to procure food, and their difficulties
herein were also very great ; their principal resource
was small birds, about the size of a blackbird, which
they caught while at roost. Every night they
climbed the trees in search of them, and obtained,
by severe exertions, a scanty supply, hardly enough
to support life. Some of the trees bore a small berry,
which gave them a little relief, but these they found
only in small quantities. Shellfish they searched
for in vain ; and although from the rocks they saw
at times a number of sharks, and also other sorts of
fish, they were unable to catch any, as they had no
fishing tackle. Once they saw several turtles, and
succeeded in taking five, but they were then without
water : at those times they had little inclination to
eat, and before one of them was quite finished the
others were become unfit for food.

" Their sufferings from want of water were the
most severe, their only supply being from what re-
mained in holes among the rocks after the showers
which fell at intervals; and sometimes they were
five or six dr.ys without any ; on these occasions
they were compelled to suck the blood of the birds
they caught, which allayed their thirst in some de-
gree ; but they did so very unwillingly, as they
found themselves much disordered thereby.

" Among the rocks were several caves formed by
nature, which afforded shelter from the wind and
rain. In one of these caves they found eight human
skeletons, in all probability tlie remains of some
poor mariners wlio had been shipwrecked on the
isle, and perished for want of food and water. They
were side by side, as if t-hey had laid down and died
together! This sight deeply affected the mate and
his companions ; their case was similar, and they
had every reason to expect, ere long, the same end:
for many times they lay down at night, with theii
tongues swollen and their lips parched with thirst,
scarcely hoping to see the morning sun ; and it is



ADDITIONAL NOTE. 303

impossible to form an idea of their feelings when
the morning dawned, and they fomid their prayers
had been heard and answered by a providential sup-
ply of rain.

" In this state they continued till the 5th of April
following. On the morning of that day they were
in the woods as usual, searchhig for food and w^ater,
as well as their weakness permitted, when their at-
tention was aroused by a sound which they thought
was distant thunder ; but looking towards the sea,
they saw a ship in the offing, which had just fired a
gun. Their joy at this sight may be more easily
imagined than described; they immediately fell on
their knees, and thanked God for his goodness in
thus sending deliverance when least expected ; then
hastening to the shore, they saw a boat coming to-
wards them. As the boat" could not approach the
shore without great danger, the mate, being a good
swimmer, and stronger than his companions, plunged
into the sea, and providentially escaped a watery
grave at the moment when deliverance was at hand.
His companions crawied out farther on the rocks,
and by the great exertions of the crew were taken
into the boat, and soon found themselves on board
the Surrey, commanded by Captain Raine, by whom
they were treated in the kindest manner, and their
health and strength were speedily restored."

Mr. Montgomery, the editor, obsen'es, " there is
some incongruity^ in these two narratives, Avhich
more minute particulars might reconcile." We have
noticed them. Mr. Bennet received the account ver-
bally, and may be mistaken in some points, but there
is httle doubt of its being substantially correct.

This melancholy history supplies an additional
and complete answer to Bligh's doubts of men feed-
ing on each other to preserve existence.

THE END.



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