the best man amongst the whole. On my asking why he was so downcast and melancholy, his reply was, "Hum na dirta Sahib, likhen hum log ekhus hae! Kya curriga!!" (I am not afraid, Sir; but we are twenty-one in number. What shall we do?)

The 15th was another busy day amongst the grain and water. We had then secured about fourteen bags of rice, one of wheat, a few yams, pumpkins, and onions, a bacon ham, some ghee, and eight bottles of wines and liquors, with a dozen bottles of soda water; and from these we had to select our bill of fare. It seemed impossible that when planks and masts were dashed to pieces, such a frail article as a bare bottle could escape; yet almost all the bottles we saved were lying upon the naked rocks.

We breakfasted that morning upon a piece of a pumpkin that lay on the beach; having first rooted out a thriving colony of shell-fish that inhabited the pulp. We thought of eating fish and all together but such was rather incompatible. To my great joy, I saw a penguin standing amongst the wreck; he was a stupid-looking bird, and allowed me to approach within a few yards of him, without being the least discomposed. I took up a stone and knocked him over, but it did not much injure him, for he ran for the water as fast as he could; but I outran him, and captured him after an obstinate resistance. He was a very singular bird, about two feet high, of a dark colour, and covered with

something between fur and feather, partaking of the nature of both. He had a very fine top-knot of narrow yellow feathers, that flowed upon his neck, and his bill was like a crow's; his feet were webbed, and placed very far back, and his wings were out of all proportion-small, and quite useless for flying. He was very heavy to his size; fat, and promised to be good eating; but when cooked, as black and dry as a piece of turf; in fact, he was anything but palatable. Had it not been for his bill, he might have passed for a young seal.

CHAPTER III.

It was truly degrading to human nature to witness the apathy and indolence of the lascars, in providing for their own subsistence, or making any kind of exertion to hasten their departure from the island. All the provisions that were saved were collected by Mr. Evatt and myself, and two or three others, coaxed on at times to assist us. A great deal of the rice was spoiled from want of proper attention to drying it; for though it did not become bad so long as it lay in the water, yet if it had been allowed to remain in the bay one day, in the open air, or a few hours on the platform, unturned, it became heated and discoloured, and unfit for any thing. Even this afternoon, we could not get men enough to carry the rice when dried to the casks. They became almost mutinous; and when asked by the chief mate to do any thing, their answer was, "Tumhara barabar abi hae. Tumhara nokhar channa hoga." (I am as good as you are now. I shan't be your servant here.) Plunder was their

only occupation. That we could have excused; but they took every opportunity of entering our tent, in our absence, and carrying off the few things we had saved from the surf, for our own use. We saw some one or another, every day, wearing articles of clothing that originally belonged to us; and when asked to restore them, they shewed such a spirit of mutiny and resistance that we judged it safest to let them alone; but we trusted to have an opportunity of claiming them, if ever we were fortunate enough to get on board another vessel. Even those whose duty it was to cook on board ship, could rarely be got to make a cake of rice and water for us, so that we preferred cooking in our own turn, to being troubled with them. The convict Forsyth was scarcely a shade better than they, and boarded along with them. He was

transported from the Mauritius for attempting to murder one of the serjeants of the regiment. The day before, a quantity of ghee was washed on shore, which was divided on the spot, and a portion was sent to us, although several of them complained because we got any at all.

When we looked into their hovels amongst the rocks, there they lay, slothfully, upon bundles and webs of cloth, smoking tobacco, or dead drunk, and quarrelling. Every slave boiled his rice in a silver teapot, and drank his muddy water out of a crystal decanter,-lighted his lair up with a wax candle, and anointed his loathsome body with the most costly oils and perfumes.