to search for its mouth.

#2. Boat Excursion.#--In this trip they met with some adventures which
will serve to illustrate the dangers of such a voyage. On one occasion,
when their boat had been upset on the shore, and their powder was wetted
by the sea-water, about fifty natives gathered round them, evidently
with no friendly intention. Bass spread the powder out on the rocks to
dry, and procured a supply of fresh water from a neighbouring pond. But
they were in expectation every moment of being attacked and speared, and
there was no hope of defending themselves till the powder was ready.
Flinders, knowing the fondness of the natives for the luxury of a shave,
persuaded them to sit down one after another on a rock, and amused them
by clipping their beards with a pair of scissors. As soon as the powder
was dry the explorers loaded their muskets and cautiously retreated to
their boat, which they set right, and pushed off without mishap.

Once more on the Pacific, new dangers awaited them. They had been
carried far to the south by the strong currents, and the wind was
unfavourable. There was therefore no course open to them but to row as
far as they could during the day, and at night throw out the stone which
served as an anchor, and lie as sheltered as they could, in order to
snatch a little sleep. On one of these nights, while they lay thus
asleep, the wind suddenly rose to a gale, and they were roughly wakened
by the splashing of the waves over their boat. They pulled up their
stone anchor and ran before the tempest--Bass holding the sail and
Flinders steering with an oar. As Flinders says: "It required the utmost
care to prevent broaching to; a single wrong movement or a moment's
inattention would have sent us to the bottom. The task of the boy was to
bale out the water, which, in spite of every care, the sea threw in upon
us. The night was perfectly dark, and we knew of no place of shelter,
and the only direction by which we could steer was the roar of the waves
upon the neighbouring cliff's." After an hour spent in this manner, they
found themselves running straight for the breakers. They pulled down
their mast and got out the oars, though without much hope of escape.
They rowed desperately, however, and had the satisfaction of rounding
the long line of boiling surf. Three minutes after they were in smooth
water, under the lee of the rocks, and soon they discovered a
well-sheltered cove, where they anchored for the