iced beef and other things were stolen, and many things
destroyed from recklessness; but I am pleased to add that, after your
arrival, when order and sobriety became prevalent, from the prompt and
wise measures adopted by you, a considerable quantity of the slops were
recovered by a diligent search through the effects brought on shore by
the crew of the Firefly.

Shortly after the ship struck I overheard one of the officers say that we
were all alike; and now that the vessel was a wreck the cargo belonged to
no one in particular; and one of our party overheard another officer say
to the crew: "There are twenty-two pairs of (Expedition) boots; help
yourselves. There are a pair each for all hands, and a pair to spare."

On the afternoon of Wednesday 4th instant (the day on which we were
wrecked) with Captain Kirby's approval I offered the carpenter five
pounds to cut the vessel close down to the water's edge to get the horses
out. (This, under the circumstances, I hope will meet also your
approval.) This he agreed to, and on the following morning when it was
almost high-water, he (the carpenter) and Muller swam off to the wreck to
do so, and shortly afterwards, when I had found a good place on the
island for watering the horses, I accompanied Messrs. Campbell and Martin
and three of my aboriginals to the wreck to assist the carpenter in
making a breach in the side of the Firefly. To do this work the only
tools the carpenter and his assistants had were two adzes and two small
tomahawks. My aboriginals, Jamie, Fisherman, and Jackie, worked hard with
the tomahawks, and were most able assistants in cutting the vessel down.

On Friday (the 6th instant) we landed safely twenty-five of the horses.
We were obliged to land them chiefly at low-water, and then we had to use
every precaution to prevent them swimming off to sea; for some of them in
the first instance, when we were not watching them, swam off and did not
drift ashore until they were exhausted, and one, after swimming for about
an hour in different directions, reached the southern island, about a
mile distant, with a strong wind and considerable waves against him.

On Saturday the 7th instant, while we were attending to the surviving
horse of four which had been trampled down by the stronger horses among
the floating empty water tanks, we had the great pleasure of seeing
H.M.C.S. Victoria coming to our relief; and I can assure you we were very
thankful, and our spirit