Costa gained the deck from the
cabin. The others must have drowned in their bunks. We launched the
quarterboat, but it swamped, and we were spilled into the boiling sea.
I was washed free of the reef, and made the beach. I found Silva there.

We were 'most frozen, and bruised badly. I got out the matches I had
in the waterproof packet I carry this log in, and we made a fire of
driftwood in one of the caves, and warmed ourselves. Then, we looked
for the others, it being daylight, except for the couple of hours after
midnight. But we found not a body.

We salvaged all the wreckage we could reach. It was not much, for the
currents swept most of the stuff to sea. We got a cask of beef, and
one of biscuit. The quarterboat came ashore, only a little damaged.
We also got the wreckage of No. 4 whaleboat, and her gear, and some
timbers, and a handy billy.

That day the gale was spent, and next day was clear and calm. We
repaired the quarterboat with stuff from the whaleboat, and she is
tight. Then we pulled off to the wreck, and succeeded in boarding her.
Then the Devil entered into us, and we were possessed by greed. We had
planned to get clothes, and stores from the lazaret; but when we got
into the lazaret, we had no thought but for the treasure of
ambergrease. We spent all the day getting the ambergrease to shore.
We were greatly tired by the labor, and, since the wreck showed no
signs of breaking up, we went into a cave and turned in.

While we slept, it came on to blow again. When we awoke, the seas were
breaking over the wreck. The bay was quiet, sheltered by the mountain,
so our stuff on the beach had come to no harm. But during the day the
wreck broke up, and swept to sea. We salvaged but one box of
candles--not a particle of the clothes and food we so sorely need. So,
doth Providence justly punish us for our greed!

Silva was greatly disheartened, but I braced him up. We set about to
explore the caves, with the candles; for we wanted a dry cave to sleep
it, and to stow the ambergrease in. The ground-level caves are all wet
from steam, though they are warm. So, we went into the mountain
through the Elephant Head, toward the great noise. We came to a windy
cave, where there was a great Bottomless Hole, that the noise came out
of. Silva went half mad with terror, for he is very superstitious, but
I saw it was steam. But it is an evil place. And afterward we found
the hole in the roof that le