roots which the doctor pronounced
wholesome.

We were about returning in despair of obtaining what we wanted, when we
came, near the shore on the other side of the bay, on a small open space
overgrown with what at first looked like weeds, but I saw the doctor's
eye brighten as he espied them. Hurrying on he pulled away eagerly at
the seeming weeds.

"Here are onions," he cried, "of more value to us than gold; and see,
here are potatoes, and these are cabbages, though somewhat overgrown,
but there are leaves enough to supply us for a month."

We set to work to dig up the onions and potatoes with our pointed
sticks, and to pull away at the cabbage leaves.

"Some beneficent person must have planted a garden here not long ago,"
said the doctor, as we were labouring with might and main. "These
vegetables may be the means of preserving our lives, for without them we
should have run a great risk of suffering from scurvy."

We each of us loaded ourselves with as many of the roots as we could
carry, and staggered back with them to camp. We were received with a
loud shout by our companions, who knew the value of what we had brought.

We quickly had some of the potatoes roasting in the ashes, on which,
with some onions and fish, we made a more hearty meal than we had taken
since we landed. We had fortunately an iron pot, in which we were able
to boil a quantity of the potatoes, and afterwards the greens and some
of the roots, which, being well-seasoned with salt, the doctor hoped
would keep for some time.

All our preparations being made, one morning, having breakfasted at
daylight, the doctor and I went up to the top of the rock to take a last
look-out for the ship. On coming down we saw the boat in the water
loaded, when, all hands getting aboard, we shoved off and stood out
through the reef with a fair breeze from the north-west and a smooth
sea. The wind would have been directly against us had we been bound for
Japan, so we were glad that we had decided to sail to the southward.

Our boat was somewhat deeply laden with provisions and water, but our
cargo would be rapidly lightened, and Mr Griffiths told us we must be
prepared to heave some of it overboard should bad weather come on. We
were all in health and good spirits, our chief anxiety being about the
fate of the ship.

I must pass rapidly over the first part of our voyage. We had the
boat's compass to steer by, but having no quadrant to take an
observa