Rounding New Guinea, and passing the island of Mysole, we came to a
small island called Gely, at the south-east end of Gillolo, lying
exactly under the equator. It contains a magnificent and secure
harbour, in which we brought up. There being an abundance of good
water, and trees from which spars can be cut, it is an excellent place
for repairing damages. The second mate said that those suffering from
scurvy would, now have an opportunity of being cured.

The plan he proposed was to bury them up to their necks in the sand, and
to leave them there for some hours. The doctor was unwilling to try the
experiment, though he did not deny that it might be effectual. Two of
our men suffering from the complaint were, however, perfectly willing to
submit to the remedy, and, our boats having to go on shore to fill the
water-casks, we carried them with us. Holes were dug, and the poor
fellows, being stripped naked, were covered up side by side in the warm
sand, leaving only their heads above the surface, so that they could not
possibly extricate themselves. The captain, I should have said,
approved of the plan, having before seen it tried with success; but the
doctor, declaring that he would have nothing to do with the matter, went
with Jack and another man in an opposite direction. Horner and I had
charge of the watering party. The stream from which we filled our casks
was at some distance from the place where the men were buried. I
undertook to see to the casks being filled if Horner would remain by the
men. We had just finished our work and were rolling the casks down to
the boat when Horner came rushing up, with his eyes staring and his hair
almost on end.

"What's the matter? What has happened?" I asked, thinking he had gone
out of his mind.

"I can't bear it!" he exclaimed. "It's too dreadful. I couldn't help
it."

"What is dreadful? What could you not help?" I inquired.

"The brutes of crocodiles. Poor fellows," he stammered out. "There
won't be a bit of them left presently!" and he pointed to where we had
buried our poor shipmates, and where he ought to have been watching.

The men and I set off running to the spot. A dreadful sight met our
eyes. The body of one man lay half eaten on the sand. A huge crocodile
was dragging off the other. He had dragged it under the water before we
could reach the spot. We could do nothing but shout at the crocodiles.
Horner confessed that he had gone to a dist