o quit this morsel
of sandbank on which it pleased the Almighty to cast our ship, and on
which, thanks be to Him, we have found a pretty safe shelter for so
long. I feel a sort o' regret almost at leavin' it now. But the time
has come for us to begin our voyage towards the Cape, and I need
scarcely repeat what you all know well enough--that our undertakin' is
no child's play. We shall need all our bodily and our mental powers to
carry us through. Our labour must be constant, and our food is not
sufficient, so that we must go on shorter allowance from this day. I
gave you half rations while ye were buildin' the boat, because we had to
get her finished and launched as fast as we could, but now we can't
afford to eat so much. I made a careful inspection of our provisions
last night, and I find that by allowing every man four ounces a day, we
can spin it out. We may fall in with islands, perhaps, but I know of
none in these seas--there are none put down on the charts--and we may
get hold of a fish now and then, but we must not count on these chances.
Now it must be plain to all of you that our only chance of getting on
well together in circumstances that will try our tempers, no doubt, and
rouse our selfishness, is to resolve firmly before starting--each man
for himself--that we will lay restraint on ourselves and try to help
each other as much as we can."

There was a ready murmur of assent to this proposal; then the captain
continued:--

"Now, lads, one word more. Our best efforts, let us exert ourselves
ever so much, cannot be crowned with success unless before setting out,
we ask the special favour and blessing of Him who, we are told in the
Bible, holds the waters of the ocean in the hollow of His hand. If He
helps us, we shall be saved; if He does not help us, we shall perish.
We will therefore offer up a prayer now, in the name of our blessed
Redeemer, that we may be delivered from every danger, and be brought at
last in peace and comfort to our homes."

Captain Dunning then clasped his hands together, and while the men
around him reverently bowed their heads, he offered up a short and
simple, but earnest prayer to God.

From that day forward they continued the habit of offering up prayer
together once a day, and soon afterwards the captain began the practice
of reading a chapter aloud daily out of Ailie's Bible. The result of
this was that not only were the more violent spirits among them
restrained,