only could have eaten them.

One evening, as the sun was setting, a blue hillock appeared rising out
of the eastern horizon. At first it was so faint that few on board
believed it to be land. Harry hoped that it might prove one of the
rocky islets of which he was in search. All he could tell from the
chart was its existence. Nothing was said about its size or height. He
stood towards it, but the wind was light, and little progress was made.
The last pieces of seal blubber had been expended, and but one small
cask of water remained. There was charcoal only sufficient to cook
breakfast for the next day. Every one was suffering more or less from
thirst.

"Cheer up, friends," cried Mrs Rumbelow, whose throat, though she did
not say so, was as if a hot iron had been thrust down it. "Yonder is
the land, and we there may hope to find water and provisions of some
sort."

The night was very dark, and anxious as Harry was to get on shore, he
was afraid of running on some unknown reef, or passing the rock, should
he continue his course. He therefore hove the boat to, and, as many
sailors have had to do, longed for daylight. Willy, that night dreamed
of home more than he had done before, and of the loved ones there.
Sometimes, too, thoughts of his late shipmates came into his head, and
they appeared to perform a fantastic drama before him. "Harry," he
exclaimed, starting up, "what has happened? You don't know what
dreadful things I have been thinking about."

Harry tried to calm his agitation, but it was no easy matter to do so.
The hardships and anxiety he was going through told on the young boy's
nerves, well-strung as they were; as also on those of many others
aboard. Poor Mrs Morley struggled bravely; her daughters, feeling
their situation not the less keenly, exerted themselves to the utmost to
console her. The launch was still a considerable distance from the
rocky island when daylight appeared. Harry, now once more easing off
the sheets, stood towards it, proposing to go round, and stand in on the
other side, knowing that on the weather side landing would be difficult.
As they approached, several parts of the rock were seen covered with
white patches, and on drawing nearer, these patches appeared to be
moving.

"Why, I believe, those are birds!" exclaimed Willy. "See, there are
hundreds of them. They appear to me to be arranged in rows one above
another on the higher ledges of the rock."

"They are