high and dry, like a bridge, over the rocks
between which I was wedged. I then scrambled out as the next wave
washed her still higher, right over and over, with Evans and
Rennick just out in time. The next wave--a huge one--picked her
up, and out she bumped over the rocks and out to sea she went,
water-logged, with the guns, fortunately, jammed under the
thwarts. She was rescued by the whaler, baled out, and then Gran
and one of the seamen manned her battered remains again, and we,
unable to save the gear otherwise, lashed it to life-buoys, threw
it into the sea and let it drift out with the back-wash to be
picked up by the pram.

"Clothes, watches and ancient guns, rifles, ammunition, birds
(dead) and all specimens were, with the basket of crockery and
food, soaked with salt water. However, the choice was between
that or leaving them altogether, as anybody would have said had
they seen the huge rollers breaking among the rocks and washing
30 to 40 feet up with the spray; in fact, we were often knocked
over and submerged for a time, clinging hard to some rock or one
of the ropes for dear life. Evans swam off first. Then I was
about half an hour trying to rescue a hawser and some lines
entangled among the rocks. It was an amusing job. I would wait
for a lull, run down and haul away, staying under for smaller
waves and running up the rocks like a hare when the warning came
from the boat that a series of big ones were coming in. I finally
rescued most of it--had to cut off some and got it to the place
opposite the boat, and with Rennick secured it and sent it out to
sea to be picked up. My pair of brown tennis shoes (old ones) had
been washed off my feet in one of the scrambles, so I was wearing
a pair of sea-boots--Nelson's, I found--which, fortunately for
him, was one of the few pairs saved. The pram came in, and
waiting for a back-wash Rennick swam off. I ran down after the
following wave, and securing my green hat, which by the bye is a
most useful asset, struck out through the boiling, and grabbed
the pram safely as we were lifted on the crest of an immense
roller. However, we were just beyond its breaking-point, so all
was well, and we arrived aboard after eight hours' wash and
wetness, and none the worse, except for a few scratches, and
yours truly in high spirits. We s