the longboat, where Dr
Morrison at once proceeded to examine the wound; and the moment that
this was done Mr Bligh scrambled down the side ladder, made his way aft
among the women and children, who were huddled together, most of them
sobbing quietly with their faces buried in their hands, seized the
tiller, and, thrusting it hard-over, gave the word to shove off and make
sail. The order was promptly obeyed, and five minutes later the
longboat, with the gig towing astern, was running off to leeward, with
both standing lugs and her jib set; while those of us who were watching
the barque saw her head sheets trimmed aft and her mainyard swung as she
slowly gathered way and stood to the nor'ard and eastward, close-hauled
on the starboard tack.

We had been under way about ten minutes when Mr Bligh hailed Mr
Johnson to haul up alongside; and when we had done so he said:

"Mr Johnson, now that Captain Roberts is so seriously hurt I shall want
you to come into the longboat with me, because I am the only one at
present capable of navigating her, and--you understand me, I'm sure.
Temple, you will have to take command of the gig, and do the best you
can with her. That young scoundrel has not permitted any of us to bring
our sextants with us; he has not even given us a chart, or so much as a
boat compass, so we shall have to do the best we can without them. But
I have been considering the situation, and have come to the conclusion
that our best plan will be to make for Rio, which, according to my rough
reckoning, bears about west and by no'th, true; distant, say, twelve
hundred miles: and we shall have to shape our course for it, as nearly
as we can, by the sun and stars. This plan has the advantage that by
continuing to steer a westerly course we are bound to hit the South
American coast somewhere, even if we should miss Rio; and we also stand
a very good chance of falling in with and being picked up by something
bound round the Horn. So much for that part of the business. Next, as
we are a bit crowded here, and the boat is rather deeper than I like,
you will have to take the boatswain in exchange for Mr Johnson; and--"
he paused and ran his eye speculatively over the crowd in the longboat.
Then, addressing them generally, he said, "I wonder whether one of you
gentlemen would care to go in the gig with Mr Temple? As you can all
see and feel for yourselves, we are rather uncomfortably crowded aboard
here, and the boat woul