seaworthy condition;
and in these was to be found room for upwards of forty men, besides
about a ton of provisions of all kinds. It was evident, or ought to have
been, that it was madness to attempt leaving the shore whilst the
present weather lasted. I have seen the offence of breaking leave
justified for less boisterous weather. Orders, however, (especially
sailing orders) are imperative; so the flotilla put off at 7 p.m. in tow
of the launch. The following was the arrangement:--The launch, laden
far below her bearings, took the lead; the second boat contained all the
heaviest provisions--flour, pigs, poultry, potatoes, and such like;
whilst far too many men had stowed themselves in the third boat, to give
but the faintest idea of either comfort or safety.

When about half-way to the ship, the painter of the hindmost boat
parted, and the launch, rounding to, to her assistance narrowly escaped
swamping. The next mishap chanced to the second boat--the provision
gig--whose stem piece was tugged completely out of her, and the two
sides, having thus lost their mutual support, parted and went to the
bottom, the onlookers having to endure the melancholy sight of
witnessing all their good things going to fatten old Davy Jones, or to
fill his lockers, or something of that sort. But the distress of these
very distressed mariners was not yet complete; a strange fatality seemed
to have embarked with them. It was now the launch's turn: first the
third boat, next the second, and now the launch in proper, though
fortunately not arithmetical progression. It was discovered that the
supply of coal could not possibly last to the ship! What was to be done?
"Opportunity," it is said, "makes the thief;" it may be also said, with
equal truth, that opportunity makes the dormant abilities of some men to
soar above their fellows, over-riding even destiny itself. The Spanish
crew of the launch were unequal to the emergency, were worse than
useless in fact; but an able substitute for the engineer was found in
Andrews, one of our leading stokers; and for coxswain, who better than
Law, the boatswain's mate? The former of these at once directed
everybody to pull the inner wood work of the launch to pieces, and, as
the bump of destructiveness has its full development in the sailor
phrenology, he had not long to wait for his fuel; thus they managed to
reach the ship full six hours after they had left the shore.

December 25th.--Christmas in merry E