Higson.

"Put the ship's head off-shore; we will bring up," said Jack.

As soon as the ship came to an anchor, two of the boats were lowered,
Jack himself going in one, with Hamed and Tom and Desmond, Jack knowing
that the latter was eager to gain the first tidings of his uncle. They
pulled in with some faint hopes of finding the people still on board, or
encamped on the shore; but no signal was seen, and their hopes grew less
and less.

Jack now looked out for a place suitable for landing, and as he
approached, he saw several small sandy beaches, where a boat could land
without danger. He chose one nearest the wreck, and both boats steered
in for it; still not a sign of human beings could be seen. He at once
landed, with Matson, who was in the second boat, and accompanied by him
and the two midshipmen, and a party of his crew, well armed, proceeded
at once to the wreck. It being now low water, they could almost reach
her by clambering along the rocks. On getting close to her, it was seen
that she had suffered more severely than had been supposed; her whole
stem frame was knocked in, and the sea must have made a clean breach
through her, so that no one could have remained on board. Her masts and
guns were gone, and the whole of her stores had either been washed out
of her, or had since been carried away. There were signs, indeed, that
she had been plundered by a large party, as the marks of numerous feet
were discerned on the sand above high-water mark.

While Jack and most of the party had been examining the rock, Hamed,
with Desmond and Tim Nolan, had gone on towards a height some distance
from the shore, under the expectation of being able to obtain from its
summit an extensive view inland. After leaving the rock, Jack sent the
party, two or three together, to examine the rocks, to ascertain if the
bodies of any of the crew had been washed up upon them. Jack still had
hopes that the crew had been able to hold on to the wreck, till the
falling tide should have allowed them to reach the shore. Still he
could discover nothing to settle the point; it was only evident that the
guns must have been thrown overboard, and the masts cut away, before she
reached the shore. Perhaps Adair might afterwards have set off overland
to try and reach one of the Arab towns belonging to the Sultan of
Zanzibar, where he could obtain provisions, and from whence he could
send notice to the consul where he was, so that a ship of