went to sleep, thoroughly
done up. He fell asleep also in coming off in the boat.

Thursday, December 28.

This has been a day of anxiety. We left a little after daylight, not
without feelings of disappointment and dissatisfaction at not having been
successful in rescuing the men, who it was possible might be yet alive.
We were surrounded by reefs, a light breeze, and fair depth of
water--called out by the leadsman, 2, 2 1/2, 2, 3 fathoms, until after
some time we got into deeper water, and passed out of the Bay in safety.
Not a fire had been seen on the shore all night, nor was there a native
to be seen this morning from the vessel. We passed numerous islands,
until the Piper Islands came in sight. We calculated upon making them for
our anchorage, but a squall came on, and the wind shifted, and we were
compelled to anchor at half-past seven P.M., in fifteen fathoms water,
near a reef. Some native fires were seen on the coast to-day. I find the
native on board understands and speaks the same language as the Port
Albany blacks, and repeats all their names to me. He eats and drinks
heartily, and lends apparently a most willing hand towards securing
himself with the leather straps.

Friday, 29th December.

Left our anchorage at daylight in the morning; passed between the Piper
Islands and Bald Head. When off Fair Cape saw a smoke on the shore, and
three natives, who immediately disappeared in the scrub and were seen no
more. On rounding the Cape it became a dead calm, and it was intensely
hot; we saw a smoke and a large fire ahead of us. Jackey recognised the
land and said the smoke was at the mouth of a river which Mr. Kennedy and
he had crossed after leaving the camp. The land where the camp and eight
men were Jackey pointed out ahead of us, opposite to Weymouth Bay; a
heavy squall and thunderstorm with rain came on very suddenly, and beyond
the mouth of the river, with the camping-hill ahead of us, we came to an
anchor, between two and three o'clock P.M.; could not see any flagstaff
on the hill pointed out by Jackey, and which hill is very conspicuous and
bald, nor could we see any symptom of living beings along the coast in
the bay. It was too great a distance to land to-night, and the Captain
said if it came on to blow the boat could not be got back again. Employed
the other part of the day in looking through the glass and with the naked
eye to see the flagstaff and flag, or any other sign (Jackey having
informed