inutes south
and 17 degrees 57 minutes south, and in longitude by my account 4 degrees
47 minutes to 7 degrees 17 minutes west from Tofoa. Three of these
islands are very large, having from 30 to 40 leagues of sea-coast.

In the afternoon we cleaned out the boat and it employed us till sunset
to get everything dry and in order. Hitherto I had issued the allowance
by guess, but I now made a pair of scales with two coconut shells and,
having accidentally some pistol-balls in the boat, 25 of which weighed
one pound or 16 ounces, I adopted one,* as the proportion of weight that
each person should receive of bread at the times I served it. I also
amused all hands with describing the situation of New Guinea and New
Holland, and gave them every information in my power that in case any
accident happened to me those who survived might have some idea of what
they were about, and be able to find their way to Timor, which at present
they knew nothing of more than the name and some not even that. At night
I served a quarter of a pint of water and half an ounce of bread for
supper.

(*Footnote. It weighed 272 grains.)

Saturday 9.

In the morning a quarter of a pint of coconut milk and some of the
decayed bread was served for breakfast, and for dinner I divided the meat
of four coconuts with the remainder of the rotten bread, which was only
eatable by such distressed people.

At noon I observed the latitude to be 15 degrees 47 minutes south; course
since yesterday north 75 degrees west distance 64 miles; longitude made
by account 8 degrees 45 minutes west.

In the afternoon I fitted a pair of shrouds for each mast, and contrived
a canvas weather cloth round the boat, and raised the quarters about nine
inches by nailing on the seats of the stern sheets, which proved of great
benefit to us.

The wind had been moderate all day in the south-east quarter with fine
weather; but about nine o'clock in the evening the clouds began to
gather, and we had a prodigious fall of rain with severe thunder and
lightning. By midnight we caught about twenty gallons of water. Being
miserably wet and cold I served to the people a teaspoonful of rum each
to enable them to bear with their distressed situation. The weather
continued extremely bad and the wind increased; we spent a very miserable
night without sleep except such as could be got in the midst of rain. The
day brought no relief but its light. The sea broke over us so much that
two men we