ouder than the loud ocean, like a crash
Of echoing thunder; and then all was hush'd,
Save the wild wind and the remorseless dash
Of billows; but at intervals there gush'd,
Accompanied with a convulsive splash,
A solitary shriek, the bubbling cry
Of some strong swimmer in his agony.

On the sandy key which fortunately presented itself, the shipwrecked
seamen hauled up the boats, to repair those that were damaged, and to
stretch canvas round the gunwales, the better to keep out the sea from
breaking into them. The heat of the sun and the reflection from the sand
are described as excruciating, and the thirst of the men was rendered
intolerable, from their stomachs being filled with salt water in the
length of time they had to swim before being picked up. Mr. Hamilton
says they were greatly disturbed in the night, by the irregular
behaviour of one of the seamen, named Connell, which made them suspect
he had got drunk with some wine that had been saved; but it turned out
that the excruciating torture he suffered from thirst had induced him to
drink salt water; 'by which means he went mad, and died in the sequel of
the voyage.' It seems, a small keg of water, and some biscuits, had been
thrown into one of the boats, which they found, by calculation, would be
sufficient to last sixteen days, on an allowance of two wine-glasses of
water per day to each man, and a very small quantity of bread, the
weight of which was accurately ascertained by a musket-ball, and a pair
of wooden scales made for each boat.

The crew and the prisoners were now distributed among the four boats. At
Bligh's 'Mountainous Island,' they entered a bay where swarms of natives
came down and made signs for their landing; but this they declined to
do; on which an arrow was discharged and struck one of the boats; and as
the savages were seen to be collecting their bows and arrows, a volley
of muskets, a few of which happened to be in the boats, was discharged,
which put them to flight. While sailing among the islands and near the
shore, they now and then stopped to pick up a few oysters, and procure a
little fresh water. On the 2nd September, they passed the north-west
point of New Holland, and launched into the great Indian Ocean, having a
voyage of about a thousand miles still to perform.

It will be recollected that Captain Bligh's people received warmth and
comfort by wringing out their clothes in salt-water. The same p