Page:Castaway on the Auckland Isles (IA castawayonauckla01musg).pdf/132

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Thursday, August 24.—We were up and on shore as soon as it was daylight this morning, and to my great surprise the tent, which we had left standing, and many things which we had left about, had all disappeared. It was evident that the men had been down here, but what means they had employed in taking the things away I could not conjecture, unless they had constructed a raft for the purpose. We walked across the neck to the back of Masked Island, where we found further evidence of their having come down on a raft—half a tent hanging to a tree, and a rudely constructed oar and mast. Fortunately these latter were placed above high-water mark, or I should at once have concluded that they had been washed off the raft, and that the poor fellows had been drowned. We then went back to the cutter, had breakfast, and went round to Masked Island in the boat, so as to have a look up the harbour, which was white with foam, and showed the impossibility of getting up at present. We found two seals on shore and killed them—a cow and calf—put them in the boat, and went on board to dinner.

It was very showery in the forenoon, but at noon the showers took off, and at 3 the wind moderated a little, and we at once got under weigh, and under double-reefed canvas beat up to our old house; and as we did not come in sight of it until within about a mile from it, the boys did not see us until we were close upon them. Then