Page:Castaway on the Auckland Isles (IA castawayonauckla01musg).pdf/144

128 vegetable gardens, where are they? All gone; scarcely a vestige of a house remains; bare levelled places point out where many of them have stood, as remaining traces of rude fences also point out where innumerable small gardens have been; but the ground everywhere, except where some of the houses have apparently stood, is choked up with a vigorous growth of thick long grass, and there is not the slightest sign of any edible vegetable, or even a single shrub that is not a native of the island, if we except a few flax bushes, which appear to thrive well, and two small trees. As for the pigs, we have found no traces of them.

While we were on shore it came on to rain heavily, and blew a hard gale from N.W. After strolling about for an hour or so, and getting thoroughly wet, we went on board and ran out the second anchor. It has continued to blow and rain heavily up to the time of writing (9 ). I consider it extremely fortunate that I knew nothing of there ever being a settlement here, or most likely we should have been tempted to try and make our way to it, in which case it is highly probable we might have starved to death, for there appear to be no seals here. We have only seen one, which was in the water, and there are very few of the roots here which we used to eat. The formation of the soil is the same here as at the other end of the island. I have seen some rock which is different, but much that is similar, while the timber and other vegetation is precisely the same. Barometer, 8, 29⋅60; noon, 29; 8 , 28⋅95: thermometer, 42°.

Sunday, September 3, 1865.—About midnight last night the wind came from W. or W.N.W., and blew very hard, drawing down the arm where we were at anchor the other night, and sending a heavy roll round the point, so that it was necessary to pick up the anchors, and haul farther into the bight. She is sheltered from the wind, but lies very uncomfortably. After breakfast Captain Cross, my boy George, and myself went on shore. It came on to