Page:Castaway on the Auckland Isles (IA castawayonauckla01musg).pdf/62

46 we roasted, and the other we stewed by piecemeal in a quart pot, which is used as a bailer for the boat. We waited till about noon, expecting the breeze to take off; and as there was no prospect of it doing so, I was obliged to undertake the journey on foot to wind up the chronometer, which, if neglected, would run down on the following morning; and as, although the boat was in danger, one of us could do no good by remaining alone, we decided on both of us going. It is needless to detail our troubles in getting through the scrub and grass in a pelting rain. Suffice it to say that we were six hours in going the distance of five miles, and arrived home an hour after dark. We had not a dry thread on us, and were almost sinking with exhaustion from fatigue and hunger. The men had been very uneasy about us, for they were afraid we were blown out to sea. Fortunately they had killed a young seal of this year on that morning, which was quite a treat, for it is the first young seal we have got for a long time, and assuredly we did ample justice to it; immediately after which we went to bed, and required no rocking to put us to sleep.

We rose on Saturday morning, without feeling any further bad effects than a slight stiffness. After breakfast we started back again to look after the boat, about which I had felt very uneasy; for should we lose her we lose our means of getting a living. We took about a day's provision with us; we should have found it impossible to carry more. A strong breeze was blowing when we started, and the grass and scrub were dry, as there had been no rain since midnight; but before we had got half a mile from the house it commenced to rain, and continued until we arrived at the boat, which fortunately we found as we had left it, only that she was about half full of water. After bailing her out we made a fire, stripped off our clothes one piece after another, and managed to get them dry some way or other, and had something to eat in the meantime. As the night came on the breeze died away,