Page:Castaway on the Auckland Isles (IA castawayonauckla01musg).pdf/67

Rh which the sea breaks heavily. These dangers are visible only from where I stood, amongst the islands, and on the east side of them, and are not so far from the land as I have before described them. Still, the north end of the group should be approached with great caution. I am now of opinion that there is a bay, or perhaps a harbour, on the west coast, opposite the small islets which I mentioned in my note of 20th June. I intend to go farther the first time the weather permits, and determine this matter, unless we should be so fortunate as to be picked up before such opportunity presents itself.

I think I have never described our precise mode of dragging out this miserable existence, for I cannot call it living. Breakfast—Seal stewed down to soup, fried roots, boiled seal, or roast do., with water. Dinner—Ditto ditto. Supper—Ditto ditto. This repeated 21 times per week. Mussels or fish are now quite a rarity; we have not been able to get either for some time. The man who killed the seal to-day had been fishing nearly all day, and had caught one small fish. The men have stood it bravely thus far, but it grieves me unspeakably to hear them wishing for things which they cannot get. I heard one just now wishing he had but a bucket of potato-peelings!

Sunday, August 7, 1864.—During the whole of last week the weather has been very bad: it has been blowing a very heavy gale from between west and north-west, with either hail, rain, or snow continually falling. From noon yesterday till three o'clock this morning the gale was at its height; it blew a hurricane, and was the heaviest I have ever seen while on shore. Our house is elevated about 30 feet above the mean tide level, and is about 50 yards from the water; and during the height of the hurricane the spray was frequently dashed against it in heavy showers. Had it not been well built and secured it would inevitably have been blown down, and we should have been housewrecked as well as shipwrecked. It is exposed to the full fury of westerly gales, although it is well sheltered from