Page:History of New South Wales from the records, Volume 2.djvu/389

 H.MJ9. QTJABDI^N. 329 At ten o'clock we bad a hard squall o£ wind, with a heavy fall 1780 of rain ; at half-past deven lost sight of the ship and small cutter, weather and At nocm observed the latitude to be 44 deg. 7 min. S. ; the boat ^^^^ was kept as mncb to the northward as the sea would allow. The wind at this time was about N.W. Bee 26. — Strong gales, squally and cloudy weather, with remark- ably high seas. We were this night very much numbed and chilled with cold, and could get no sleep. In the morning the weather became more moderate. At four o'clock shifted the fore-mast to its proper place, stepped the main-mast, and set the fore and main sails ; at eight the people were employed to make a maintop-sail out of some sheets, and a yard out of one of the boat's thwarts ; the hand of a broken oar was converted into a top-mast. A small tobaoco-eannister was cut up to make a measure for the distribu- serving out tion of the water, rather less than a jill, two of which it was agreed ^ ® ^ • to allow eadi man a day. Dec. 27. — First part, moderate breezes and cloudy weather. At onep.m., having boiled all our poultry, and cut up the goose, which was but small, into fifteen equal parts, one of the men forward ^^J^^^^ was then blindfolded, and directed to call each person by name, and another was appointed to serve out the morsel by lots. Not- withstanding we had now fasted above thirty hours, all were perfectly satisfied with the small morsel ; and some had so little appetite that they reserved a part of it for a future occasion. But the very scanty measure of water received afterwards by no means allayed the universal craving for drink, evidently occasioned by Excessive the excessive heat and feverish state of our bodies. We did not dare, however, to take one drop more than the prescribed allowanca We therefor^ through necessity, became philosophers, and sub- mitted with becoming resoluticm to the ezigendes of the moment. At seven we received our seccHid measure of water, which, being succeeded by the coldness of the night, administered greatly to The our relief. At midnight it blew a fresh gale, with dark, cloudy, and remarkably cold weather. The launch was at this time brought under her main-sail only, and the weather continuing much the same, no alteration was made throughout the day. Dee. 28. — ^Ihe first part fresh gales and cloudy weather, middle more moderate. About noon we had one of the fowls cut up, and Birision of divided amongst us, as on the preceding day, and then received '^'^