Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/311

 On Friday, October 11, they perceived the gannets, which had of late forsaken them, to hover again about the rock in great numbers, and were in hopes they would settle to lay their eggs, in which, to their great joy, they were not disappointed: for after this time they were constantly supplied with eggs in great plenty, till the beginning of january, when the season of laying was past.

On Sunday, October 20, Mr. Collet, Mr. Webb, and two others, ventured out once more on the float, but the wind springing up very fresh, the float broke loose, and drove them to the other side of the rocks. The wind still rising and the sea running very high, it was impossible for the boat to put out; they were therefore obliged to remain all night among the seals on the rocks, without any shelter or refreshment. But in this situation, however dreadful, they received great comfort, from reflecting how much more dreadful it would have been, if instead of being driven to the rocks, their float had been carried out to sea. It was noon the next day before the wind abated, and then the boat ventured off; but as the waves still ran high, it could bring in no more than two at a time, leaving the float behind them. They had now some rainy weather, which proved very acceptable, as they contrived to save some of the water for sea-stores; but they were fill in great want of bread, having lived many days on short allowance. As a last resource, they thought of building an oven, for they had some barrels of flour, though they had no bread: in this attempt they succeeded, beyond their expectations, and were able to convert their flour into a tolerable biscuit.

This biscuit, however, was at length fo near exhausted, that they were obliged to live upon a few ounces a day, without brandy, of which only a small quantity remained, and this they preserved inviolable for the use of the carpenter. They were also so short of water, that of this they were allowed but half a pint a day.

In this condition, however, they happily in a great degree preserved their health and vigour, and on the 16th of February they launched their boat, and called her the Happy Deliverance. On the 17th they got their little pittance of stores on board, and on the 18th they set sail from the rock, on which they had lived just seven months, and to which at parting they gave the name of Bird Island.



Small cluster of houses at a place called Bergemoletto near Demonte in the upper valley of Stura, was on the 19th of March 1755, entirely overwhelmed by two vast bodies of snow that tumbled down from a neighbouring mountain. All the inhabitants were then within doors, except one Joseph Rochia and his son, a lad of 15, who were on the roof of their house clearing away the snow which had fallen for three days incessantly. A priest going by 