Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/152

 H. B. M. transport ship Buffalo arrived the same day with the Canadian convicts on board. The Sydney people seemed much delighted at our return. While here we heard of the arrival at Hobart Town of the two ships  belonging to the French expedition under command of  Commodore d’Urville. He afterwards published in the papers a report of his discoveries while in the Antarctic  seas. He had been quite unfortunate in losing four of his officers and twenty-seven of his crew. In overhauling our ship, we found our fore and maintop masts both sprung, a part of our cut-water carried away, and our  ship’s hull considerably bruised. When viewing her from the shore she looked more like an old Dutch galiot  whaler than a trim Yankee sloop-of-war. Having refitted, provisioned, and watered ship, and bidden our English  friends a final adieu, on the 16th of March we weighed  anchor and stood out to sea.

On the 23d spoke the French ship Ville de Bordeaux, which we supplied with provisions. She had been out three years, and had on board four thousand barrels of  oil. The crew were on a short allowance of bread and water. We rendered them medical assistance by sending our surgeons on board, and supplied them with a barrel of beef, one of pork, one of flour, some small stores, and some preserved soup for their sick, after which we  parted company.

I still practice my writing lessons, and Mr. Stuart and Mr. Green both tell me I can write "mother" first-rate;  yes, and I can just write the words, "home," "sisters,"  "brothers," "Roxbury," "Boston," "Big Dick," "Torrent 6," and "Hurrah for Jackson, all nations!"