(9)
1796
March       island, in order to dry ourselves and get some provisi-
Saturday     -ons cooked, we were not more succeƒsful than at the
    26     small island, for the surf broke upon every part of it as far as
could be discerned; we therefore pulled round Saddle Point, which,
by falling back some distance, afforded shelter from the northern-
-ly breeze. The sound of breakers from every quarter, forbidding
all prospects of landing for the night, we let go our anchor in
six or seven fathoms, – fine sand; about one-third of a mile
from the shore.
      After making as good a meal as our uncomfortable situation
would admit of, we attempted to sleep, but this was impoƒsible
from several causes; more especially for M ^r Baƒs, for in rafting
off the things in the afternoon, he had been exposed near five hours,
naked, to the sun in the heat of the day, and was now almost
one continued blister.
Sunday       It was with no small degree of pleasure, we saw
27     the dawning which precedes the appearance of that
luminary, whose warmth we were so much in need of; and
not much leƒs on hearing a voice call to us in the Port Jackson
dialect, offering us fresh water and fish. The forms of these
Our guns were still useleƒs, but as there were only two natives, who had
no other arms than fish gigs, we rowed towards them, and received
a small quantity of water and two fish. In return, we gave them
a few loose potatoes, which had been saved from the sea by stick-
-ing between the bottom boards of the boat, and two pocket handker-