jolly…boat。　　As　she　swung　off　the　davits；　Captain　Frere　came　alongside　in　the　whale…boat；　and　gallantly　endeavoured　to　board　us；　but　the　boat　drifted　past　the　vessel。　　I　was　now　determined　to　be　freeindeed；　the　minds　of　all　on　board　were　made　up　to　carry　through　the　businessand　hailing　the　whale…boat；　swore　to　fire　into　her　unless　she　surrendered。　　Captain　Frere　refused；　and　was　for　boarding　us　again；　but　the　two　soldiers　joined　with　us；　and　prevented　his　intention。　Having　now　got　the　prisoners　into　the　jolly…boat；　we　transferred　Captain　Frere　into　her；　and　being　ourselves　in　the　whale…boat；　compelled　Captain　Frere　and　Mr。　Bates　to　row　ashore。　　We　then　took　the　jolly…boat　in　tow；　and　returned　to　the　brig；　a　strict　watch　being　kept　for　fear　that　they　should　rescue　the　vessel　from　us。
  〃At　break　of　day　every　man　was　upon　deck；　and　a　consultation　took　place　concerning　the　parting　of　the　provisions。　　Cheshire　was　for　leaving　them　to　starve；　but　Lesly；　Shiers；　and　I　held　out　for　an　equal　division。　After　a　long　and　violent　controversy；　Humanity　gained　the　day；　and　the　provisions　were　put　into　the　whale…boat；　and　taken　ashore。　Upon　the　receipt　of　the　provisions；　Mr。　Bates　thus　expressed　himself：　'Men；　I　did　not　for　one　moment　expect　such　kind　treatment　from　you；　regarding　the　provisions　you　have　now　brought　ashore　for　us；　out　of　so　little　which　there　was　on　board。　　When　I　consider　your　present　undertaking；　without　a　competent　navigator；　and　in　a　leaky　vessel；　your　situation　seems　most　perilous；　therefore　I　hope　God　will　prove　kind　to　you；　and　preserve　you　from　the　manifold　dangers　you　may　have　to　encounter　on　the　stormy　ocean。'　Mrs。　Vickers　also　was　pleased　to　say　that　I　had　behaved　kindly　to　her；　that　she　wished　me　well；　and　that　when　she　returned　to　Hobart　Town　she　would　speak　in　my　favour。　They　then　cheered　us　on　our　departure；　wishing　we　might　be　prosperous　on　account　of　our　humanity　in　sharing　the　provisions　with　them。
  〃Having　had　breakfast；　we　commenced　throwing　overboard　the　light　cargo　which　was　in　the　hold；　which　employed　us　until　dinnertime。　After　dinner　we　ran　out　a　small　kedge…anchor　with　about　one　hundred　fathoms　of　line；　and　having　weighed　anchor；　and　the　tide　being　slack；　we　hauled　on　the　kedge…line；　and　succeeded　in　this　manner　by　kedging　along；　and　we　came　to　two　islands；　called　the　Cap　and　Bonnet。　The　whole　of　us　then　commenced　heaving　the　brig　short；　sending　the　whale…boat　to　take　her　in　tow；　after　we　had　tripped　the　anchor。　　By　this　means　we　got　her　safe　across　the　Bar。　　Scarcely　was　this　done　when　a　light　breeze　sprang　up　from　the　south…west；　and　firing　a　musket　to　apprize　the　party　we　had　left　of　our　safety；　we　made　sail　and　put　out　to　sea。〃
  Having　read　thus　far；　Sylvia　paused　in　an　agony　of　recollection。　She　remembered　the　firing　of　the　musket；　and　that　her　mother　had　wept　over　her。　But　beyond　this　all　was　uncertainty。　　Memories　slipped　across　her　mind　like　shadowsshe　caught　at　them；　and　they　were　gone。　　Yet　the　reading　of　this　strange　story　made　her　nerves　thrill。　　Despite　the　hypocritical　grandiloquence　and　affected　piety　of　the　narrative；　it　was　easy　to　see　that；　save　some　warping　of　facts　to　make　for　himself　a　better　case；　and　to　extol　the　courage　of　the　gaolers　who　had　him　at　their　mercy；　the　narrator　had　not　attempted　to　better　his　tale　by　the　invention　of　perils。　The　history　of　the　desperate　project　that　had　been　planned　and　carried　out　five　years　before　was　related　with　grim　simplicity　which　（because　it　at　once　bears　the　stamp　of　truth；　and　forces　the　imagination　of　the　reader　to　supply　the　omitted　details　of　horror）；　is　more　effective　to　inspire　sympathy　than　elaborate　description。　The　very　barrenness　of　the　narration　was　hideously　suggestive；　and　the　girl　felt　her　heart　beat　quicker　as　her　poetic　intellect　rushed　to　complete　the　terrible　picture　sketched　by　the　convict。　She　saw　it　allthe　blue　sea；　the　burning　sun；　the　slowly　moving　ship；　the　wretched　company　on　the　shore；　she　heardWas　that　a　rustling　in　the　bushes　below　her？　　A　bird！　　How　nervous　she　was　growing！
  〃Being　thus　fairly　ridas　we　thoughtof　our　prison　life；　we　cheerfully　held　consultation　as　to　our　future　course。　　It　was　my　intention　to　get　among　the　islands　in　the　South　Seas；　and　scuttling　the　brig；　to　pass　ourselves　off　among　the　natives　as　shipwrecked　seamen；　trusting　to　God's　mercy　that　some　homeward　bound　vessel　might　at　length　rescue　us。　　With　this　view；　I　made　James　Lesly　first　mate；　he　being　an　experienced　mariner；　and　prepared　myself；　with　what　few　instruments　we　had；　to　take　our　departure　from　Birches　Rock。　　Having　hauled　the　whale…boat　alongside；　we　stove　her；　together　with　the　jolly…boat；　and　cast　her　adrift。　This　done；　I　parted　the　landsmen　with　the　seamen；　and；　steering　east　south…east；　at　eight　p。m。　　we　set　our　first　watch。　In　little　more　than　an　hour　after　this　came　on　a　heavy　gale　from　the　south…west。　　I；　and　others　of　the　landsmen；　were　violently　sea…sick；　and　Lesly　had　some　difficulty　in　handling　the　brig；　as　the　boisterous　weather　called　for　two　men　at　the　helm。　　In　the　morning；　getting　upon　deck　with　difficulty；　I　found　that　the　wind　had　abated；　but　upon　sounding　the　well　discovered　much　water　in　the　hold。　　Lesly　rigged　the　pumps；　but　the　starboard　one　only　could　be　made　to　work。　　From　that　time　there　were　but　two　businesses　aboardfrom　the　pump　to　the　helm。　The　gale　lasted　two　days　and　a　night；　the　brig　running　under　close…reefed　topsails；　we　being　afraid　to　shorten　sail　lest　we　might　be　overtaken　by　some　pursuing　vessel；　so　strong　was　the　terror　of　our　prison　upon　us。
  〃On　the　16th；　at　noon；　I　again　forced　myself　on　deck；　and　taking　a　meridian　observation；　altered　the　course　of　the　brig　to　east　and　by　south；　wishing　to　run　to　the　southward　of　New　Zealand；　out　of　the　usual　track　of　shipping；　and　having　a　notion　that；　should　our　provisions　hold　out；　we　might　make　the　South　American　coast；　and　fall　into　Christian　hands。　This　done；　I　was　compelled　to　retire　below；　and　for　a　week　lay　in　my　berth　as　one　at　the　last　gasp。　　At　times　I　repented　my　resolution；　Fair　urging　me　to　bestir　myself；　as　the　men　were　not　satisfied　with　our　course。　On　the　21st　a　mutiny　occurred；　led　by　Lyons；　who　asserted　we　were　heading　into　the　Pacific；　and　must　infallibly　perish。　　This　disaffected　man；　though　ignorant　of　navigation；　insisted　upon　steering　to　the　south；　believing　that　we　had　run　to　the　northward　of　the　Friendly　Islands；　and　was　for　running　the　ship　ashore　and　beseeching　the　protection　of　the　natives。　　Lesly　in　vain　protested　that　a　southward　course　would　bring　us　into　icefields。　　Barker；　who　had　served　on　board　a　whaler；　strove　to　convince　the　mutineers　that　the　temperature　of　such　latitudes　was　too　warm　for　such　an　error　to　escape　us。　　After　much　noise；　Lyons　rushed　to　the　helm；　and　Russen；　drawing　one　of　the　pistols　taken　from　Mr。　Bates；　shot　him　dead；　upon　which　the　others　returned　to　their　duty。　　This　dreadful　deed　was；　I　fear；　necessary　to　the　safety　of　the　brig；　and　had　it　occurred　on　board　a　vessel　manned　by　free…men；　would　have　been　applauded　as　a　stern　but　needful　measure。
  〃Forced　by　these　tumults　upon　deck；　I　made　a　short　speech　to　the　crew；　and　convinced　them　that　I　was　competent　to　perform　what　I　had　promised　to　do；　though　at　the　time　my　heart　inwardly　failed　me；　and　I　longed　for　some　sign　of　land。　　Supported　at　each　arm　by　Lesly　and　Barker；　I　took　an　observation；　and　altered　our　course　to　north　by　east；　the　brig　running　eleven　knots　an　hour　under　single…reefed　topsails；　and　the　pumps　hard　at　work。　　So　we　ran　until　the　31st　of　January；　when　a　white　squall　took　us；　and　nearly　proved　fatal　to　all　aboard。
  〃Lesly　now　committed　a　great　error；　for；　upon　the　brig　righting　（she　was　thrown　upon　her　beam　ends；　and　her　spanker　boom　carried　away）；　he　commanded　to　furl　the　fore…top　sail；　strike　top…gallant　yards；　furl　the　main　course；　and　take　a　reef　in　the　maintopsail；　leaving　her　to　scud　under　single…reefed　maintopsail　and　fore…sail。　This　caused　the　vessel　to　leak　to　that　degree　that　I　despaired　of　reaching　land　in　her；　and　prayed　to　the　Almighty　to　send　us　speedy　assistance。　　For　nine　days　and　nights　the　storm　continued；　the　men　being　utterly　exhausted。　　One　of　the　two　soldiers　whom　we　had　employed　to　fish　the　two　pieces　of　the　spanker　boom；　with　some　quartering　that　we　had；　was　washed　overboard　and　drowned。　　Our　provision　was　now　nearly　done；　but　the　gale　abating　on　the　ninth　day；　we　hastened　to　put　provisions　on　the　launch。　　The　sea　was　heavy；　and　we　were　compelled　to　put　a　purchase　on　the　fore　and　main　yards；　with　preventers　to　windward；　to　ease　the　launch　in　going　over　the　side。　　We　got　her　fairly　afloat　at　last；　the　others　battening　down　the　hatches　in　the　brig。　　Having　dressed　ourselves　in　the　clothes　of　Captain　Frere　and　the　pilot；　we　left　the　brig　at　sundown；　lying　with　her　channel　plates　nearly　under　water。
  〃The　wind　freshening　during　the　night；　our　launch；　which　might；　indeed；　be　termed　a　long…boat；　having　been　fitted　with　mast；　bowsprit；　and　main　boom；　began　to　be　very　uneasy；　shipping　two　seas　one　after　the　other。　The　plan　we　could　devise　was　to　sit；　four　of　us　about；　in　the　stern　sheets；　with　our　backs　to　the　sea；　to　prevent　the　water　pooping　us。　This　itself　was　enough　to　exhaust　the　strongest　men。　　The　day；　how