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water was reduced one half. The wind had died out, and the sun was intensely hot. Some relief was found by bathing in the sea; this led to the discovery of barnacles on the boat's bottom, and they were scraped off and eaten with relish. Mr. Chase's boat was so leaky that it became necessary to put on a patch. In order to do this effectually, one of his crew named Benjamin Lawrence went overboard and held a hatchet against the wound, so as to enable the man inside to clinch the nails. They were then in 21° 42′ south. It being now calm, rowing was resorted to; but the extremely enfeebled men made but slight headway, and they became much dispirited.
December 20th, to the great joy of the poor fellows, land was seen. Mr. Chase says, "It is not within the scope of human calculation to divine what were our feelings at this moment." Upon examination of our Bowditch, it was found to be Ducie's Island, latitude 24° 40′ south, longitude 124° 40′ west. After several days of vain search for water, a spring was found which could only be made available at low water. Some fish and some birds were caught, and some shell-fish and birds' eggs were found among the rocks, but nothing like a good meal could be had; everything eatable was devoured uncooked. It was not until the 22d of December that the spring was found; some of the men drank so much as to endanger their lives. The boats were hauled up and made as seaworthy as could be with the limited means at hand. The only thing in the nature of a vegetable found on the island was a sort of pepper-grass in very small quantities.
On the 27th of December they left Ducie's Island, having exhausted all except the water. Notwithstanding the dreary prospect, William Wright and Seth Weeks, of Barnstable, and Thomas Chapple, of Plymouth, England, concluded to remain on the island. At the island they had provided themselves with flat stones to serve as hearths on which to cook anything they might fall in with.
