Being now ready for sea, every person was ordered to attend prayers; but
just as they were embarking, about twenty naked savages made their
appearance, running and hallooing, and beckoning the strangers to come
to them; but, as each was armed with a spear or lance, it was thought
prudent to hold no communication with them. They now proceeded to the
northward, having the continent on their left, and several islands and
reefs on their right.
On the 31st they landed on one of these islands, to which was given the
name of 'Sunday.' 'I sent out two parties (says Bligh), one to the
northward and the other to the southward, to seek for supplies, and
others I ordered to stay by the boat. On this occasion, fatigue and
weakness so far got the better of their sense of duty, that some of the
people expressed their discontent at having worked harder than their
companions, and declared that they would rather be without their dinner
than go in search of it. One person, in particular, went so far as to
tell me, with a mutinous look, that he was as good a man as myself. It
was not possible for one to judge where this might have an end, if not
stopped in time; to prevent therefore such disputes in future, I
determined either to preserve my command or die in the attempt; and
seizing a cutlass, I ordered him to lay hold of another and defend
himself; on which he called out that I was going to kill him, and
immediately made concessions. I did not allow this to interfere further
with the harmony of the boat's crew, and every thing soon became quiet.'
On this island they obtained oysters, and clams, and dog-fish; also a
small bean, which Nelson, the botanist, pronounced to be a species of
dolichos. On the 1st of June, they stopped in the midst of some sandy
islands, such as are known by the name of _keys_, where they procured a
few clams and beans. Here Nelson was taken very ill with a violent heat
in his bowels, a loss of sight, great thirst, and an inability to walk.
A little wine, which had carefully been saved, with some pieces of bread
soaked in it, was given to him in small quantities, and he soon began to
recover. The boatswain and carpenter were also ill, and complained of
headache and sickness of the stomach. Others became shockingly
distressed with tenesmus; in fact, there were few without complaints.
A party was sent out by night to catch birds; they returned with only
twelve noddies, but it is stated, that, had it not been for the folly
and obstinacy of one of the party, who separated from the others and
disturbed the birds, a great many more might have been taken. The
offender was Robert Lamb, who acknowledged, when he got to Java, that he
had that night eaten _nine_ raw birds, after he separated from his two
companions. The birds, with a few clams, were the whole of the supplies
afforded at these small islands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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