Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

them. At this moment, so critical, the Captain with his little band knelt down and offered up prayer to God, the natives standing about them; and it was apparent that during the time a real change took place in the countenance of one in particular of the natives, and they were all remarkably quiet and subdued. As soon as the tide was at full, the Pioneer was got off, and both boats got under weigh.

"Tuesday, December 24.-At Tent Cove, early in the morning, our alarm whistle was blown to apprise us that the natives were coming off. This was about four o'clock, and all hands were immediately on deck to be prepared in case they meant to attack us. The natives consisted of eight men with their wives and families, in three canoes; they came alongside, and we deemed it prudent not to let them approach so near as to be able to spring on board. They, however, shewed no actually hostile spirit. We rather anticipated they would, especially as the night previous they had hung up white streamers on their canoes, and painted themselves white, which we understood to mean hostility; and we did not know for what purpose they all were mustered together and put off in company. As we gave them nothing on this occasion, but intimated rather our dissatisfaction with them, they soon left us and went out of the Bay into the Beagle Channel. The natives being gone, we availed our

selves of this opportunity to get back our raft of timber, which was lying on the beach opposite their wigwams; and we also succeeded in recovering our chain and ground tackle, and also a raft which we had constructed in place of our dingies. In the evening we buried, or rather stowed away, all our surplus provisions, an excellent place being found for that purpose on Garden Island.

[ocr errors]

Wednesday, 25.-Took up our position at Banner Cove, and overhauled the Pioneer, to get at her leak. Christmas day was, as almost every day had hitherto been since we got on board the boats, a day of bustle and work; this was unavoidable. Our Christmas dinner ccnsisted of preserved meat, and some wheat-meal dough with a few raisins in it, which we enjoyed as much as any epicure in England could enjoy his well-spread table and delicate viands. We remembered our dear friends, and in God's name blessed them.

66

Thursday, 26.-The natives returned, and came up to us in a very friendly manner, and we bartered with them for some small fish, which they had speared; they then passed on in the direction of their wigwams, but we saw nothing more of them that day.

"Tuesday, 31.-Up to the present time, nothing very material has occurred. We are now getting into something like settled habits, as respects our new quarters and altered cirumstances.

Two things have happened of a disappointing nature, which it has rather puzzled us to make up for. One is, that whereas Captain Gardiner was in expectation of there being abundance of fish here, we find literally none, saving the small ones caught by the natives, but we do not know where they obtained them. The other disappointment arises from our having left our stock of powder on board, so that we can no longer supply ourselves with ducks and geese, of which there are plenty here. Anticipating neither of these failures, no large provision of animal food was made; only two casks of preserved meat, and one of pork, the latter purchased from the Ocean Queen. Consequently, our diet consists chiefly of wheat-meal and oat-meal, with rice and biscuit, cheese, butter, and molasses.

66

Thursday, January 2, 1851.-Yesterday was with me a day of humbling and bowing down before the Lord. Every circumstance that has occurred in this land of storms and desolation, has tended to the same end-to humble and abase me. The natural man has day by day been crucified. The privation of accustomed comforts, the vicissitudes already experienced, the trying duties devolving on us, the dulness and great inclemency of the climate, the solitude of the scenery, the uninviting character of the natives, and the apparent hopelessness of contending against so many difficul

ties,-all these things the flesh has had to be loaded with, and, together with its own fears and repinings, to be nailed to the cross and yield up the ghost, whilst in the room thereof Christ should be raised up and found in me the hope of glory."

CHAPTER VIIL

New Trials.

LORD, listen to my lowly dirge,
My plaintive call attend;
My fainting heart to thee would urge
A prayer from earth's far end.

Within thy tabernacle shade

I would for aye abide,
In wings of thy kind sheltering aid
Would safely rest and hide.

Psalm lxi. 1, 2, 4.—Keble.

In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.—A Primitive Missionary.

« IndietroContinua »