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Updated: May 18, 2025
During our stay here, we finished some necessary repairs of the ship, which we had not time to do at the Cape. We also filled all our empty water-casks; and the crew were served with fresh beef, purchased at five-pence per pound. Their beef is exceedingly good, and is the only refreshment to be had worth mentioning.
"They were almost packed into a small space, between a floor laid over the water-casks and the deck not near three feet insufficient for them to sit upright and so close that chafing against each other their bones pierced the skin and became galled and ulcerated by the motion of the vessel."
The oil bought by the skipper on private venture was left on deck, secured to the lash-rail, for discharging at the Bluff, while our stock of water-casks were carefully overhauled and recoopered prior to being stowed in their places below.
At the expiration of my watch I went below, feeling not a little anxious for the day, that I might see more nearly, and perhaps tread upon, this romantic, I may almost say, classic island. When all hands were called it was nearly sunrise, and between that time and breakfast, although quite busy on board in getting up water-casks, etc., I had a good view of the objects about me.
"It's worse than the cholera!" cried a man of the After-guard. "I'd sooner the water-casks would give out!" said a Captain of the Hold. "Are we ganders and geese, that we can live without grog?" asked a Corporal of Marines. "Ay, we must now drink with the ducks!" cried a Quarter-master. "Not a tot left?" groaned a Waister. "Not a toothful!" sighed a Holder, from the bottom of his boots.
They landed on the 12th and spent sixteen days among the different islands, visiting, filling the water-casks, and buying fresh meat, vegetables, and live-stock from Kamehameha I. While Captain Thorn was hated by the passengers, he was not loved by his officers. Singularly enough, he seems to have been well liked by the crew, although there were some exceptions even there.
One of the Thomas children, a little girl of eight years, whose father lay burning with fever and moaning for water, found down in the dark at the back of one of the water-casks a place where once in a long time a drop of water fell from it. She placed there a small vial, and twice a day bore it, filled with water-drops, to the sick man. It saved his life.
In fact, we were crowded in it to the number of ninety persons; we were obliged to throw into the sea our little parcels, the only things we had left. We did not dare to make the least motion for fear of upsetting our frail vessel. I had had some water-casks and a great many bottles of wine put on board: I had got all these things ready before hand.
It was, however, almost crushed in two. We examined it eagerly, and found that, though part of the contents had been washed out, several pieces of pork still remained. The water-casks, which we should have been still more thankful to find, had, alas! been completely destroyed.
We continued going up until the evening, when it was found impossible, at this time, to make any farther discovery; our provisions being nearly expended: we filled our water-casks, where we gave up the pursuit, and there, although the tide was high, the water was perfectly fresh. The general depth of this river was from three to seven fathoms, and its breadth was from 100 to 300 fathoms.
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