P.M. Sighted our Bower anchor suspecting it to
be foul, found it so. Having found a quantity of oysters, mussels and
shellfish at low water to-day gave the shore a strict search at low water
and plainly perceived that a company of 6 or 8 men would not run any
hazard of being starved here for several months from the vast quantity of
shellfish to be found. We also have these some days past found feeding on
seaweed many hundreds of a very handsome shell very scarce where we were
in April last.
"Thursday, February 11th. This evening a snake 6 feet long was killed in
the road to the well.
"Friday, February 12th. A.M. Hoisted in launch, took up kedge intending
to sail if wind came to anything, it however kept constantly falling calm
and then a light air would spring up for a few minutes; this kind of
weather obliged me to keep fast. At noon heard distant thunder around us.
"Saturday, February 13th. From 7 P.M. till 10 P.M. constant loud thunder,
vivid lightning and very hard rain later part, till 9 A.M. Was calm then.
A breeze sprung up at east. Hove up our B.* (* Bower, that is anchor.)
and hung by the kedge, by this time it fell calm and our hopes of getting
to sea vanished, needless to observe this kind of weather is as
destructive to the intent of this cruise as gales at sea.
