The following morning, about eight o’clock, land was observed right ahead, and they endeavoured to steer in that direction; but their progress, from the heavy construction of the raft, was necessarily very slow, and it was not until sunset that they found themselves about nine or ten miles from the shore.  All the next night they stood in the same direction; and about four or five o’clock in the morning, as near as they could guess, they were cast by the surf upon the beach.  Utterly prostrate with the fatigues they had undergone, they threw themselves upon the sand, and soon found in sleep a brief forgetfulness of their past cares and troubles.  They did not awake for many horn’s, when, upon looking around, they discovered that the commander was absent.  This, however, gave them no uneasiness, as it was supposed that he had gone in search of assistance.  The first object was to proceed in quest of water, of which they stood in most need.  They had gone for more than a mile without finding anything to moisten their lips, or any signs of habitation, when one of the men discovered a cocoa-nut tree:  here was both food and drink, and with avidity they seized upon the fruit, and found relief from their most urgent wants.

Amongst the party who were cast on shore were Mr. Malcolm, a master’s assistant, and Mr. Price, a merchant; these, with the rest of the men, proceeding a little further into the woods, became so fatigued that they were obliged to return to the place where they were first cast, whilst their companions prosecuted the search for Lieutenant McDonnell, whose continued absence had given the greatest alarm.

About one o’clock, some of the men returned, but brought no tidings of the commander; they said that the rest of the men had determined to walk round the cay, as they conjectured the place on which they were cast was Ambegris Cay, and more especially as Mr. Price, who had been long a resident at Honduras, had assured them that to the south-east there was a plantation belonging to one of his friends.

About two hours afterwards the men returned, but neither their endeavours to find a habitation nor any traces of Lieutenant McDonnell had been successful.  They said that it had been their intention to walk round the cay, but from the appearance of the coast, they did not think it was possible to do so that day.  It was then proposed that they should rest where they were during night, and renew their search at an early hour next morning.

Whilst they were sitting on the beach, one of the men thought he saw Mr. McDonnell running in the surf, about half a mile distant.  Ritchie, the gunner’s mate, immediately proceeded in the direction where he was supposed to be, and found that unfortunate officer in a state of delirium.  He endeavoured to persuade him to come down to where the rest of the men were assembled, but a few incoherent words were his only reply.  Ritchie was, therefore, obliged to return to his comrades for assistance;