Towards evening I cautioned everyone against making too large a fire or suffering it after dark to blaze up.  Mr. Samuel and Mr. Peckover had superintendence of this business, while I was strolling about the beach to observe if I thought it could be seen from the main.  I was just satisfied that it could not when on a sudden the island appeared all in a blaze that might have been discerned at a much more considerable distance.  I ran to learn the cause and found that it was occasioned by the imprudence and obstinacy of one of the party who in my absence had insisted on having a fire to himself, in making which the flames caught the neighbouring grass and rapidly spread.  This misconduct might have produced very serious consequences by discovering our situation to the natives for, if they had attacked us, we had neither arms nor strength to oppose an enemy.  Thus the relief which I expected from a little sleep was totally lost and I anxiously waited for the flowing of the tide that we might proceed to sea.

It was high-water at half-past five this evening whence I deduced the time on the full and change of the moon to be 58 past 10 in the morning:  the rise was nearly five feet.  I could not observe the set of the flood but imagined it to come from the southward, and that I was mistaken at Restoration Island as I found the time of high-water gradually later the more we advanced to the northward.

At Restoration Island high-water full and change :  7 hours 10.  Sunday Island high-water full and change :  9 hours 19.  Here high-water full and change :  10 hours 58.

After eight o’clock Mr. Samuel and Mr. Peckover went out to watch for turtle and three men went to the east key to endeavour to catch birds.  All the others, complaining of being sick, took their rest, except Mr. Hayward and Mr. Elphinston whom I directed to keep watch.  About midnight the bird party returned with only twelve noddies, birds which I have already described to be about the size of pigeons:  but if it had not been for the folly and obstinacy of one of the party, who separated from the other two and disturbed the birds, they might have caught a great number.  I was so much provoked at my plans being thus defeated that I gave this offender a good beating.* I now went in search of the turtling party who had taken great pains but without success.  This did not surprise me as it was not to be expected that turtle would come near us after the noise which had been made at the beginning of the evening in extinguishing the fire.  I therefore desired them to come back, but they requested to stay a little longer as they still hoped to find some before daylight:  however they returned by three o’clock without any reward for their labour.

(Footnote.  Robert lamb.  This man when he came to Java acknowledged he had eaten nine birds raw after he separated from his two companions.)

Tuesday 2.

The birds we half dressed that they might keep the better:  and these with a few clams made the whole of the supply procured here.  I tied a few gilt buttons and some pieces of iron to a tree for any of the natives that might come after us and, finding my invalids much better for their night’s rest, we embarked and departed by dawn of day.  Wind at south-east; course to the north by west.