He had scarcely left us (though the Russel was then more than six miles off) when we found that our keg of tobacco had been left on board; the vessel was soon out of sight, and this article, so necessary in hardships where men are deprived of every other luxury, was lost to us.  Everything else was however found correct.  Whilst the men under Mr. Walker’s direction were arranging the stores Mr. Smith, Kaiber, and myself started to search for water but were unsuccessful.  Whilst on our return we saw three large turtles among some seaweeds in shoal water; and, after a good deal of floundering about and some tumbles amongst the breakers, we succeeded in turning them, and then brought a party armed with axes, etc. and cut them up.  One part we immediately converted into soup, and the remainder was immersed in a cask of pickle as a store against unforeseen misfortunes.  When these portions of the turtle were put into the brine long after the death of the animals, they quivered for several minutes, as if still endowed with the sense of feeling.

DESCRIPTION OF IT.

Bernier Island consists of recent limestone of a reddish tinge, containing many recent fossil shells, and having a coating of sand and sandy dunes which are arranged in right lines, lying south-east and north-west, the direction of the prevailing winds.  The island does not afford a tree or a blade of grass, but only wretched scrubby bushes.  Between the dunes regular beds of shells are forming which, when dried and light, are drifted up by the wind.  The only animals we saw were kangaroo-rats, one pigeon, one small land- and many seabirds, a few lizards, mosquitoes, ants, crabs, oysters and turtle.

BURY THE STORES.  INEFFECTUAL SEARCH FOR WATER.

February 26.

Early this morning we had finished burying our stores.  The wind had freshened considerably about daylight, and throughout the day it blew nearly a gale from the south-east; it now looked so foul that I feared a long period of bad weather was about to commence.  My own party, as well as the crews of the boats which came off from the whaler, had during the hurry and confusion incident on landing made very free with our supply of water, and as, from the appearance of the island, I felt very doubtful whether we should find any more, I put all hands on an allowance of two pints and a half a day, and then employed the men thus:  one party under the direction of Mr. Walker worked at constructing a still, by means of which we might obtain fresh water from salt; another made various attempts to sink a well; whilst the native, another man, and myself traversed the island in search of a supply from the surface.