the courage, disinterestedness, and self-possession of both of whom I placed great confidence.  I directed Mr. Walker to see certain little alterations made in the boats before the men were allowed to straggle; these I knew would occupy them for some time and leave me therefore during this interval free to think and act according to circumstances.  I now called Mr. Smith and Corporal Coles to accompany me, and told Coles to bring a spade with him.

DESTRUCTION OF THE DEPOT OF PROVISIONS.  SYMPTOMS OF CALAMITY.

Before we had gone very far alarming symptoms met my eyes in the form of staves of flour casks scattered about amongst the rocks, and even high up on the sandhills.  Coles however persisted that these wore so far inland that they could only have come from the flour casks which we had emptied before starting.  I knew they were far too numerous for such to be the case, but I suppressed my opinion and made no remarks.  We next came to a cask of salt provisions, washed high and dry at least twenty feet above the usual high-water mark:  the sea had evidently not been near this for a long period as it was half covered with drift sand which must have taken some time to accumulate.  This Coles easily accounted for, it was merely the cask which had been lost from the wreck of the Paul Pry.  I still thought otherwise but said nothing.

At length we reached the spot where the depot had been made:  so changed was it that both Mr. Smith and Coles persisted it was not the place; but on going to the shore there were some very remarkable rocks, on the top of which lay a flour cask more than half empty, with the head knocked out, but not otherwise injured; this also was washed up at least twenty feet of perpendicular elevation beyond high water mark.  The dreadful certainty now flashed upon the minds of Mr. Smith and Coles, and I waited to see what effect it would have upon them.  Coles did not bear the surprise so well as I had expected; he dashed the spade upon the ground with almost ferocious violence, and looking up to me he said, “All lost, Sir! we are all lost, Sir!” Mr. Smith stood utterly calm and unmoved; I had not calculated wrongly upon his courage and firmness.  His answer to Coles was, “Nonsense, Coles, we shall do very well yet; why, there is a cask of salt provisions and half a cask of flour still left.”

I now rallied Coles upon his conduct; compared it with that of Mr. Smith, and told him that when I had taken him on to the depot in preference to the other men it had been in the expectation that, if any disaster had happened, he would, by his coolness and courage, have given such an example as would have exercised a salutary influence upon the others.  This had the desired effect upon him; he became perfectly cool and collected and promised to make light of the misfortune to the rest, and to observe the strictest discipline.  I then requested Mr. Smith to see the little flour that was left in the barrel and on the rocks carefully collected by Coles, and, leaving them thus engaged, I turned back along the sea shore towards the party; glad of the opportunity of being alone as I could now commune freely with my own thoughts.