With this intent I returned to the position from which I had lately hailed, and crept into a hole in the rocks whence I could still occasionally hear the calls of the natives; but, being thoroughly worn out, I soon forgot my toils and dangers in a very sound and comfortable sleep.  I might have slept for some two hours when I was roused by hearing a voice shout “Mr. Grey;” still however feeling rather distrustful of the truth of my mental impressions, and unwilling to betray my whereabouts to the natives, I returned no answer, but, putting out my head from my secret place of rest, I waited patiently for a solution of my doubts.  But again I certainly heard the same voice shout “Mr. Grey,” and I moreover now distinctly recognised the noise of oars working in the rowlocks; I therefore hailed “Lynher, ahoy,” and all my doubts were completely put at rest by the hearty cheers which greeted my ear as Mr. Smith, the mate of the schooner, called out, “Where shall we pull in, Sir?”

Fortunate delivery and the party regain the Lynher.

In a few minutes more I was in the boat, and rejoiced to find all the party safely there before me.  My next question was, “Have you a little water here?” “Plenty, Sir,” answered Corporal Cole as he handed me a little, which I greedily swallowed.

Their adventures were soon related to me.  The party under Mr. Lushington, being on an exposed part of the coast, the flash of their guns had been seen after dark, and the Captain despatched a boat from the schooner to pull along shore.  This boat first of all found Coles near where I had quitted him, and he directed them to the others; the boat, having picked them up, then returned for Coles, and heard from him the intentions with which I had attempted to swim the arm of the sea; but as he had never seen me reach the opposite bank, and the inlet was of very considerable width, they had, up to the moment of finding me, felt very serious misgivings as to my fate.

I did not know till afterwards that the water Corporal Coles had handed to me on entering the boat was all they had on board when he was picked up, and that, although suffering severely from thirst, Coles would not touch a drop as long as he retained any hope that I might be found and be in want of it.

Return of all on board.

We were now however safe again, and as all had borne themselves well under the difficulties to which they had been exposed, more particularly Mr. Lushington, to whom the credit is due of having, by his personal example and influence, successfully brought on the party to the point of their embarkation, it was now pleasant to revert to the trials we had passed, and to recall to one another’s recollection each minute circumstance of our day’s adventures; and when we were again on board and had turned in for the night I could not help feeling a deep sense of gratitude to that Providence who, in so brief a space, had preserved me through so many perils.