In the afternoon we cleaned out the boat, and it employed us till sunset to get everything dry and in order.  Hitherto I had issued the allowance by guess, but I now made a pair of scales with two cocoanut shells, and having accidentally some pistol-balls in the boat, twenty-five of which weighed one pound, or sixteen ounces, I adopted one ball as the proportion of weight that each person should receive of bread at the times I served it.  I also amused all hands with describing the situation of New Guinea and New Holland, and gave them every information in my power, that, in case any accident happened to me, those who survived might have some idea of what they were about, and be able to find their way to Timor, which at present they knew nothing of more than the name, and some not even that.  At night I served a quarter of a pint of water and half an ounce of bread for supper.

Saturday, 9th.—­About nine in the evening the clouds began to gather, and we had a prodigious fall of rain, with severe thunder and lightning.  By midnight we caught about twenty gallons of water.  Being miserably wet and cold, I served to the people a teaspoonful of rum each, to enable them to bear with their distressed situation.  The weather continued extremely bad, and the wind increased; we spent a very miserable night, without sleep, except such as could be got in the midst of rain.  The day brought no relief but its light.  The sea broke over us so much, that two men were constantly bailing; and we had no choice how to steer, being obliged to keep before the waves, for fear of the boat filling.

The allowance now regularly served to each person was 1-25th of a pound of bread, and a quarter of a pint of water, at eight in the morning, at noon, and at sunset.  To-day I gave about half an ounce of pork for dinner, which, though any moderate person would have considered only as a mouthful, was divided into three or four.

All Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the wet weather continued, with heavy seas and squalls.  As there was no prospect of getting our clothes dried, my plan was to make every one strip, and wring them through the salt water, by which means they received a warmth that, while wet with rain, they could not have.  We were constantly shipping seas and bailing, and were very wet and cold during the night.  The sight of the islands which we were always passing served only to increase the misery of our situation.  We were very little better than starving, with plenty in view; yet to attempt procuring any relief was attended with so much danger, that prolonging of life, even in the midst of misery, was thought preferable, while there remained hopes of being able to surmount our hardships.  For my own part, I consider the general run of cloudy weather to be a blessing of Providence.  Hot weather would have caused us to have died with thirst, and probably being so constantly covered with rain or sea protected us from that dreadful calamity.