This was their experience for several days. For
example, under date of the eleventh the journal says:--
"The wind was still high from the southwest, and drove the waves against
the shore with great fury; the rain too fell in torrents, and not only
drenched us to the skin, but loosened the stones on the hillsides,
which then came rolling down upon us. In this comfortless situation we
remained all day, wet, cold, with nothing but dried fish to satisfy our
hunger; the canoes in one place at the mercy of the waves, the baggage
in another, and all the men scattered on floating logs, or sheltering
themselves in the crevices of the rocks and hillsides. A hunter was
despatched in hopes of finding some fresh meat; but the hills were so
steep, and so covered with undergrowth and fallen timber, that he could
not penetrate them, and he was forced to return."
And this is the record for the next day:--
"About three o'clock a tremendous gale of wind arose accompanied with
lightning, thunder, and hail: at six it lightened up for a short time,
but a violent rain soon began, and lasted through the day. During the
storm, one of our boats, secured by being sunk with great quantities of
stone, got loose, but, drifting against a rock, was recovered without
having received much injury. Our situation now became much more
dangerous, for the waves were driven with fury against the rocks
and trees, which till now had afforded us refuge: we therefore took
advantage of the low tide, and moved about half a mile round a point to
a small brook, which we had not observed before on account of the thick
bushes and driftwood which concealed its mouth.
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