"...Yet, trusting in a far higher power, we hoped all would end as we wished! Casting off the lashings, by which the boat was made fast to the try-pots, we hauled her down to the water's-edge and once more launched her into the sea: all got on board, and pulled down to the Mount Campbell shores where we again landed and hauled her up upon the beach. Our intention was to lengthen her, and make her a more serviceable sea boat, that she might enable us to reach the Cloudy Islands to which we thought of going when the sealing season arrived. As the boat was only twelve feet in length, we thought of adding about five feet more to her "amidships," as she was at present rather too small for our party. We though of repairing the boat here as there was plenty of wood upon the beach, and afterwards taking her round to Hope Cottage.
"As the weather improved and our summer advanced, it appeared to have a beneficial effect upon our spirits, which were also elevated at the idea of our having taken precautions to make our present situation known in case a sealing or whaling ship should visit the island. ... The same peculiar feeling appeared to influence us all, that the time was near at hand when some vessel would arrive from England.
"Impressed with this idea, and confident that we were never more happy than when our minds were employed in the occurrences of the day, having then less time to think of our forlorn situation, and the probabilities of our party continuing upon the island, we resolved to devote our time to collecting seal-skins and oil, as we had a number of casks that we could use for such... After leaving the boat upon the shore in a secure position, we again started for Long Point. During our journey homeward two of our party became so extremely tired and foot-sore from walking over the rocks that we could not resume our journey for some days, although we were anxious to get to work upon our boat, that she might be ready for us whenever we should find it convenient to put our sealing project in execution: in fact, the feet of our whole party became so tender that we could scarcely walk. We attributed this not only to the want of properly-made shoes, but also to a general derangement of our constitutions, from having been obliged to live almost exclusively upon animal food for so long a time.
"A presentiment appeared to be taking possession of us all that, during the ensuing season, we should witness the arrival of some vessel upon the coast, and we all agreed that, if any single individual of the party discovered a sail, he should immediately, and without loss of time, communicate he intelligence to the remainder of the party, that we might each and all unite in making such a signal, or succession of signals, as should be instrumental in drawing the vessel to the coast if possible... ...as storms are so frequent and sudden that they might prevent a boat from landing a second time if unsuccessful in removing our party in the first instance.
... "...After remaining at home for a few days, James Stilliman and I proceeded towards the Cape Degby and Mount Campbell shores upon a sealing expedition....
...During this expedition we lived principally upon the young albatrosses, cooking them in our pots, which we had constantly with us. I lived during this time in the ruins of an old hut on the shore near Cape Digby, which had been built by a boat's crew some years before. Although it was in a very ruinous state, I found sufficient shelter to defend me from the weather. James Stilliman was living about three miles further along, toward the Kelp Cliff, in a hut built beneath a bank and formed of a whale's skull and upper jaw-bone standing on its two ends, the rafters formed of the ribs of the whale, one end of each supported by the bank, and other over the arch of the jaw, and the whole turfed over and built up in front with a door in the centre, in the same manner as we build up our boats. ..."
