The Polynesian., 1841-03-20
SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 1871.

smoke. At this time they used the clc-
phants' bones, with the blubher. as fuel.
tie fumes from which were by 40 means
agreeable. Having finished this. they
shifted their things into il, tore down the
first, and then cleared the place where it
stood, for the purpose Of building the yes-
sci upon it. They laid the keel, made
from the topmast Of the wreck, to erect a
vessel whose keel should be twenty-nine
feet. and built like lugger, and of about
four feet and half high. 1t was calcu-
lated that she would be about twelve tons
burden. They worked at it with assidu-
ity, animated with the hope of delivering
themselves. Their history of their vari-
Gus expedients to supply the place of reg
ular tools and materials though uninteli-
gible to the general reader. would be
highly interesting to nautical men. AT
the end of five months they had complet-
ed her with her seal-skn sails, and they
set off to the other Island to fetch the 9TH
cr five men, that they might assist in the
launch.
Nearly two years had passed since they
were wrecked-a time which, as marked
by their privations and anxictes, appeared
as long as their lives. The five men who
were on this first island were dispersed in
search of food, and the larger party were
obliged to go in pursuit of them. On the
next day after their arrival, gale sprang
up, and their boat was driven about sew
cnty yards from where she was made fast,
and her stern knocked to pieces. This
was fearful disaster, which threw the
party into dismay. yet out of evil, good
sometimes comes. The day being fine,
an old man, one of the sailors, was sent
to mountainous point to try if he could
discover their comrades, and he had uot
been long gone ere he returned in be-
widcred brcathless state. When able to
speak, he informed them that he had seen
vessel standing in towards the shore.
This none of them would believe, and all
said it must be bird sitting ON the water.
an object which had often deceived their
hopes. The man, however, was convinced
| that he was not mistaken, and asked who
would 90 with him to see the vessel. when
one offered to 90 with him. and ascertain
the fact: and tindcr box was given to
them, that they might, if it were true,
make fire to show those on board that
there were human beings on the island.
TO their indescribablc joy, these two men,
on getting to the place where she was first
discovered, saw a schooner standing along
shore, and, from the carcase of sea-cle-
phant, just killed, and other traces, per-
ceived that the crew must have been on
shore. They then sought for and killed
one of these animals, and with its blub-
ber they soon made fire on the promon-
tory, that evidently caught the attention
of the schooner, as boat was seen to
proceed from her towards tho shore. The
men ran down eagerly to meet her, but
when the boat got near the shore, the crew
evidently hesitated, on seeing the two
men, whose appearance must certainly
have been Of dubious nature. They
were naked, with the exception OF their
rough brown fur jackets, as they had
thrown off their skin trousers, which were
exceedingly thick and heavy, for the con-
venience of running. They, however
hailed the crew, in manner which