A party of six had run away from an American whaling vessel, and had landed a little to the southward in a boat, which was shortly afterwards knocked to pieces by the surf.

They had now been wandering up and down the coast for fifteen months, without knowing which way to go, or where they were.

What a singular piece of good fortune it was that this harbour was now discovered! Had it not been for this one chance, they might have wandered till they had grown old men, and at last have perished on this wild coast.

Their sufferings had been very great, and one of their party had lost his life by falling from the cliffs.

They were sometimes obliged to separate in search of food, and this explained the bed of the solitary man.