The 'James Caird' was too heavy to be beached directly, so after landing most of the men from the 'Dudley Docker' and the 'Stancomb Wills' I superintended the transhipment of the 'James Caird's' gear outside the reef.

Then we all made the passage, and within a few minutes the three boats were aground.

A curious spectacle met my eyes when I landed the second time.

Some of the men were reeling about the beach as if they had found an unlimited supply of alcoholic liquor on the desolate shore.

They were laughing uproariously, picking up stones and letting handfuls of pebbles trickle between their fingers like misers gloating over hoarded gold.