Bass heard their story, pitied their plight, and relieved their necessities as well as he could from his own inadequate stores.

He also promised that on his return he would call again at the island, and do what he could for the party, who only escaped from being prisoners of man to become prisoners of nature, locked in one of her straitest confines, and fed from a reluctant and parsimonious hand.
Bass kept his word; and it may be as well to interrupt the narrative of his westward navigation in order to relate the end of this story of distress.

On February 2nd, he again touched at the island.

But what could he do to help the fugitives?
His boat was too small to enable him to take them on board, and his provisions were nearly exhausted, his men having had to eke out the store by living on seals and sea birds.

He consented to take on board two of the seven, one of whom was grievously sick and the other old and feeble.