wrecked) with Captain Kirby's approval I offered the carpenter five
pounds to cut the vessel close down to the water's edge to get the horses
out. (This, under the circumstances, I hope will meet also your
approval.) This he agreed to, and on the following morning when it was
almost high-water, he (the carpenter) and Muller swam off to the wreck to
do so, and shortly afterwards, when I had found a good place on the
island for watering the horses, I accompanied Messrs. Campbell and Martin
and three of my aboriginals to the wreck to assist the carpenter in
making a breach in the side of the Firefly. To do this work the only
tools the carpenter and his assistants had were two adzes and two small
tomahawks. My aboriginals, Jamie, Fisherman, and Jackie, worked hard with
the tomahawks, and were most able assistants in cutting the vessel down.

On Friday (the 6th instant) we landed safely twenty-five of the horses.
We were obliged to land them chiefly at low-water, and then we had to use
every precaution to prevent them swimming off to sea; for some of them in
the first instance, when we were not watching them, swam off and did not
drift ashore until they were exhausted, and one, after swimming for about
an hour in different directions, reached the southern island, about a
mile distant, with a strong wind and considerable waves against him.

On Saturday the 7th instant, while we were attending to the surviving
horse of four which had been trampled down by the stronger horses among
the floating empty water tanks, we had the great pleasure of seeing
H.M.C.S. Victoria coming to our relief; and I can assure you we were very
thankful, and our spirits much cheered by your telling us, after Captain
Kirby had intimated to us that he had abandoned the Firefly as a total
wreck, and in our presence told his crew that as shipwrecked mariners he
had placed them under your charge, that you would do your best under the
circumstances to enable us yet to start on our expedition from the Albert