Captains Stapleton, Montgomery, and Best, in the evening, saw a wild hog, between which and the bush they got unperceived. They each had a shot at him, as he ran past them, and being wounded in the head, he ran staggering amongst the fallen timber. A little spaniel dog, called Billy, of the King Charles’s breed, which happened to be with the party, seized the hog by the ear. At the same time a soldier ran up to despatch the animal with a large stick, and not observing the dog in the dusk, he accidentally struck him an unlucky blow on the head, and killed him. Poor Billy’s fate was universally regretted in the camp, where he was a general favourite. The hog weighed 80 lbs., had large tusks, and his hide was half-an-inch thick. The meat was hard and tough, but still was acceptable as a change. Some natives who were near the spot where the hog was killed, on hearing the shots, left their fire with a yell, and fled into the bush.
Thursday, 28th.—Working parties clearing and deepening the wells, which were beginning to fail. Several of the officers left the Briton, their tents being completed. There were many beautiful shells of various kinds found upon the beach. It was amusing to see such as are generally made use of as mantel-piece ornaments, teeming with life, and running about in every direction. A few fish were caught in nets outside the Runnymede, quantities of small ones being driven into shoal water by the large ones, which prey upon them.
Friday, 29th.—The soldiers were employed burning a road to the wells, the fallen trees being so interwoven that it was not possible to cut one. The carpenters were cutting a keel for the boat. The crew fishing and making nets. This evening there was a cry that a ship’s light was seen in the offing, which produced a considerable sensation for the moment; but it turned out to be only Sirius rising.
Saturday, 30th.—General parade for muster. The keel for the intended boat brought in from the bush where it had been cut. A carpenter, four sawyers, and a blacksmith from the 80th were ordered to assist in building the new boat.
Sunday, 1st December.—Divine service was performed. The guard on board the Runnymede was now formed by convalescent soldiers, being one serjeant and six privates of the 80th. The natives made very large fires both to the northward and southward.
Monday, 2d.—Bellows were finished for the forge, with the pioneers’ aprons for sides, and part of a gun-barrel for the pipe. The tiller of the Briton’s rudder was used for an anvil, and nails were made out of the copper bolts from her stern posts. A sailor’s canoe, which was nearly finished, took fire, and both her gunwales were burnt down.
Tuesday, 3d.—Regular morning parades on the beach at 7 A. M. commenced this day, the guards mounting immediately afterwards. The bugle was sounded regularly, as in garrison, at daybreak, for parade, for meals, and for bed at 8 P. M. The road still in progress of burning. This, together with the tent-fires and those of the picquets, had a very brilliant effect. Two officers went in search of water, and found a running stream under the hills, about a mile from the camp, which was very difficult to reach, from the denseness of the jungle.
Wednesday, 4th.—A couple of punts have been made out of rattans, covered with tarred canvas, and the canoe had plank sides put to it, in lieu of the gunwales, which were burnt. There were some thunder and lightning in the evening, and heavy rain, which caused the tents to leak, they having been made of old canvas.
Thursday, 5th.—A bag of damaged pepper sent on shore from the Runnymede for the soldiers to eat with the shell fish. An oyster bed discovered. A tree on fire, mistaken for a steamer’s light.
Friday, 6th.—The carpenters commenced planking the boat. Several men were sent to the hospital with fever and head complaints. An order was issued, prohibiting the soldiers bathing or otherwise exposing themselves in the heat of the sun.