Читать книгу Men Against the Sea – Book Set. The Greatest Maritime Adventure Novels: The Bounty Trilogy, Lost Island, The Hurricane, Botany Bay, The Far Lands, Tales of the South Seas… онлайн

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I looked with longing at the islet close abreast of us. Though small and barren, it was at least dry land. Purcell’s longing got the better of him.

“Let us go ashore, sir,” he suggested, when it was apparent that the captain was going to sail on. “Cannot we land and stretch our legs?”

Bligh shook his head. “We should find nothing there. Look ahead, man!”

Two other islands, one of them high and wooded, were now visible at a distance of four or five leagues to the northwest; and close beyond, I could see the main of New Holland—valleys and high land, densely wooded in parts.

The afternoon was well advanced when we reached the first of the two islands—little more than a heap of stones. The larger island was about three miles in circuit, high, well wooded, with a sheltered, sandy bay on the northwest side. From this bay, the nearest point on the main was about four hundred yards distant. As there were no signs of Indians in the vicinity, we beached the boat at once. For twenty-six days we had not set foot on land.