_Tuesday, January_ 28.--I think every one is now giving up all hope of seeing the schooner.
To-day John Glass and his wife gave a dinner to the whole island in honour of their one-year-old son. Ellen and I went. Everything was excellently arranged. We began with stuffed meat which was really very well cooked, then followed open berry-tarts with twisted bars across, open apple-tarts, and berry-pudding served with cream.
Yesterday Bob Green took Graham for a long-promised outing to the Caves, a spot in the mountain just above Big Beach and about a third of the way up to the Base. At one point, considered very dangerous because if a step is missed there must be a deadly fall, he insisted on roping him. We watched them with much interest both going and returning, as they wound their way in and out.
_Thursday, January_ 30.--A small vessel has just been sighted. It looks so small that every one is wondering what it possibly can be. It is being well scanned through the telescope and is seen to be flying an English flag; in answer Repetto has run up ours. We have a faint hope that it may be bringing the mail. Later we sat for a long time on the cliff watching. One of our boats went out but could not board her, for fear of being swamped. The vessel tacked, and when it got near our boat again dropped a bottle into the sea for our men. In it was a letter from the Captain saying that he wanted some fresh meat and other things and that he would come in again early to-morrow. The men think it must be a sealer.
_Friday, January_ 31.--No vessel appeared and we think it may have gone for good.
_Saturday, February_ 1.--Early this morning the small vessel was again seen in the far distance and some hours later a boat from it landed the Captain's brother and two of the crew. The two latter were brought to us at the school. As they spoke only French the islanders did not know what else to do with them. I tried to carry on a conversation with them and learnt they were going to Kerguelen Island for sealing. They wanted to know if it was not rather "ennuyeux" here. The Captain's brother went to Repetto to arrange business and was afterwards brought to us. Meanwhile another vessel had been sighted and the men drew lots who should go out to it. Monsieur Rallier du Baty stayed and had lunch with us. He was such a pleasant gentlemanly man and most easy to talk to. I never talked so much French to any one before. Sometimes I got grounded. I understood him to say that his ship was being sent out by the French Government to Kerguelen for scientific research, that they intend staying there a year, and that they also hope to do some sealing. They had named their boat the _J. B. Charcot_, after Dr. Charcot, with whom one of them had been on an Antarctic expedition. Graham asked him about two meteorological instruments which he has not been quite sure how to set, and he has very kindly showed him how to set them. M. Rallier told us after they left Cherbourg they met with very bad weather and had to put in to Brixham for repairs, by which they were delayed three weeks. From there they went on to Madeira, then to Rio Janeiro, and next touched here. He was much interested to know what had brought us to Tristan. He knew about the wreck of the _Blendon Hall_ and had passed close to Inaccessible to view the scene of the wreck.