Part 45 (1/2)
”It o when the _Ariel_, to which I belonged, captured a French brig Captain Matson sent ht of the eastern end of Jae privateer bore down on us We did our best to escape, but as she sailed two feet to our one, and carried twenty-two guns, ere compelled to yield, and I and my men were taken on board, while our prize was sent away to one of the French islands
”The privateer continued her cruise in search of our ht have taken A more ruffianly set of fellows I never set eyes on My poorthey had about them, and I should have had my jacket taken off my back but for the interference of the officers, who allowed o on deck whenever I wished Considering the style of their conversation at table, however, I should have thankfully preferred living by lish, the officers took a fearful oath that nothing should compel them to yield They, however, did their best to escape; but when they found that you had the heels of the, I believe, to take you
Nothing could exceed the savageness of the crew as, stripped to the waist, they went to their guns Several of them, as they cast their eyes on h the head should the day go against theo below, knowing very well that, in spite of their boasting, they would soon get the worst of it, and that you, at all events, would fight on until you had co or sent them to the bottoht be killed by one of your shot, even should I escape the knives and bullets of my captors
”I considered how I could best preserve ht it very possible that you would send the privateer to the bottom should she not yield or try to escape I deterh one of the stern s of the captain's cabin I accordinglyout for some instrument hich to force open the hen I saw s in the deck below reat distance fro the couish the fire before it was too late, I sprang on deck Scarcely had I reached it, and was telling the captain of our danger, when I felt a fearful concussion, and found ed overboard a vainly for help, though the greater number had been killed by the explosion and sank i swi several who clutched at e piece of wreck which had been blown to some distance from where the shi+p went down I scrambled upon it, and was soon joined by three other men, who had, they told me, been forward, and found themselves uninjured in the water
”I saw soon afterwards two others floating at so that he was exhausted, and could no longer support hi left him to his fate and swam towards us I could not bear to see the poor fellow perish in our sight with the possibility of saving hied in andup in my way a piece of plank I placed it under his ar him to hold on to it, shoved it before me in the direction of the raft The other fellow had in the ot hold of a piece of ti, but was apparently almost exhausted As I passed, I told hith et back to the raft, on to which the three other men had hauled up their other shi+pmate
”I was pretty well tired by this tiain venture into the water While I was trying to recoverthat no one was co into the water, at last by shoving the piece of plank beforehim to take hold of it, I ed nearly exhausted out of the water
”At first I had hopes that you would discover us and put back to take us off; but when I perceived that you were on fire, I began to fear that we should not be observed, though I did not say so to my companions in misfortune, but endeavoured to keep up their spirits I told theed should come back, my countrymen would not look upon them as enemies, but would treat thereataway, they began to abuse the English, declaring that ere a perfidious nation, never to be trusted; and I had some suspicion that they would wreak their ill-temper on my head
”My position would have been very dreadful even had I been ell-disposed companions The sun beat down upon our heads with terrific force; we had not a particle of food, nor a drop of water to quench our thirst I was thankful when, the sun at length having set, the men, accusto much as yet from the want of food or water, stretched theainst hope that you ht come back to ascertain if any people had escaped, or that soht pass within hail We had no nal, not even a spar on which to hoist our handkerchiefs or shi+rts The only article which had by some means or other been thrown on the raft was a blanket How it had fallen there I cannot tell I secured it, and doubling it up, it served as a rest to ot up to look about, but no vessel could I see, and at length, overpowered by weariness, I lay down and fell asleep
”At daylight I awoke The sea was calazed anxiously around Not a speck was visible in the horizon The sun rose, and its rays beat down upon us with even greater fury than on the previous day, or, at all events, I suffered more, as did my companions They now cried out for water and food, and I saw thee looks I pretended not to observe this, and said that I hoped and thought that we ht catch some fish or birds
”'It will be better for soh I saw several coveys of flying-fish leaping out of the water in the distance, none caliding by; presently the creature turned, and as it passed it eyed us, I thought, with an evil look; but while the water was cal at us Had the brute been s heard of several people who saved their lives, when nearly starved, by getting hold of a shark One of the rab it, a running bowline was slipped round its head, and it was hauled up My companions, however, had not the spirits to make the attempt--indeed, we could not find rope sufficient for the purpose on our raft
”The day wore on, and scarcely any of th on the raft Others sat with their ar and co fearfully at the terrible fate which had overtaken theardless of that of their late shi+pmates, hurried into eternity In vain I tried to arouse thelance, and I confess I began to fear, as night drew on, that I should not be allowed to see another day dawn I stood up, though it ith difficulty that I could steadyAnxiously I looked round the horizon The sky had hitherto been clear; but, as I castrapidly Another and another followed They ca heavy drops of rain My fear was that they would empty themselves before they reached us The looks of htened
”'Now, my friends,' I said, 'we must try and catch some of that rain
Here, spread out this blanket, for if a shower falls but for ten h to quench our thirst'
”We got the blanket ready The first cloud passed by, nearly saturating the blanket Theat the corners They seeht for the sive h the blanket was somewhat cleansed, not that I felt inclined to be particular In a few ot an ample supply of water My spirits rose in a way I could not have expected For soer; but they presently returned with greater force than before, and I guessed how ed them as well as I was able 'God, in His mercy, has sent us water, and He may, I trust, supply us with food'
”Some of them stared at my remark, but others replied--
”'Yes, yes, perhaps to-morroe shall have an ample breakfast'
”Still I did not trust them completely, and endeavoured to keep awake until they had all dropped off to sleep
”Another heavy shower fell during the night, and I roused them up to obtain a further supply of water We filled all our hats, for we had nothing else to put it in The next day was but a repetition of the forht was quickly exhausted My hopes of catching some fish appeared likely to be disappointed Twice a shark caive us a chance of catching it It was far ht us had we made the attempt We shouted to drive it off At last, smaller fish of some sort approached--albicores or bonitas It was extraordinary hat eager looks we eyed the creatures
”While atching the fish, trying to devise so them, one of the men, who lay stretched on the raft apparently asleep or in a state of stupor, suddenly sat up, uttering an exclanawing at a flying-fish; but he snarled and growled, eating eagerly all the ti does when a person atteulp down the larger portion before the others could snatch the prize froain I saw no violence used, except the force they exerted to take the fragments of the fish from his hands It appeared to me as if one of them had stabbed hiave me none of the fish: indeed, my portion would have been so sh for the moment I would have been thankful for the merest scrap of food
”I still endeavoured to keep up th froiven me, or I should have sunk I did not like even to think of the pain I suffered The Frenchether, and looking at ht over the means by which I could best preserve htest fear, so arousing ry, so a Noant you to understand that we are lish vessel than by one of any other nation, as there are three tilish cruisers in these seas as there are French, and ten tilish vessel, you are sure to be well treated for my sake, but if any accident were to happen to me--if I were to fall overboard, for instance--there would be no one to say a word in your favour Re the lives of two of you, although, when I plunged into the water and swa ue, I did not expect any return I suppose that you do not wish to be ungrateful'
”This address seemed to have some effect on the men I had saved Each of them uttered an exclamation of approval, while the two others, who still retained so to look at ht came on, when I crawled from the place I had occupied, and lay down between the two men who seeht I awoke, and finding that there was a light breeze I endeavoured to kneel up and ascertain if providentially any vessel were approaching
”I was raising myself on my elbohen I saw one of thetowards me I instantly awoke , 'There is a breeze