MISCELLANIES. 



581 



else of falling in with some ship. 

 Daring the day atl) ing fish dropped 

 into tile boat, when all hands 

 jumped at it. Fortune favouring 

 my. exertions, I gained the prize 

 and soon devoured it. 



Thursday the 10th and Friday 

 the 1 Itii we had fine fresh breezes, 

 chiefly from the eastward, with 

 dear weather. On the l'2th we 

 found ourselves so very thirsty 

 tliat water was much in request 

 by all. Every morning and even- 

 ing, we bathed ourselves, and 

 during the day kept throwing 

 water over our heads ; this al- 

 layed our thirst very much, which 

 had now become our greatest 

 enemy. This day we had very 

 light airs from the N.W. with a 

 heavy swell ; we expected a gale 

 of wind from that quarter, which 

 if it had come, in all probability 

 would have overwhelmed us, and 

 put us out of our misery. Just 

 before sunset we had the high 

 consolation of observing a vessel 

 bearing N.W. ; there being little 

 wind we pulled right for her, and 

 by her movements I believe she 

 saw ns, for soon after she came 

 down towards us, with studding 

 sails set, low and aloft. This sight 

 rejoiced us, and infused intoussuch 

 a degree of temporary strength, as 

 m ide us pull with double vigoui'. 

 ^\'e thouglit oiir troubles at an 

 end, but, alas ! Providence or- 

 dained that greater inisfortLines 

 wevQ still to lie endured by us. 

 Captain Marman thinking we did 

 not near the vessel fast enough, 

 ordered our sail to be taken in, 

 supposing tlv.it it impeded our 

 going til rough the water as we 

 were pulling in the wind's eye. 

 No sooner was tliat done, than 

 the vessel took in lier studding 



sails and hauled her wind to the 

 eastward. We hoisted our sail 

 again, but to no purpose, she still 

 kept to tiie eastward, which wa3 a 

 heart-breaking sight to us all. 

 The temporary strength which the 

 sight of her had excited, now for- 

 sook us: ov.r spirits sunk, and we 

 could no longer pull. As night 

 approached we stood as iiearly as 

 we could judge to the W.N.W. 

 When the vessel hauJed her wind 

 to the eastward, we could plainly 

 make out that she was a brig ; w'e 

 saw her top-sails, and part of her 

 courses J main- sail, &c. 



Sunday the 13th. This day our 

 thirst was great indeed ; we had 

 undergone such fatigue, and were 

 so much weakened, that we ex- 

 pected every hour to be our last. 

 The water thrown over our bodies 

 did not allay our thirst as at first, 

 and being reduced to the last ex- 

 tremity, Ave were forced to drink 

 our urine, which I must say re- 

 vived and consoled us exceed- 

 ingly. Monday and Tuesday no- 

 thing happened to break in upon 

 our state of painful suspense. We 

 had the wind light from the north- 

 ward with a very heavy swell 

 from the N.W. ; we still kept 

 bathing every morning and even- 

 ing, and drinking as before-men- 

 tioned. 



\\'ednesday the people began to 

 be very dull. Some of them found 

 their thirst so intolerable thnt 

 they drank a great (piantity of salt 

 water, although the Captain and I 

 alvised them not to do so. About 

 ten o'clock at night, we were all 

 roused by licaring the cry of fiesh 

 water along-side. One of the 

 j)eople being excessively diy, in 

 drinking the water alongside really 

 thought it hud been fresh ; we all 



bHjji'.n 



