LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. 95 



shock. The Pollux instantly became a wreck, with her parts amid- 

 ships stove in; and it was evident that she had but a very little time 

 to float. I found my family all around me ; and having slipped on 

 and inflated my life-preserver, I entreated them to be cool and 

 temperate, and they all obeyed me most implicitly. My little boy 

 had gone down on his knees, and was praying fervently to the 

 blessed Virgin to take us under her protection, whilst Miss Edmon- 

 stone kept crying out in a tone of deep anxiety, " Oh, save the poor 

 boy, and never mind me ! " Sad and woeful was the scene around us. 

 The rush to get into the Monnbello, which, thanks to Charles Bona- 

 parte (Prince Canino),was still alongside of us, caused unutterable con- 

 fusion. Some were pulled up on deck by the passengers and crew of 

 the Monjibello ; others managed to get on board of her without help ; 

 and others ran to and fro, bereft of all self-command ; whilst our 

 damaged vessel herself was sinking deeper and deeper every minute 

 into her watery grave. Confiding in my valuable life-preserver, I re- 

 mained on board the Pollux till nearly all had left her. I had managed 

 to keep possession of my favourite travelling-cloak, and should have 

 saved it ultimately, but for the following misadventure. A fine young 

 German woman, with a child under her arm, and apparently terrified 

 out of her senses, seized fast hold of me by her hand that was free, 

 just as I was in the act of trying to get into the Monjibello. Her con- 

 vulsive grasp held me so completely fast, that I could neither advance 

 nor retreat. I begged of her in French for the love of God to let go 

 her hold, as we should both of us inevitably perish. But she was 

 unconscious of what I said ; and with her mouth half open, and with 

 her eyes fixed steadfastly on me, she continued to grasp me close 

 under the ribs, with fearful desperation. I now abandoned my cloak 

 to its fate, and then having both hands free, I succeeded in tearing 

 myself from her grasp, and got up the side of the Monjibello by 

 means of a rope which was hanging there. 



" We were all saved except one man. He was a respectable ship- 

 captain from Naples, and was on his way to Leghorn, in order to 

 purchase a vessel. In talking over his death the morning after, it 

 was surmised that he had all his money in gold sewed up in a belt 

 around his body, a thing common in these countries ; and to this 

 might bo attributed his untimely end, for I heard one of the Monji. 



