144 TEAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



not say that I considered it all over with us yet. I 

 am far from laying claim to any superior degree of 

 courage, or thinking myself a braver man than was 

 my companion. Perhaps my love of life was greater 

 at any rate I did not yet give in, and by after 

 inquiry I know that Hamilton did. I am thankful 

 that it was so ; for my experience made me after- 

 wards acquainted with this state of feeling, and 

 taught how paralysing are its effects. It may be 

 that, had I earlier shared my friend's despondency, 

 we neither should have survived to tell the tale. 

 What I contrived to do, though little enough, was 

 yet sufficient probably to make the difference of some 

 hour or so in our foundering, and this respite proved 

 our salvation. 



Each moment that passed was bearing us out con- 

 tinually farther into the waste of waters. The gale 

 howled, the waters foamed in rage, and washed over 

 our gunwale ; my shipmate had resigned himself to 

 his fate, and replied not by word or sign to any con- 

 solation that I tried to suggest. All ground of hope 

 seemed stricken from us ; and yet, by a sort of per- 

 versity, I would not consent to the verdict that 

 seemed to have gone forth against us. Such a 

 struggle against adverse circumstance, where it is 

 according to the habitual tone of a man's spirit, 

 entitles him to the name of magnanimous ; with me, 

 it was rather a particular phase of obstinacy. One 

 single chance yet remained to us scarcely enough 



