A NIGHT'S PERIL. 145 



for rational hope, but yet enough to justify resist- 

 ance to actual despair. As the wind then blew, it 

 was just possible that we should drift off the island 

 of Bourbon, or, at any rate, come near enough to be 

 picked up by some of her vessels. It was indeed 

 a slender chance, but being our all, I made the 

 most of it ; so much, indeed, did I make of it, that I 

 verily believe I should have felt quite confident of 

 making the port, if I had had the means of steering. 

 As it was, we drifted along, without any sail set, and 

 without any compass to point us our whereabout. 

 But the time was coming for me when I was to 

 experience the pangs that attend the death of hope- 

 within us. This I regard as the painful part of this 

 night's history. In the earlier stage there was the 

 relief of exertion ; in the later stages there was the 

 insensibility of apathy. The time of sharp anguish 

 was during the transition from the one state to 

 the other. 



The coup-de-grace came thus. Some half-hour or 

 so after the affair of the anchor, while we were drift- 

 ing before the sea, we perceived a light ahead. Of 

 course this must be a vessel, most probably a chasse 

 maree belonging to the island. It was scarcely 

 possible that we should reach this vessel, but of 

 course we were violently agitated, at sight of her, 

 with new-born hope. Hamilton even roused up and 

 did what he could to help in keeping us afloat-r-r- 

 which condition it was very doubtful whether we 



VOL. III. K 



