CHARLES WATERT0N, ESQ. cxiii 



had left her. I had managed to keep posses- 

 sion 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 convulsive 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 con- 

 tinued 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 



8 



