274 



TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. 



\August^ 



admiration and wonder, at the time it resisted the heavy rolls 

 and lurches of the vessel ; at last, being partly burned at the 

 bottom, it went over, more than an hour after its companion. 

 The decks were now a mass of fire, and the bulwarks partly 

 burnt away. Many of the parrots, monkeys, and other 

 animals we had on board, were already burnt or suffocated ; 

 but several had retreated to the bowsprit out of reach of the 

 flames, appearing to wonder what was going on, and quite 

 unconscious of the fate that awaited them. We tried to get 

 some of them into the boats, by going as near as we could 

 venture ; but they did not seem at all aware of the danger they 

 were in, and would not make any attempt to reach us. As the 

 flames caught the base of the bowsprit, some of them ran back 

 and jumped into the midst of the fire. Only one parrot 

 escaped : he was sitting on a rope hanging from the bowsprit, 

 and this burning above him let him fall into the water, where, 

 after floating a little way, we picked him up. 



Night was now coming on. The whole deck was a mass of 

 fire, giving out an intense heat. We determined to stay by the 

 vessel all night, as the light would attract any ship passing 

 within a considerable distance of us. We had eaten nothing 

 since the morning, and had had plenty to do and to think of, 

 to prevent our being hungry; but now, as the evening air 

 began to get cool and pleasant, we all found we had very good 

 appetites, and supped well on biscuits and water. 



We then had to make our arrangements for the night. Our 

 mooring ropes had been burnt, and we were thus cast adrift 

 from the ship, and were afraid of getting out of sight of it 

 during the night, and so missing any vessel which might chance 

 to be attracted by its light. A portion of the masts and 

 rigging were floating near the ship, and to this we fastened our 

 boats ; but so many half-burnt spars and planks were floating 

 about us, as to render our situation very perilous, for there 

 was a heavy swell, and our boats might have been in an 

 instant stove in by coming in contact with them. 



We therefore cast loose again, and kept at a distance of a 

 quarter or half a mile from the ship by rowing when requisite. 

 We were incessantly baling the whole night. Ourselves and 

 everything in the boats were thoroughly drenched, so we got 

 little repose : if for an instant we dozed off into forgetfulness, 

 we soon woke up again to the realities of our position, and to 



