42 LOSS or TiTff 
On the fourth day after passing the river, they overtook 
the ship's steward and Master Law, who still survived inex- 
pressible hardships. From them they learned that the coop- 
er had been buried the preceding evening in the sand ; but 
when Hynes and the steward went to take a farewell view of 
the spot, they found, to their surprise and horror, that the body 
had been carried off by som^e carnivorous animal, which had 
evidently dragged it to a considerable distance, 
Hynes' party presented the steward and child with some of 
the flesh of the whale, by which they were much refreshed ; 
and for eight or ten days more they all proceeded in company. 
At length they came to a point of rocks, and as the whale was 
by this tin>e wholly consumed, they went round the edge in 
search of such sustenance as the sea might afford. This lock 
up so much time that they vrere obliged to sleep on the rock, 
where they could procure no water but what was very brack- 
ish. In the mxorning the stevs^ard and child were both taken 
ill, and being unable to proceed, the party agreed to halt till 
the next da}^. The extreme coldness of the rock on which 
they had slept produced a sensible effect on them all ; the 
steward and child still continued very ill. Their companions^, 
-therefore, agreed to wait another daj, when, if no favorable 
turn took place, they would be under the painful necessity of 
abandoning them to their fate. But their humanity was not 
put to this severe test, for in the course of the following night 
this poor child resigned his breath, and ceased any longer to 
share their fatigues and sorrovv's. The};^ had left him, as they 
supposed, asleep, near the fire round which they had all rest- 
ed during the night; but when they had made their arrange- 
ments for breakfast, and wished to call him to participate,, 
they foimd that his soul had taken its flight to another world. 
Forgetting their own misery, they sensibly felt for the loss 
of this tender 3-0 uth, and the affliction of the stev/ard in par- 
ticular was inexpressible. This child had been the object ot 
his fondest care during a long and perilou.^ journey, and it 
was with the utmost difficulty that his companions could tea.r 
him from the spot. 
They had not proceeded far before one of the part}?- asked 
hr a shell of water, which being given l.im, he solicited a 
second, and as soon as he had drunk it, lay down and instantly 
expired. So much were they habituated to scenes of distress, 
that by this time death had ceased to be regarded as shock- 
ing; it was even considered by them as a consummation ra- 
ther to be wished for than dreaded. They left the poor man 
