176 LOSS, BY FIRE, OF THE HIBERNfA. 
existence, and at last be starved to death, there being littlei 
chance of any ship coming that way. We were now fifty de- 
grees south latitude, and twenty degrees west longitude, in 
the south-east trade winds, having a fair wind for Pernambu- 
eo, on the Brazilian coast. We all met, that is, the boats, 
and determined to make, if possible, Pernambuco, though at 
a distance of twelve hundred miles, and having very little 
provisions and no water. It was most heart-rending to see so 
many in distress and unable to relieve them, the boats being 
quite filled, and the long boat in a leaky state, required eight 
men to bail the water to keep her afloat. We rigged out a 
jury-mast, and with the aid of a top-gallant sail were enabled 
to make a good head-way. The Hibernia was not more than 
one mile from us to windward — many poor creatures cling- 
ing to the bowsprit to keep them from the flames as long as 
possible, waving their hats for us to go and receive them. 
The doctor and four sisters were clinging to a rope at the 
stern of the ship. We would fain have taken them in, but the 
captain told us it would be at the expense of our own lives; 
so we abandoned all hope of saving them. By the help of 
an old bed-tick we lengthened our sail, and in a little time lost 
sight of the Hibernia, and all our property, and all our hopes. 
Next morning the chief mate in the pinnace left us, and we 
saw him no more, he having on board seventeen souls. We 
had given him charts, compass and sextant to navigate with. 
We had nothing to eat from breakfast until the next day at 
twelve o'clock, and then only two table-spoonsfull of brandy, 
and two ounces of preserved beef, night and morning for se- 
ven da3'S. On the night of the 6th, a man died from fatigue 
and hunger. On the captain taking his observations at twelve 
o'clock, he informed us that we were four hundred and nine- 
ty miles from Pernambuco, with a light breeze. We had no 
water the whole time, and gave up all hopes of ever again 
setting feet on land. On this day we killed one of the three 
small pigs which we had on board — eating it raw, and supping 
the blood with as much eagerness as if it had been wine. 
Hunger is fine sauce, but our hunger was nothing to our 
thirst. Had I been possessed of a thousand Avorlds, I would 
willingly have given them for a draught of water. Many of 
them drank sea-water though warned against it — several of 
them became delirious. There were fifty-two souls on board 
beside eleven in the captain's gig, which we had in tow. 
At twenty minutes past three o'clock, the man at the helm, 
to the joy of all, cried out, "A sail a-head!" We stood 
i 
