220 
LOSS OF THE MAGPIE. 
surf breaks, although there may be a passage for a ship, will 
be secure from sharks. It was not till a great distance had 
been accomplished that the swimmer became apprized of his 
danger and saw by his side one of the terrific creatures. 
Still, however, he bravely swam and kicked.; his mind was 
made up for the worst, and he had little hope of success. In 
the mean time the breeze had gradually freshened, and the 
brig passed with great velocity through the water: every 
stitch of canvass Avas spread. To the poor swimmer the 
sails seemed bursting with the breeze ; and as he used his 
utmost endeavor to propel himself, so as to cut off the vessel, 
the spray appeared to dash from the bow, and the brig to fly 
through the sea. He was now close enough to hope his voice 
might be heard ; but he hailed, and hailed, and hailed in vain 
— not a soul was to be seen on deck : the man who steered was 
too intent upon his avocation to listen to the call of mercy. 
The brig passed, and the swimmer was every second getting 
farther in the distance. Every hope was gone, not a ray of 
that bright divinity remained : the fatigue had nearly exhaust- 
ed him, and the sharks only waited for the first quiet moment 
to swallow their victim. 
It was in vain he thought of returning toward the boat, for 
he never could have reached her, and his companion had no 
means of assisting him. In the act of offering up his last 
prayer ere he made up his mind to float and be eaten, he saw 
a man look over the quarter of the brig. He raised both his 
hands, he jumped himself up in the water, and by the singu- 
larity of his motions fortunately attracted notice. A tele- 
scope soon made clear the object : the brig was hove to, a 
boat sent, and the man saved, The attention of the crew was 
then awakened to the Magpie's boat : she was soon along- 
side ; and thus, through the bold exertions of as gallant a fel- 
low as ever breathed, both were rescued from their perilous 
situation. 
At first the dreadful tale was discredited ; and the American 
captain rather fancied the addition to his crew to be two pi- 
rates, who had, to avoid a surer death, put to sea in an earless, 
mastless, sailless boat. They were landed at the Havana, and 
then conveyed to Port Royal in the first man-of-war. 
Such were the sufferings and the deaths of the crew of the 
unfortunate Magpie ; and these facts were related to the offi- 
cers composing the court-martial which sat upon the two re- 
maining men. The story was told with unaffected modesty ; 
and he who had so generously risked his life to save his mess- 
