396 SHIPWRECK OF THE MEDUSA. 
begins to forsake us, we will wrap ourselves up as well as we 
can, and will stretch ourselves on this platform, the witness of 
the most cruel sufferings, and there await death with resigna- 
tion." At length, to calm our despair, we sought for consola- 
tion in the arms of sleep. The day before we had been scorch- 
ed by the beams of a burning sun ; to-day, to avoid the fierce- 
ness of his rays, we made a tent with the main -sail of the 
frigate. As soon as it was finished, Ave laid ourselves under 
it; thus all that was passing without was hid from our eyes. 
We proposed then to write upon a plank an abridgment of 
our adventures, and to add our names at the bottom of the re- 
cital, and fix it to the upper part of our mast, in the hope 
that it would reach the government and our families. 
After having passed two hours, a prey to the most cruel re- 
flections, the master gunner of the frigate, wishing to go to 
the front of the raft, went out from below the tent. Scarcely 
had he put out his head when he turned to us uttering a 
piercing cry. Joy was painted upon his face: his bancs 
were stretched toward the sea; he breathed with difficulty. 
All he was able to say was : Saved ! see the brig upon us ! 
and in fact it was not more than half a league distant, having 
every sail set, and steering right upon us. We rushed (ror.i 
our tent; even those whom enormous wounds in their infcii- 
or extremities had confined for many days, dragged them- 
selves to the back of the raft, to enjoy a sight of the ship 
which had come to save us from certain death. We embrac- 
ed one another with a transport which looked much like 
madness, and tears of joy trickled down our cheeks, withered 
by the most cruel privations. Each seized handkerchiefs, or 
some pieces of linen, to make signals to the brig, which was 
rapidly approaching us. Some fell on their knees and fer- 
vently retu:;ned thanks to Providence for this miraculou.'; pre- 
servation of their lives. Our joy redoubled when we saw at 
the top of the foremast a large white flag, and we cried, " It 
is then to Frenchmen we will owe our deliverance." We in- 
stantly recognized the brig to be the Argus; it was then 
about two gunshots from us. We were terribly impatient to 
see her reef her sails, which at last she did, and fresh cries of 
joy arose from our raft. The Argus came and lay to on our 
starboard, about a half pistol shot from us. The crew, rang- 
ed upon the deck and on the shrouds, announced to us, by 
the waving of their hands and hats, the pleasure they felt at 
coming to the assistance of their unfortunate countrymen. 
In a short time we were all transported on board the brig, 
