A PAINFUL OCCURRENCE. 
123 
white men, and would be much pleased to see some 
white mallams. About twelve returned to the ship 
and weighed; steamed till two p.m., then dropped down 
below Muyb (Omeh of the chart), and anchored there 
for the night. 
October %th . — Last night about twelve o’clock, while 
snatching a few minutes’ sleep on one of the gun-room 
lockers, I was awoke by a splash in the water, fol- 
lowed by a loud scream. Rushing on deck, I found, 
to my horror, that Mr. Wilmett, one of the sick 
officers, who had been delirious for some days, had 
contrived, notwithstanding that he was watched by 
two black men, to push back the slide of his cabin 
window, and jump overboard. While the boat was 
being lowered (which was done as soon as possible) 
William Guy, a Gambia man, and Tom Osmond, a 
Krumau, leaped into the river, and swam after him. 
Every one who could manage to crawl was instantly 
on deck. 
It was pitch dark, and the cries of the poor fellow, 
becoming more and more feeble, as he was being 
carried rapidly dowm the river by the force of the 
current, broke dismally the dead silence of the night, 
and filled all of us with the most fearful anticipations 
as to his fate. 
No one moved or spoke; the attention of every one 
was kept painfully on the rack, as the hollow sound 
of the oars in the rullocks, gradually becoming more 
distinct, denoted that the boat was returning. At 
