228 
JOURNEY TO SOUTH AFRICA. 
mackintosh and went on deck ; was unable to see but a few 
feet. Went to the left, or port, side, and could hear the waves 
breaking on the rocks. In a short time lights appeared, and in 
the course of an hour it quit raining and cleared up a little and 
we were able to make out the shore about 150 feet away. In 
the meantime I had made several trips around the ship to see 
the condition of the mules ; found all doing well. Increased 
the night guards, and had all port-holes closed, which made it 
extremely hot below decks. The engines began pumping the 
fresh water out of the tanks before 10 p. M., so that by morning 
nearly all tanks were empty. We left New Orleans with about 
2200 tons of fresh water, they counting on a ton of water last¬ 
ing a mule for a trip of 28 days, or about nine gallons per day. 
• We were giving them all they wanted, five times daily. The 
second day after the wreck the water allowance was cut down 
to one gallon twice daily. About this time a few began to 
show signs of overheating; on the 19th one died ; 20th, 3 ; 21st, 
40; and then I lost count, but about 160 the 22d ; the 23d, 
about 160 again, and probably twenty before we finished un¬ 
loading, the 24th. The temperature averaged 101 for the 
twenty-four hours for five successive days. The only ventila¬ 
tion was from canvas windsails leading to the holds. The 
engines were going full speed most of the time, and there was 
no chance for fresh air to get below to the animals. We were 
so close to the shore, and the timber ran right down to the sea, 
and being between two points, we didn’t get any breeze at all. 
In the meantime there had been about 1600 tons of coal put 
overboard, and there were two ships trying to pull the steamer 
off, besides our own propeller going full speed astern. These 
two ships, one an English cruiser of 7000 horse power, the 
other a passenger ship of 3000 horse power, pulled the Corinthia 
over on the side somewhat, so that the deck’s angle varied from 
15 to 30 degrees. The result of this was that the mules on 
the upper side pushed their breast boards out, and fell in among 
those on the lower side, and when one would get down it was 
very hard to move the others so he could be gotten up. A 
number were trampled to death, a few had legs broken. In 
unloading, the mules were led up to the open cattle doors and 
pushed out; it was only a few feet to the water. If natives 
were there in canoes to lead them ashore, all right, if not, they 
often swam out to sea and were drowned, or else swam to one 
or the other of the vessels that were trying to tow us off, and 
were killed by the blades of the propellers. We were unload- 
