University of Virginia Library

11. CHAPTER XI.

We spent the remainder of the day in a condition of
stupid lethargy, gazing after the retreating vessel until
the darkness, hiding her from our sight, recalled us in
some measure to our senses. The pangs of hunger and
thirst then returned, absorbing all other cares and considerations.
Nothing, however, could be done until the
morning, and, securing ourselves as well as possible, we
endeavoured to snatch a little repose. In this I succeeded
beyond my expectation, sleeping until my companions,
who had not been so fortunate, aroused me at
daybreak to renew our attempts at getting up provision
from the hull.

It was now a dead calm, with the sea as smooth as I
have ever known it—the weather warm and pleasant.
The brig was out of sight. We commenced our operations

by wrenching off, with some trouble, another of the
forechains; and having fastened both to Peters's feet, he
again made an endeavour to reach the door of the storeroom,
thinking it possible that he might be able to force
it open, provided he could get at it in sufficient time;
and this he hoped to do, as the hulk lay much more
steadily than before.

He succeeded very quickly in reaching the door,
when, loosening one of the chains from his ankle, he
made every exertion to force a passage with it, but
in vain, the framework of the room being far stronger
than was anticipated. He was quite exhausted with
his long stay under water, and it became absolutely necessary
that some other one of us should take his place.
For this service Parker immediately volunteered; but,
after making three ineffectual efforts, found that he could
never even succeed in getting near the door. The condition
of Augustus's wounded arm rendered it useless
for him to attempt going down, as he would be unable
to force the room open should he reach it, and it accordingly
now devolved upon me to exert myself for our
common deliverance.

Peters had left one of the chains in the passage, and
I found, upon plunging in, that I had not sufficient ballast
to keep me firmly down. I determined, therefore,
to attempt no more, in my first effort, than merely to recover
the other chain. In groping along the floor of the
passage for this I felt a hard substance, which I immediately
grasped, not having time to ascertain what it
was, but returning and ascending instantly to the surface.
The prize proved to be a bottle, and our joy may
be conceived when I say that it was found to be full of
Port wine. Giving thanks to God for this timely and
cheering assistance, we immediately drew the cork with
my penknife, and, each taking a moderate sup, felt the
most indescribable comfort from the warmth, strength,
and spirits with which it inspired us. We then carefully
recorked the bottle, and, by means of a handkerchief,
swung it in such a manner that there was no possibility
of its getting broken.

Having rested a while after this fortunate discovery, I
again descended, and now recovered the chain, with
which I instantly came up. I then fastened it on and
went down for the third time, when I became fully satisfied
that no exertions whatever, in that situation, would
enable me to force open the door of the storeroom. I
therefore returned in despair.

There seemed now to be no longer any room for hope,
and I could perceive in the countenances of my companions
that they had made up their minds to perish. The
wine had evidently produced in them a species of delirium,
which, perhaps, I had been prevented from feeling
by the immersion I had undergone since drinking it.
They talked incoherently, and about matters unconnected
with our condition, Peters repeatedly asking me questions
about Nantucket. Augustus, too, I remember, approached
me with a serious air, and requested me to
lend him a pocket-comb, as his hair was full of fish
scales, and he wished to get them out before going on
shore. Parker appeared somewhat less affected, and
urged me to dive at random into the cabin, and bring up
any article which might come to hand. To this I consented,
and, in the first attempt, after staying under a full
minute, brought up a small leather trunk belonging to
Captain Barnard. This was immediately opened in the
faint hope that it might contain something to eat or drink.
We found nothing, however, except a box of razors and
two linen shirts. I now went down again, and returned
without any success. As my head came above water I
heard a crash on deck, and, upon getting up, saw that
my companions had ungratefully taken advantage of my
absence to drink the remainder of the wine, having let
the bottle fall in the endeavour to replace it before I saw
them. I remonstrated with them on the heartlessness
of their conduct, when Augustus burst into tears. The
other two endeavoured to laugh the matter off as a joke,
but I hope never again to behold laughter of such a
species: the distortion of countenance was absolutely
frightful. Indeed, it was apparent that the stimulus, in
the empty state of their stomachs, had taken instant and

violent effect, and that they were all exceedingly intoxicated.
With great difficulty I prevailed upon them to
lie down, when they fell very soon into a heavy slumber,
accompanied with loud stertorous breathing.

I now found myself, as it were, alone in the brig, and
my reflections, to be sure, were of the most fearful and
gloomy nature. No prospect offered itself to my view
but a lingering death by famine, or, at the best, by being
overwhelmed in the first gale which should spring up,
for in our present exhausted condition we could have no
hope of living through another.

The gnawing hunger which I now experienced was
nearly insupportable, and I felt myself capable of going
to any lengths in order to appease it. With my knife I
cut off a small portion of the leather trunk, and endeavoured
to eat it, but found it utterly impossible to swallow
a single morsel, although I fancied that some little
alleviation of my suffering was obtained by chewing
small pieces of it and spitting them out. Towards
night my companions awoke, one by one, each in an indescribable
state of weakness and horror, brought on by
the wine, whose fumes had now evaporated. They
shook as if with a violent ague, and uttered the most
lamentable cries for water. Their condition affected
me in the most lively degree, at the same time causing
me to rejoice in the fortunate train of circumstances
which had prevented me from indulging in the wine, and
consequently from sharing their melancholy and most
distressing sensations. Their conduct, however, gave
me great uneasiness and alarm; for it was evident that,
unless some favourable change took place, they could
afford me no assistance in providing for our common
safety. I had not yet abandoned all idea of being able
to get up something from below; but the attempt could
not possibly be resumed until some one of them was
sufficiently master of himself to aid me by holding the
end of the rope while I went down. Parker appeared
to be somewhat more in possession of his senses than
the others, and I endeavoured, by every means in my
power, to arouse him. Thinking that a plunge in the

seawater might have a beneficial effect, I contrived to
fasten the end of a rope around his body, and then, leading
him to the companion-way (he remaining quite passive
all the while), pushed him in, and immediately drew
him out. I had good reason to congratulate myself upon
having made this experiment; for he appeared much revived
and invigorated, and, upon getting out, asked me,
in a rational manner, why I had so served him. Having
explained my object, he expressed himself indebted to
me, and said that he felt greatly better from the immersion,
afterward conversing sensibly upon our situation.
We then resolved to treat Augustus and Peters in the
same way, which we immediately did, when they both
experienced much benefit from the shock. This idea of
sudden immersion had been suggested to me by reading
in some medical work the good effect of the shower-bath
in a case where the patient was suffering from mania a
potu.

Finding that I could now trust my companions to hold
the end of the rope, I again made three or four plunges
into the cabin, although it was now quite dark, and a
gentle but long swell from the northward rendered the
hulk somewhat unsteady. In the course of these attempts
I succeeded in bringing up two case-knives, a
three-gallon jug, empty, and a blanket, but nothing which
could serve us for food. I continued my efforts, after
getting these articles, until I was completely exhausted,
but brought up nothing else. During the night Parker
and Peters occupied themselves by turns in the same
manner; but nothing coming to hand, we now gave up
this attempt in despair, concluding that we were exhausting
ourselves in vain.

We passed the remainder of this night in a state of
the most intense mental and bodily anguish that can possibly
be imagined. The morning of the sixteenth at
length dawned, and we looked eagerly around the horizon
for relief, but to no purpose. The sea was still
smooth, with only a long swell from the northward, as on
yesterday. This was the sixth day since we had tasted
either food or drink, with the exception of the bottle of

Portwine, and it was clear that we could hold out but a very
little while longer unless something could be obtained.
I never saw before, nor wish to see again, human beings
so utterly emaciated as Peters and Augustus. Had I
met them on shore in their present condition I should not
have had the slightest suspicion that I had ever beheld
them. Their countenances were totally changed in
character, so that I could not bring myself to believe
them really the same individuals with whom I had been
in company but a few days before. Parker, although
sadly reduced, and so feeble that he could not raise his
head from his bosom, was not so far gone as the other
two. He suffered with great patience, making no complaint,
and endeavouring to inspire us with hope in
every manner he could devise. For myself, although at
the commencement of the voyage I had been in bad
health, and was at all times of a delicate constitution, I
suffered less than any of us, being much less reduced in
frame, and retaining my powers of mind in a surprising
degree, while the rest were completely prostrated in intellect,
and seemed to be brought to a species of second
childhood, generally simpering in their expressions, with
idiotic smiles, and uttering the most absurd platitudes.
At intervals, however, they would appear to revive suddenly,
as if inspired all at once with a consciousness of
their condition, when they would spring upon their feet
in a momentary flash of vigour, and speak, for a short
period, of their prospects, in a manner altogether rational,
although full of the most intense despair. It is possible,
however, that my companions may have entertained the
same opinion of their own condition as I did of mine, and
that I may have unwittingly been guilty of the same extravagances
and imbecilities as themselves—this is a
matter which cannot be determined.

About noon Parker declared that he saw land off the
larboard quarter, and it was with the utmost difficulty I
could restrain him from plunging into the sea with the
view of swimming towards it. Peters and Augustus
took little notice of what he said, being apparently
wrapped up in moody contemplation. Upon looking in

the direction pointed out I could not perceive the faintest
appearance of the shore—indeed, I was too well aware
that we were far from any land to indulge in a hope of
that nature. It was a long time, nevertheless, before I
could convince Parker of his mistake. He then burst into
a flood of tears, weeping like a child, with loud cries and
sobs, for two or three hours, when, becoming exhausted,
he fell asleep.

Peters and Augustus now made several ineffectual efforts
to swallow portions of the leather. I advised them
to chew it and spit it out; but they were too excessively
debilitated to be able to follow my advice. I continued
to chew pieces of it at intervals, and found some relief
from so doing; my chief distress was for water, and I
was only prevented from taking a draught from the sea
by remembering the horrible consequences which thus
have resulted to others who were similarly situated with
ourselves.

The day wore on in this manner, when I suddenly
discovered a sail to the eastward, and on our larboard
bow. She appeared to be a large ship, and was coming
nearly athwart us, being probably twelve or fifteen miles
distant. None of my companions had as yet discovered
her, and I forbore to tell them of her for the present,
lest we might again be disappointed of relief. At
length, upon her getting nearer, I saw distinctly that she
was heading immediately for us, with her light sails
filled. I could now contain myself no longer, and
pointed her out to my fellow-sufferers. They immediately
sprang to their feet, again indulging in the most
extravagant demonstrations of joy, weeping, laughing in
an idiotic manner, jumping, stamping upon the deck,
tearing their hair, and praying and cursing by turns. I
was so affected by their conduct, as well as by what I
now considered a sure prospect of deliverance, that I
could not refrain from joining in with their madness, and
gave way to the impulses of my gratitude and ecstasy
by lying and rolling on the deck, clapping my hands,
shouting, and other similar acts, until I was suddenly
called to my recollection, and once more to the extreme

of human misery and despair, by perceiving the ship all
at once with her stern fully presented towards us, and
steering in a direction nearly opposite to that in which I
had at first perceived her.

It was some time before I could induce my poor companions
to believe that this sad reverse in our prospects
had actually taken place. They replied to all my
assertions with a stare and a gesture implying that they
were not to be deceived by such misrepresentations.
The conduct of Augustus most sensibly affected me. In
spite of all I could say or do to the contrary, he persisted
in saying that the ship was rapidly nearing us, and in
making preparations to go on board of her. Some sea-weed
floating by the brig, he maintained that it was the
ship's boat, and endeavoured to throw himself upon it,
howling and shrieking in the most heartrending manner,
when I forcibly restrained him from thus casting himself
into the sea.

Having become in some degree pacified, we continued
to watch the ship until we finally lost sight of her, the
weather becoming hazy, with a light breeze springing up.
As soon as she was entirely gone, Parker turned suddenly
towards me with an expression of countenance
which made me shudder. There was about him an air
of self-possession which I had not noticed in him until
now, and before he opened his lips my heart told me
what he would say. He proposed, in a few words, that
one of us should die to preserve the existence of the
others.