hat horrible moment, when we scarcely breathed
from the most furious attack,--when we were obliged to be continually on
our guard, not only against the violence of the men, but a most
boisterous sea, few among us had time to attend to scenes of conjugal
affection.

After this second check, the rage of the soldiers was suddenly appeased,
and gave place to the most abject cowardice. Several threw themselves at
our feet, and implored our pardon, which was instantly granted. Thinking
that order was reestablished, we returned to our station on the centre
of the raft, only taking the precaution of keeping our arms. We,
however, had soon to prove the impossibility of counting on the
permanence of any honest sentiment in the hearts of these beings.

It was nearly midnight; and after an hour of apparent tranquillity, the
soldiers rose afresh. Their mind was entirely gone; they ran upon us in
despair with knives and sabres in their hands. As they yet had all their
physical strength, and besides were armed, we were obliged again to
stand on our defence. Their revolt became still more dangerous, as, in
their delirium, they were entirely deaf to the voice of reason. They
attacked us, we charged them in our turn, and immediately the raft was
strewed with their dead bodies. Those of our adversaries who had no
weapons endeavoured to tear us with their sharp teeth. Many of us were
cruelly bitten. M. Savigny was torn on the legs and the shoulder; he
also received a wound on the right arm, which deprived him of the use of
his fourth and little finger for a long while. Many others were wounded;
and many cuts were found in our clothes from knives and sabres.

One of our workmen was also seized by four of the rebels, who wished to
throw him into the sea. One of them had laid hold of his right leg, and
had bit most unmercifully the tendon above the heel; others were
striking him with great slashes of their sabres, and with the butt end
of their guns, when his cries made us hasten to his assistance. In this
affair, the brave Lavilette, ex-serjeant of the foot artillery of the
Old Guard, behaved with a courage worthy of the greatest praise. He
rushed upon the infuriated beings in the manner of M. Correard, and soon
snatched the workman from the danger which menaced him. Some short while
after, in a fresh attack of the rebels, sub-lieutenant Lozach fell into
their hands. In their delirium, they had taken him for Lieutenant
Danglas,[17] of whom