services he had performed, for he had already made in the
preceding year a campaign in the East Indies, inspired us all with the
greatest pity for this young victim, devoted to so horrible and
premature a death. Our old soldiers and all our people in general did
every thing they could to prolong his existence, but all was in vain.
Neither the wine which they gave him without regret, nor all the means
they employed, could arrest his melancholy doom, and he expired, in the
arms of M. Coudin, who had not ceased to give him the most unwearied
attention. Whilst he had strength to move, he ran incessantly from one
side to the other, loudly calling for his unhappy mother, for water and
food. He trode indiscriminately on the feet and legs of his companions
in misfortune, who, in their turn, uttered sorrowful cries, but these
were very rarely accompanied with menaces; they pardoned all which the
poor boy had made them suffer. He was not in his senses, consequently
could not be expected to behave as if he had had the use of his reason.

There now remained but twenty-seven of us. Fifteen of that number
seemed able to live yet some days; the rest, covered with large wounds,
had almost entirely lost the use of their reason. They still, however,
shared in the distributions, and would, before they died, consume thirty
or forty bottles of wine, which to us were inestimable. We deliberated,
that by putting the sick on half allowance was but putting them to death
by halves; but after a counsel, at which presided the most dreadful
despair, it was decided they should be thrown into the sea. This means,
however repugnant, however horrible it appeared to us, procured the
survivors six days' wine. But after the decision was made, who durst
execute it? The habit of seeing death ready to devour us; the certainty
of our infallible destruction without this monstrous expedient; all, in
short, had hardened our hearts to every feeling but that of
self-preservation. Three sailors and a soldier took charge of this cruel
business. We looked aside and shed tears of blood at the fate of these
unfortunates. Among them were the wretched Sutler and her husband. Both
had been grievously wounded in the different combats. The woman had a
thigh broken between the beams of the raft, and a stroke of a sabre had
made a deep wound in the head of her husband. Every thing announced
their approaching end. We console ourselves with the belief that our
cruel resolution