shortened but a brief space the term of their
existence. Ye who shudder at the cry of outraged humanity, recollect,
that it was other men, fellow-countrymen, comrades, who had placed us in
this awful situation!

This horrible expedient saved the fifteen who remained; for when we were
found by the Argus brig, we had very little wine left, and it was the
sixth day after the cruel sacrifice we have described. The victims, we
repeat, had not more than forty-eight hours to live, and by keeping them
on the raft, we would have been absolutely destitute of the means of
existence two days before we were found. Weak as we were, we considered
it as a certain thing, that it would have been impossible for us to have
lived only twenty-four hours more without taking some food. After this
catastrophe, we threw our arms into the sea; they inspired us with a
horror we could not overcome. We only kept one sabre, in case we had to
cut some cordage or some piece of wood.

A new event, for every thing was an _event_ to wretches to whom the
world was reduced to the narrow space of a few toises, and for whom the
winds and waves contended in their fury as they floated above the abyss;
an event happened which diverted our minds from the horrors of our
situation. All on a sudden a white butterfly, of a species common in
France, came fluttering above our heads, and settled on our sail. The
first thought this little creature suggested was, that it was the
harbinger of approaching land, and we clung to the hope with a delirium
of joy. It was the ninth day we had been upon the raft; the torments of
hunger consumed our entrails; and the soldiers and sailors already
devoured with haggard eyes this wretched prey, and seemed ready to
dispute about it. Others looking upon it as a messenger from Heaven,
declared that they took it under their protection, and would suffer none
to do it harm. It is certain we could not be far from land, for the
butterflies continued to come on the following days, and flutter about
our sail. We had also on the same day another indication not less
positive, by a Goeland which flew around our raft. This second visitor
left us not a doubt that we were fast approaching the African soil, and
we persuaded ourselves we would be speedily thrown upon the coast by the
force of the currents.

This same day a new care employed us. Seeing we were reduced to so small
a number, we collected all the little strength we had left, detached
so