our misfortunes, were seized
and thrown over board by the sailors of the yawl, who told us we would
find in the pinnace every thing which we could wish for our voyage. We
had then only the clothes which covered us, never thinking of dressing
ourselves in two suits; but the loss which affected us most was that of
several MSS. at which my father had been labouring for a long while. Our
trunks, our linen, and various chests of merchandise of great value, in
a word, every thing we possessed, was left in the Medusa. When we
boarded the pinnace, the officer who commanded it began excusing himself
for having set off without forewarning us, as he had been ordered, and
said a thousand things in his justification. But without believing the
half of his fine protestations, we felt very happy in having overtaken
him; for it is most certain they had had no intention of encumbering
themselves with our unfortunate family. I say encumber, for it is
evident that four children, one of whom was yet at the breast, were very
indifferent beings to people who were actuated by a selfishness without
all parallel. When we were seated in the long-boat, my father dismissed
the sailors with the yawl, telling them he would ever gratefully
remember their services. They speedily departed, but little satisfied
with the good action they had done. My father hearing their murmurs and
the abuse they poured out against us, said, loud enough for all in the
boat to hear: "We are not surprised sailors are destitute of shame, when
their officers blush at being compelled to do a good action." The
commandant of the boat feigned not to understand the reproaches conveyed
in these words, and, to divert our minds from brooding over our wrongs,
endeavoured to counterfeit the man of gallantry.

CHAPTER V.

DEPARTURE OF THE BOATS--THEY SEEM DESIROUS OF TOWING THE
RAFT--GENEROUS CONDUCT OF A NAVAL OFFICER--THE ABANDONMENT OF THE
RAFT--DESPAIR OF THE WRETCHES WHO ARE LEFT TO THE FURY OF THE
WAVES--REPROACHES OF M. PICARD TO THE AUTHORS OF THE ABANDONING
THE RAFT--DESCRIPTION OF THE SMALL FLEET WHICH THE BOATS
FORMED--FRIGHTFUL FATE, AND DEPLORABLE END OF THE GREATER PART OF
THE INDIVIDUALS ON THE RAFT.

All the boats were already far from the Medusa, when they were brought
to, to form a chain in order to tow the raft. The barge, in which was
the governor of Senegal, took the first tow, then all the other boats in
succession joined themselves to that. M. Lachaum