ad above water, he remained between two enormous pieces of
wood, whilst the rest of his body was hid in the sea. After more than
two hours of suffering, Captain Dupont spoke in a low voice to his
lieutenant, who by chance was seated near the place of his concealment.
The brave L'Heureux, with eyes glistening with tears, believed he heard
the voice, and saw the shade of his captain; and trembling, was about to
quit the place of horror; but, O wonderful! he saw a head which seemed
to draw its last sigh, he recognised it, he embraced it, alas! it was
his dear friend! Dupont was instantly drawn from the water, and M.
L'Heureux obtained for his unfortunate comrade again a place upon the
raft. Those who had been most inveterate against him, touched at what
Providence had done for him in so miraculous a manner, decided with one
accord to allow him entire liberty upon the raft.

The sixty unfortunates who had escaped from the first massacre, were
soon reduced to fifty, then to forty, and at last to twenty-eight. The
least murmur, or the smallest complaint, at the moment of distributing
the provisions, was a crime punished with immediate death. In
consequence of such a regulation, it may easily be presumed the raft was
soon lightened. In the meanwhile the wine diminished sensibly, and the
half rations very much displeased a certain chief of the conspiracy. On
purpose to avoid being reduced to that extremity, the _executive power_
decided it was much wiser to _drown thirteen people_, and to get full
rations, than that twenty-eight should have half rations. Merciful
Heaven! what shame! After the last catastrophe, the chiefs of the
conspiracy, fearing doubtless of being assassinated in their turn, threw
all the arms into the sea, and swore an inviolable friendship with the
heroes which the hatchet had spared. On the 17th of July, in the
morning, Captain Parnajon, commandant of the Argus brig, still found
fifteen men on the raft. They were immediately taken on board, and
conducted to Senegal. Four of the fifteen are yet alive, viz. Captain
Dupont, residing in the neighbourhood of Maintenon, Lieutenant
L'Heureux, since Captain, at Senegal, Savigny, at Rochefort, and
Correard, I know not where.

CHAPTER VI.

THE CHIEFS OF THE EXPEDITION ORDER THE BOATS TO TAKE THE ROUTE
FOR SENEGAL--OBJECTIONS OF SOME GENEROUS OFFICERS--THE SHORES OF
THE DESERT OF SAHARA ARE DISCOVERED--IT IS DEFENDED--THE SAILORS
OF THE PINNACE ARE DESIROUS