wards, that the officer who commanded the pinnace had received
orders to take us in, but, as he was already a great way from the
frigate, we were certain he had abandoned us. My father however hailed
him, but he persisted on his way to gain the open sea. A short while
afterwards we perceived a small boat among the waves, which seemed
desirous to approach the Medusa; it was the yawl. When it was
sufficiently near, my father implored the sailors who were in it to
take us on board, and to carry us to the pinnace, where our family
ought to be placed. They refused. He then seized a firelock, which lay
by chance upon deck, and swore he would kill every one of them if they
refused to take us, adding that it was the property of the king, and
that he would have advantage from it as well as another. The sailors
murmured, but durst not resist, and received all our family, which
consisted of nine persons, viz. four children, our step-mother, my
cousin, my sister Caroline, my father and myself. A small box filled
with valuable papers, which we wished to save, some clothes, two
bottles of ratafia, which we had endeavored to preserve amidst our
misfortunes, were seized and thrown overboard by the sailors of the
yawl, who told us we would find in the pinnace everything 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
laboring for a long while. Our trunks, our linen and various chests of
merchandize of great value, in a word, everything 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 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. M