e.

We had till now fancied that we had an abundance of food, but some had
been washed overboard and some had been completely spoilt, so we found
to our dismay that we had a very small quantity remaining. Horner now
began to complain bitterly of hunger and thirst, declaring that if he
didn't get some food he must die.

Jim and I endeavoured to cheer him up. It was not a matter to joke
about; indeed I was myself feeling the pangs of hunger and getting
weaker and less able to work, though I did my best. Jim kept up better
than I did. We had not much time to be thinking, however, for we were
compelled to be constantly baling the greater part of the day.

Towards evening the sun broke through the western clouds, sending his
rays athwart the troubled ocean, and tinging the seas with a ruddy hue,
while his heat dried our wet clothes.

Soon afterwards the wind began to drop, but the seas still ran so high
that the mate thought it prudent to hang on some time longer to our
raft. However, they no longer broke on board as they had been doing,
and we had better hopes than on the previous night that we should see
another sun rise. We had been awake so long that none of us were able
to keep our eyes open, and I suspect that at times every person in the
boat was fast asleep. I know for my part that I must have dozed through
the greater part of the night, for I was awakened by hearing the mate's
voice saying--

"Now, lads, we will get the raft on board and make sail."

I jumped up to lend a hand. We got the oars out and put the boat before
the seas while we set up the mast and hoisted the sail.

The wind was still in the same quarter, blowing directly from where we
supposed Guam to be, and as there were no hopes of making it the mate
determined to run for some island to the southward, where, though it
might be uninhabited, we should probably find cocoanuts and water, and
might catch some fish.

As none of the islands are very close together we ran a great risk of
passing between them without seeing land, but then again he argued that
we might be days or weeks beating up to Guam, and as he could not tell
its exact position, we might even pass it after all, while by keeping to
the south we might have a better prospect of having fine weather, and
finding food on any shore at which we might touch. On the other hand
again there was the risk of falling among savages, for the natives of
these latitudes were known to be fier