l energy began to yield before its influence--and the
confused perception which he no doubt then had of his perilous situation
had assisted in hastening the catastrophe. He was now thoroughly
insensible, and there was no probability that he would be otherwise for
many hours.

It is hardly possible to conceive the extremity of my terror. The fumes
of the wine lately taken had evaporated, leaving me doubly timid and
irresolute. I knew that I was altogether incapable of managing the
boat, and that a fierce wind and strong ebb tide were hurrying us to
destruction. A storm was evidently gathering behind us; we had neither
compass nor provisions; and it was clear that, if we held our present
course, we should be out of sight of land before daybreak. These
thoughts, with a crowd of others equally fearful, flashed through my
mind with a bewildering rapidity, and for some moments paralyzed me
beyond the possibility of making any exertion. The boat was going
through the water at a terrible rate--full before the wind--no reef in
either jib or mainsail--running her bows completely under the foam. It
was a thousand wonders she did not broach to--Augustus having let go
the tiller, as I said before, and I being too much agitated to think of
taking it myself. By good luck, however, she kept steady, and gradually
I recovered some degree of presence of mind. Still the wind was
increasing fearfully, and whenever we rose from a plunge forward, the
sea behind fell combing over our counter, and deluged us with water. I
was so utterly benumbed, too, in every limb, as to be nearly unconscious
of sensation. At length I summoned up the resolution of despair,
and rushing to the mainsail let it go by the run. As might have been
expected, it flew over the bows, and, getting drenched with water,
carried away the mast short off by the board. This latter accident alone
saved me from instant destruction. Under the jib only, I now boomed
along before the wind, shipping heavy seas occasionally over the
counter, but relieved from the terror of immediate death. I took the
helm, and breathed with greater freedom as I found that there yet
remained to us a chance of ultimate escape. Augustus still lay senseless
in the bottom of the boat; and as there was imminent danger of his
drowning (the water being nearly a foot deep just where he fell), I
contrived to raise him partially up, and keep him in a sitting position,
by passing a rope round his waist, and lashi