waves, till not one
remained; the other boats also had disappeared, and we were left alone
on the waste of waters. The instant the brig went down a cry arose from
some in our boat, so piercing, so full of despair, that I thought that
some relations or dear friends of one of those who had escaped had been
lost in her; but on looking again I discovered that it had proceeded
from the two brothers I have spoken of. They had lost what they had set
their hearts on--what they valued more than relations and friends--their
long-hoarded wealth. There they sat, the picture of blank despair. I
knew that it would never do to let the people's minds rest on what had
occurred, so I cheered them up as best I could, and told them that I
thought we should very likely be able to reach some port or other in
four or five days. On examining our stores, I found that with economy
they might hold out for nearly two weeks, and before that time I hoped
we might reach some civilised place. I was more concerned with the
state of our boat. She was originally not a strong one, and, what with
the injury she received when launched from the sinking ship, and the
battering she had since got, she had become very leaky. The crew,
severely taxed as their strength had been, behaved very well, but two of
our passengers gave signs of becoming very troublesome. I did not
suspect at the time that their minds were going. At first they were
very much cast down, but then one of them roused up and began to talk
very wildly, and at last the other took up the same strain, and off they
went together. They insisted on taking command, and having twice as
much food served out to them as others got. At one time they wanted the
boat to be steered to the northward, declaring that we should have no
difficulty in reaching England. I had to hide the compass from them,
and at last they were pacified under the belief that we were going
there. Each morning when they woke up they asked how much nearer they
were to our native land. There were three other passengers--an old man,
a lad, and an invalid gentleman. Consumption had already brought him
near the grave, still he lasted longer than the other two. The young
boy died first; fear had told on his strength; then the old man died. I
could not tell exactly where we were. We were always on the lookout for
land, or a sail to pick us up. One morning at daybreak the man who had
taken my place at the helm roused us up w