the
places, they had first taken, without the energy to stir out of them.
Others were of lighter heart, or, under the influence of the rum which
they drank freely, were more noisy. Now and then there was wrangling
among them.

The sea was frequently scanned, round and round, to the very borders of
the sky.

This duty was neither forgotten nor overlooked. There was always some
one rising to his feet and gazing outward, but only to return to his
former position, with that disheartening look that proclaimed how vain
his reconnoissance had been. Indeed, silence itself was a sufficient
reply. No one would have discovered a sail, without making instant
announcement of it.

At noon we were all suffering from thirst; they who had been regaling
themselves with rum worse than any--for this is the sure result.

Water was served out from the cask--in equal quantity to each. It was
agreed that all should share alike, both of the water and the bread--and
of the former it was resolved that each should receive a pint a day. In
any other situation the allowance might have been sufficient, and
existence might be supported upon it; but under that broiling sun, that
seemed to dry up the very blood in our veins, our thirst became almost
insupportable, and the pint of water could be gulped down without
affording the slightest relief. I am certain that half a gallon would
scarce have sufficed to quench my thirst. What rendered the pint of
water still more insufficient was, that it was no longer cool water.
The sun, basking down upon the cask that lay only half covered, had
heated the staves--and, consequently, the water within--to such a
degree, that the latter tasted as if half-way towards boiling. It may
have checked the progress of thirst, but it did not alleviate the pain.

The water might have been kept cooler, by throwing the idle sail over
the cask; but even this trifling precaution was not adopted.

The men were gradually giving away to despair--the torpor of despondency
was fast laying hold upon them, and under this influence no one seemed
to possess energy enough for any precaution--however easy it might have
been.

As to the serving out of the food, that occupied only one act. To be
put upon daily allowance out of such a store was altogether out of the
question. A simple partition was all that was required, and the bag of
biscuit was emptied out and its contents equally divided around. There
proved to be two b