n assumed. She often asked me
questions about her childhood, but I invariably led her off the subject,
so that of that she knew nothing. Tell her that you saw her father die,
and that his last thoughts were of her."

I entreated the unfortunate man to keep up his spirits. I pointed out
that we were approaching the shore, and that before many hours had
passed we should probably land on it; when, although the Dutch were our
enemies, our forlorn condition would assuredly excite their compassion,
and induce them to afford us all the relief we could require. "Do not
trust too much to them," he answered slowly. "Besides, the natives on
this coast are savage fellows, who would scruple very little to put us
all to death, and as to getting on shore at all, you will not be there
for many hours, depend on that!"

He ceased; appearing very much exhausted from having spoken so long.
His sufferings, indeed, also, had become very intense, for the salt
water and the heat of the sun had greatly inflamed his legs, which had
been severely burnt. His voice, in a short time, almost failed, but his
lips continued to move, and I heard him murmuring, "Water! Water! Oh!
Give me but one drop to cool my tongue! Where am I? Is this hell begun
already? Water! Water! Will no one have compassion on a burning
wretch?"

Still, so strong was his constitution, that in spite of his sufferings
he lingered on. Another poor man, apparently not more hurt than he was,
in a short time sank under the injuries he had received. The man had
been sitting up trying to catch a breath of air, when suddenly he
uttered a low groan, and fell back on the platform.

"The poor fellow is dead, I am afraid," said Esse, taking up his hand,
which fell helpless to the position from which it had been raised. "Can
we do anything to restore him?"

"There is no use," said Pember, putting his hand on the man's mouth, "he
will never speak again. The sooner we heave him overboard the better."

He was the first of our number we had to launch into the deep. The body
floated astern for some time, and we could scarcely help casting uneasy
glances at it. "Oh! Look! Look! He was alive after all!" exclaimed
Esse. We turned round. The body seemed to rise half out of the water,
the arms waving wildly. Then down it sank and disappeared from view.
We also expected to hear a shriek proceed from it. "Oh, Pember!" I
exclaimed, "why did you let us throw him overboard?