to feel the need of sleep; I therefore took a final
look round, satisfied myself that all was right and that nothing was in
sight, and then, heartily commending myself to the care of my Maker, I
stretched myself out on the bottom-boards, and was almost instantly
asleep.

To say that I slept soundly that night would scarcely be speaking the
truth; for, although I had pretty well satisfied myself before I lay
down, that the weather was improving and that therefore I had little or
no cause for immediate apprehension, a sailor quickly acquires the trick
of maintaining a certain alertness, even in the midst of his slumbers,
since he knows that the weather is his most formidable and treacherous
enemy, against which he has always to be on his guard; and this faculty
of alertness is of course especially active when, as in my own case, he
has only himself to depend upon. Consequently I never completely lost
consciousness throughout that night, the rush of the wind, the hiss of
the sea, the occasional sprinkling of spray were all mechanically noted,
and whenever the heel of the boat appreciably exceeded its normal angle
I at once became momentarily awake; yet, notwithstanding this, when on
the following morning--the first rays of the newly risen sun smote upon
my closed eyelids, informing me of the arrival of a new day, I at once
arose, refreshed and vigorous, and ready to face any emergency that the
day might bring.

My first act was to kneel down and return thanks for my preservation
through the night and seek the protection and guidance of God throughout
the day; after which I leaned over the boat's gunwale and freely laved
my head, face, and hands in the clear salt-water. Then I set about
preparing for myself the most appetising breakfast that my resources
would permit; and while I was doing this and discussing the meal I
carefully reviewed the entire situation, with a view to my arrival at an
immediate decision as to my future proceedings.

The chart which I had with me showed the position of the _Dolphin_ at
the moment when my last observations were taken; and from this
information I was able to deduce the approximate position of the spot
where the vessel had foundered. This spot, I found, was, in round
figures, one thousand miles from Sierra Leone, and fourteen hundred
miles from the island of Barbadoes; but whereas Sierra Leone was almost
dead to windward, Barbadoes was as directly dead to leeward; and a
little cal