, searching in every direction
round the shore, but no sign of a stream emptying itself into the sea
could we discover, and when we dug we soon met the hard rock. Faint and
weary we turned to the camp. We found a fire blazing, and Jacotot with
several men standing round it: two were working a rough pair of bellows,
others hammers and tongs. All were employed under his directions, while
he was engaged in riveting a pipe into a large copper vessel.

"Why you trouble to look for water?" he asked. "There is salt water,
there is wood to make fire, then we have plenty of fresh water. We make
steam, steam come out and leave the salt in de kettle, and then find a
cold piece of iron and drop, drop, down into this tub all fresh and good
for drink." He told us that he had seen a French doctor obtain fresh
water from salt in that manner.

"Most men have their merits, if we could but discover them and put them
in their right places," I thought to myself. "We were inclined to laugh
at Jacotot, but if he can produce fresh water out of salt, he may be the
means of saving all our lives."

We watched him anxiously, all eager to help him, but he would not be
hurried. At length the machine was finished, and we hastened to fill it
with salt water. It was placed on the fire, and slowly the drops of
fresh water were distilled from it. How eagerly were they sought for by
the poor creatures who stood round with lack-lustre eyes and parched
lips. Jacotot insisted that the youngest should be served first. I
think he was influenced by the wish to get his boy Auguste an early
draught. That was but natural. Some of the crew grumbled, and so did
the captain and mate, who were, in consequence of their late debauch,
suffering fearfully from thirst; but O'Carroll, William, Trundle,
Kelson, and two or three of the passengers formed a body-guard round the
Frenchman, to enable him to do as he thought right. Only half a little
liqueur glass of the precious fluid was served out to each person. It
was pleasant to see the eyes of the poor children brighten as the pure
water touched their lips. The younger ones, however, directly their
allowance was gone, cried out for more. Several times we had to stop
till more water was distilled.

While we were thus engaged, the wind had again got up, and the sea,
dashing over the reef, began to burst with violence against the shore.
The effect produced on the wreck was soon apparent. The remaining upp