I felt it all over. Yes, I was
certain of it. It must be one of the ship's water-casks stowed in the
lower tier.

I thought I might possibly find some outlet through which I might make
my way into the upper part of the ship, but none could I discover. I
was, in reality, right down on the kelson, though I didn't know what it
was called at the time. It is just above the keel, the object of it
being to strengthen the vessel lengthways, and to confine the floors in
their proper position. It is placed above the cross-pieces and
half-floors, and a bolt is driven right through all into the main keel.
The half-floors, it must be understood, are not united in the centre,
but longitudinally on either side.

Of course I was not aware of this at the time. All that I knew was,
that I was down in the bottom of the ship in a horrible dark confined
space, where I should be starved to death or suffocated could I not find
some way out. Again and again I made the attempt, but in every
direction met with obstructions. Stretching out my arms, I found I
could touch each side of my prison.

Resolute as I had hitherto been, I at length gave way to despair, and
shrieked and shouted for help. I bawled till my voice was hoarse and my
strength exhausted; then I sat down in a state of apathy, resigned to my
fate. But the love of life soon returned. I got up and crawled to the
further end of my prison-house, where I met with some stout boarding
which effectually prevented my further progress. After this I turned
round and crawled to the other end along the kelson, but was stopped by
a strong bulkhead.

Once more I stopped to listen, half expecting to hear the sailors making
their way down to the hold to ascertain whence my shouts and cries
proceeded, but no sound except the creaking of the bulkheads reached my
ears. "I won't give in yet," I said to myself; "perhaps the crew are on
deck or in the fore part of the ship, and the officers in their cabins,
and my voice could not reach them; but somebody must, before long, be
coming into the hold, and then, if I shout at the top of my voice, I
cannot fail to be heard."

The question, however, was, when would any one come down? I had no
means of ascertaining, though the steward must be getting up provisions,
or the boatswain or carpenter stores from their store-room, and yet no
sound might reach me, or perhaps my voice might not penetrate as far as
where they were at work. Still, the