d I
and all on board would be carried down to the bottom of the sea. Still
I endeavoured to escape from the water, which in large masses came
rushing against me, though my efforts would have been utterly useless
had what I had supposed occurred. I made frantic efforts to escape out
of the way of the torrent, and endeavoured to reach the only opening I
was aware of by which I might escape if I could find egress to the upper
deck. In my hurry, not using the caution I had generally exercised, I
ran my head against a cask with so much force that I fell back senseless
on the kelson. There I lay unable to rise, and believing that the water
would soon cover me up and terminate my sufferings.

I was not altogether senseless; I should have been saved much
wretchedness and suffering had I been so. I continued to feel the
violent motion of the ship; to hear the uproar, the crashing of the
cargo, the casks and chests being hurled against each other. I expected
that the bulkhead near me, which had hitherto served as my protection,
would give way, and that some of the huge cases would be hurled down
upon me; but I had no strength to shriek out, and lay silent and
motionless. Suddenly the rush of water ceased, and I heard only a
little washing about beneath me. This surprised me greatly. I began to
recollect that it must have been impossible that the side of the ship
should have been smashed in, or the water would have continued entering
with as much force as at first. This idea made me fancy that matters
might not be so bad as I had at first supposed. By slow degrees I
recovered my courage. "The ship is not going to sink, I may yet
survive," I thought, and I got up to try and ascertain the cause of the
rush of water. I was not long in doing this. In groping my way about I
came upon one of the huge butts, which, from the large fracture I felt
in its side, had evidently burst and let out the whole of its contents.

It was fortunately not the water-cask from which I drew my supplies of
the necessary element, but I guessed that it would prove ultimately of
serious consequence to the crew, who would probably be depending on it
when their stock in the other part of the ship had been exhausted.
Still that at the time did not give me much concern. I was wet through,
bruised, and exceedingly uncomfortable. I feared, too, that as one butt
had given way, the others might before long follow its example, and that
I should then ha