That night was one of great suffering among many of the
crew. Some tried to keep up their own spirits and those of their
messmates by singing and cutting jokes and telling stories. Still it
would not do. They soon broke down. The surgeons kept going about,
administering stimulants to those who appeared sinking, but their store
of medicine was soon exhausted, and they could do no more. Day came
again, but no relief was brought us. I with others climbed aloft. Not
a sail was in sight. In vain--in vain we scanned the horizon, the calm
continued, and the ships floated idly on the smooth, sullen, treacherous
water. Yet who that could by any possibility have seen those two fine,
well-appointed men-of-war would have supposed that so much suffering,
alarm, and dread existed on board them! Death had not yet visited us,
but we could not tell when he would commence his work of destruction.
Any moment he might begin to strike, and we knew that he would not cease
till he had made an end of all. The men were piped to divisions, but
scarcely an attempt was made to find employment for them. They lay
listlessly along the decks, some could scarcely walk. The voices of the
officers, as they issued their orders, sounded hollow and strange. I
felt sure that many would not last out another day. The hours still
drew slowly on, without bringing us any relief. Captain Packenham had
retired to his cabin to conceal the pain he was suffering. The first
lieutenant and I still kept the deck, but I began to feel that I must
soon go below, or I should fall where I stood. The greater part of the
crew were completely prostrate. Some few of the stronger men continued
every now and then to go aloft to take a look-out round the horizon, to
learn if any sail were in sight. I turned to my brother-officer--

"What think you, Staunton, of our prospects?" said I.

"The Jamaica fleet ought to be here by this time," he answered.

"But if they have been delayed, or have already passed or steered
another course, what are we to do?" I urged.

"Starve to death," he answered, in a hollow voice. "A day--a few
hours--will settle the point."

We neither of us spoke again for long after that. The ship's head kept
going round and round the compass. Some of the people were too weak
even to endeavour to crawl into the shade. We supported ourselves as
long as we could against the bulwarks, but at length had to sit down on
a gun-carriage, our kne