uld not resist its fury.

I could see nothing resembling a human being, though both myself and my
companion looked carefully round, in the hope of discovering some poor
creature that might need assistance. It appeared, however, as if the
people of the ship had taken to their boats, which had been swamped, and
most probably all who had ventured into them had been devoured by the
sharks.

Had the crew remained on board, they would in all probability have been
saved; as the vessel had been thrown almost high and dry.

As soon as we had satisfied ourselves that no sharks were in the
neighbourhood, I launched my little boat, and each taking an oar, we
pulled in the direction of the wreck, which we reached in a few minutes.

She had heeled over after striking, and the water was quite smooth under
her lee. I contrived to climb into the main chains, and from thence on
board, and was soon afterwards diligently exploring the ship. I
penetrated every place into which I could effect an entrance, marvelling
much at the variety of things. I beheld. There seemed such an
abundance of everything, and of things, too, quite new to me, that I was
bewildered by their novelty and variety.

Having discovered a coil of new rope, I hauled it on deck, and soon made
fast my little boat to the ship. Then I made a hasty rope ladder, which
I threw over, and Mrs Reichardt was in a very few minutes standing by
my side. Her knowledge was necessary to inform me of the uses of the
several strange things I saw, and to select for our own use what was
most desirable. She being well acquainted with the interior of a ship,
and having explained to me its numerous conveniences, I could not but
admire the ingenuity of man, in creating such stupendous machines.

The ship having much water in the hold, I was forced to dive into the
armoury. It was the first time I had seen such things, and I handled
the muskets and pistols with a vast deal of curiosity; as my companion
explained to me how they were loaded and fired, I at once saw their
advantage over the bow and arrow, and was selecting two or three to
carry away, when I hesitated on being assured they would be perfectly
useless without ammunition. I might have remained content with my own
savage weapons, that had already served me so well, had not Mrs
Reichardt, in the course of our survey, discovered several tin canisters
of powder perfectly uninjured, with abundance of shot and bullets, of
which