to be solved, in itself.

I always carried to sea with me a handsome chest, that I had bought in one
of my earlier voyages, and which usually contained my money, clothes and
other valuables. This chest I managed to get on deck, by the aid of a
purchase, and over the ship's side, on the raft. It was much the most
troublesome task I had undertaken. To this I added my writing-desk, a
mattress, two or three counterpanes, and a few other light articles, which
it struck me might be of use--but, which I could cast into the sea at any
moment, should it become necessary. When all this was done, I conceived
that my useful preparations were closed.

It was near night, and I felt sufficiently fatigued to lie down and sleep.
The water had gained very slowly during the last few hours, but the ship
was now swimming so low, that I thought it unsafe to remain in the vessel,
while asleep. I determined, therefore, to take my leave of her, and go on
the raft for that purpose. It struck me too, it might be unsafe to be too
near the vessel when she went down, and I had barely time to get the spars
a short distance from the ship, before darkness would come. Still, I was
unwilling to abandon the Dawn altogether, since the spars that stood on
board her, would always be a more available signal to any passing vessel,
than the low sail I could set on the raft. Should she float during the
succeeding day, they would increase the chances of a rescue, and they
offered an advantage not to be lightly thrown away.

To force the spars away from the ship was not an easy task of itself.
There is an attraction in matter, that is known to bring vessels nearer
together in calms, and I had this principle of nature first to overcome;
then to neutralize it, without the adequate means for doing either. Still
I was very strong, and possessed all the resources of a seaman. The raft,
too, now its length was reduced, was much more manageable than it had been
originally, and in rummaging about the twixt-decks, I had found a set of
oars belonging to the launch, which had been stowed in the steerage, and
which of course were preserved. These I had taken to the raft, to
strengthen my staging, or deck, and two of them had been reserved for the
very purpose to which they were now applied.

Cutting away the kedge, then, and casting off the other ropes I had used
with which to breast-to the raft, I began to shove off, just as the sun
was dipping. So long as I could pull by