sank. Before the sun, glowing like a
red-hot ball, had sunk beneath the horizon, the priest and I were the
only ones in that company who could sit upright--the rest lay upon the
bottom of the boat heaped one on another like dying fish groaning in
their misery. Night fell at last and brought us some relief from our
sufferings, for the air grew cooler. But the rain we prayed for did
not fall, and so great was the heat that, when the sun rose again in a
cloudless sky, we knew, if no help reached us, that it must be the last
which we should see.

An hour after dawn another child died, and as we were in the act of
casting the body into the sea, I looked up and saw a vessel far away,
that seemed to be sailing in such fashion that she would pass within two
miles of where we were. Returning thanks to God for this most blessed
sight, we took to the oars, for the wind was now so light that our
clumsy sail would no longer draw us through the water, and rowed feebly
so as to cut the path of the ship. When we had laboured for more than an
hour the wind fell altogether and the vessel lay becalmed at a distance
of about three miles. So the priest and I rowed on till I thought that
we must die in the boat, for the heat of the sun was like that of a
flame and there came no wind to temper it; by now, too, our lips were
cracked with thirst. Still we struggled on till the shadow of the ship's
masts fell athwart us and we saw her sailors watching us from the deck.
Now we were alongside and they let down a ladder of rope, speaking to us
in Spanish.

How we reached the deck I cannot say, but I remember falling beneath
the shade of an awning and drinking cup after cup of the water that was
brought to me. At last even my thirst was satisfied, and for a while I
grew faint and dizzy, and had no stomach for the meat which was thrust
into my hand. Indeed, I think that I must have fainted, for when I came
to myself the sun was straight overhead, and it seemed to me that I had
dreamed I heard a familiar and hateful voice. At the time I was alone
beneath the awning, for the crew of the ship were gathered on the
foredeck clustering round what appeared to be the body of a man. By my
side was a large plate of victuals and a flask of spirits, and feeling
stronger I ate and drank of them heartily. I had scarcely finished my
meal when the men on the foredeck lifted the body of the man, which I
saw was black in colour, and cast it overboard. Then three of t