[page 93, continued:] |
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 WE spent the
remainder of the
day in a condition of stupid lethargy, gazing after the retreating
vessel
until the darkness, hiding her from our sight, recalled us in some
measure
to our senses. The pangs of hunger and thirst then returned, absorbing
all other cares and considerations. Nothing, however, could be done
until
the morning, and, securing ourselves as well as possible, [page 94:]
we
endeavored
to snatch a little repose. In this I succeeded beyond my expectation,
sleeping
until my companions, who had not been so fortunate, aroused me at
daybreak
to renew our attempts at getting up provision from the hull. It was now a dead calm, with the sea
as smooth as
I have ever known it — the weather warm and pleasant. The brig was out
of sight. We commenced our operations by
wrenching off, with some trouble, another of the forechains; and having
fastened both to Peters' feet, he again made an endeavor to reach the
door of the storeroom, thinking it possible that he might be able to
force
it open, provided he could get at it in sufficient time; and this he
hoped
to do, as the hulk lay much more steadily than before. He succeeded very quickly in reaching
the door, when,
loosening one of the chains from his ankle, be made every exertion to
force
a passage with it, but in vain, the framework of the room being far
stronger
than was anticipated. He was quite exhausted with his long stay under
water,
and it became absolutely necessary that some other one of us should
take
his place. For this service Parker immediately volunteered; but, after
making three ineffectual efforts, found that he could never even
succeed
in getting near the door. The condition of Augustus's wounded arm
rendered
it useless for him to attempt going down, as he would be unable to
force
the room open should he reach it, and it accordingly now devolved upon
me to exert myself for our common deliverance. Peters had left one of the chains in
the passage,
and I found, upon plunging in, that I had not sufficient ballast to
keep
me firmly down. I determined, therefore, to attempt no more, in my
first
effort, than merely to recover the other chain. In groping along the
floor
of the passage for this I felt a hard substance, which I immediately
grasped,
not having time to ascertain what it was, but returning and ascending
instantly
to the surface. The prize proved to be a bottle, and our joy may be
conceived
when I say that it was found to be full of Port wine. Giving thanks to
God for this timely and cheering assistance, we immediately drew the
cork
with my penknife, and, each taking a moderate sup, felt the most
indescribable
comfort from the warmth, strength, [page 95:] and spirits with
which it inspired
us.
We then carefully recorked the bottle, and, by means of a handkerchief,
swung it in such a manner that there was no possibility of its getting
broken.Having rested a while after this
fortunate discovery,
I again descended, and now recovered the chain, with which I instantly
came up. I then fastened it on and went down for the third time, when I
became fully satisfied that no exertions whatever, in that situation,
would
enable me to force open the door of the storeroom. I therefore returned
in despair. There seemed now to be no longer any
room for hope,
and I could perceive in the countenances of my companions that they had
made up their minds to perish. The wine had evidently produced in them
a species of delirium, which, perhaps, I had been prevented from
feeling
by the immersion I had undergone since drinking it. They talked
incoherently,
and about matters unconnected with our condition, Peters repeatedly
asking
me questions about Nantucket. Augustus, too, I remember, approached me
with a serious air, and requested me to lend him a pocket-comb, as his
hair was full of fish-scales, and he wished to get them out before
going
on shore. Parker appeared somewhat less affected, and urged me to dive
at random into the cabin, and bring up any article which might come to
hand. To this I consented, and, in the first attempt, after staying
under
a full minute, brought up a small leather trunk belonging to Captain
Barnard.
This was immediately opened in the faint hope that it might contain
something
to eat or drink. We found nothing, however, except a box of razors and
two linen shirts. I now went down again, and returned without any
success.
As my head came above water I heard a crash on deck, and, upon getting
up, saw that my companions had ungratefully taken advantage of my
absence
to drink the remainder of the wine, having let the bottle fall in the
endeavor
to replace it before I saw them. I remonstrated with them on the
heartlessness
of their conduct, when Augustus burst into tears. The other two
endeavored
to laugh the matter off as a joke, but I hope never again to behold
laughter
of such a species: the distortion of countenance was absolutely
frightful.
Indeed, it was apparent that the stimulus, in the [page 96:]
empty state of their
stomachs, had taken instant and violent
effect, and that they were all exceedingly intoxicated. With great
difficulty
I prevailed upon them to lie down, when they fell very soon into a
heavy
slumber, accompanied with loud stertorous breathing. I now found myself, as it were, alone
in the brig,
and my reflections, to be sure, were of the most fearful and gloomy
nature.
No prospect offered itself to my view but a lingering death by famine,
or, at the best, by being overwhelmed in the first gale which should
spring
up, for in our present exhausted condition we could have no hope of
living
through another. The gnawing hunger which I now
experienced was nearly
insupportable, and I felt myself capable of going to any lengths in
order
to appease it. With my knife I cut off a small portion of the leather
trunk,
and endeavored to eat it, but found it utterly impossible to swallow a
single morsel, although I fancied that some little alleviation of my
suffering
was obtained by chewing small pieces of it and spitting them out.
Towards
night my companions awoke, one by one, each in an indescribable state
of
weakness and horror, brought on by the wine, whose fumes had now
evaporated.
They shook as if with a violent ague, and uttered the most lamentable
cries
for water. Their condition affected me in the most lively degree, at
the
same time causing me to rejoice in the fortunate train of circumstances
which had prevented me from indulging in the wine, and consequently
from
sharing their melancholy and most distressing sensations. Their
conduct,
however, gave me great uneasiness and alarm; for it was evident that,
unless
some favorable change took place, they could afford me no assistance
in
providing for our common safety. I had not yet abandoned all idea being
able to get up something from below; but the attempt could not possibly
be resumed until some one of them was sufficiently master of himself to
aid me by holding the end of the rope while I went down. Parker
appeared
to be somewhat more in possession of his senses than the others, and I
endeavored, by every means in my power, to arouse him. Thinking that a
plunge in the seawater might have a
beneficial
effect, I contrived to fasten the end of a rope around his body, and
then,
leading him to the companion-way [page 97:] (he remaining quite
passive all the
while),
pushed him in, and immediately drew him out. I had good reason to
congratulate
myself upon having made this experiment; for he appeared much revived
and
invigorated, and, upon getting out, asked me, in a rational manner, why
I had so served him. Having explained my object, he expressed himself
indebted
to me, and said that he felt greatly better from the immersion,
afterward
conversing sensibly upon our situation. We then resolved to treat
Augustus
and Peters in the same way, which we immediately did, when they both
experienced
much benefit from the shock. This idea of sudden immersion had been
suggested
to me by reading in some medical work the good effect of the
shower-bath
in a case where the patient was suffering from mania a potu. Finding that I could now trust my
companions to hold
the end of the rope, I again made three or four plunges into the cabin,
although it was now quite dark, and a gentle but long swell from the
northward
rendered the hulk somewhat unsteady. In the course of these attempts I
succeeded in bringing up two case-knives, a three-gallon jug, empty,
and
a blanket, but nothing which could serve us for food. I continued my
efforts,
after getting these articles, until I was completely exhausted, but
brought
up nothing else. During the night Parker and Peters occupied themselves
by turns in the same manner; but nothing coming to hand, we now gave up
this attempt in despair, concluding that we were exhausting ourselves
in
vain. We passed the remainder of this night
in a state
of the most intense mental and bodily anguish that can possibly be
imagined.
The morning of the sixteenth at length dawned, and we looked eagerly
around
the horizon for relief, but to no purpose. The sea was still smooth,
with
only a long swell from the northward, as on yesterday. This was the
sixth
day since we had tasted either food or drink, with the exception of the
bottle of Port wine, and it was clear
that
we could hold out but a very little while longer unless something could
be obtained. I never saw before, nor wish to see again, human beings so
utterly emaciated as Peters and Augustus. Had I met them on shore in
their
present condition I should not have had the slightest suspicion that I
had ever beheld them. Their countenances were totally [page 98:]
changed in
character,
so that I could not bring myself to believe them really the same
individuals
with whom I had been in company but a few days before. Parker, although
sadly reduced, and so feeble that he could not raise his head from his
bosom, was not so far gone as the other two. He suffered with great
patience,
making no complaint, and endeavoring to inspire us with hope in every
manner he could devise. For myself, although at the commencement of the
voyage I had been in bad health, and was at all times of a delicate
constitution,
I suffered less than any of us, being much less reduced in frame, and
retaining
my powers of mind in a surprising degree, while the rest were
completely
prostrated in intellect, and seemed to be brought to a species of
second
childhood, generally simpering in their expressions, with idiotic
smiles,
and uttering the most absurd platitudes. At intervals, however, they
would
appear to revive suddenly, as if inspired all at once with a
consciousness
of their condition, when they would spring upon their feet in a
momentary
flash of vigor, and speak, for a short period, of their prospects, in
a manner altogether rational, although full of the most intense
despair.
It is possible, however, that my companions may have entertained the
same
opinion of their own condition as I did of mine, and that I may have
unwittingly
been guilty of the same extravagances and imbecilities as themselves —
this is a matter which cannot be determined. About noon Parker declared that he
saw land off the
larboard quarter, and it was with the utmost difficulty I could
restrain
him from plunging into the sea with the view of swimming towards it.
Peters
and Augustus took little notice of what he said, being apparently
wrapped
up in moody contemplation. Upon looking in
the direction pointed out, I could not perceive the faintest appearance
of the shore — indeed, I was too well aware that we were far from any
land
to indulge in a hope of that nature. It was a long time, nevertheless,
before I could convince Parker of his mistake. He then burst into a
flood
of tears, weeping like a child, with loud cries and sobs, for two or
three
hours, when, becoming exhausted, he fell asleep. Peters and Augustus now made several
ineffectual
efforts to swallow portions of the leather. I advised them to chew it
and [page 99:]
spit it out; but they were too excessively debilitated to be able to
follow
my advice. I continued to chew pieces of it at intervals, and found
some
relief from so doing; my chief distress was for water, and I was only
prevented
from taking a draught from the sea by remembering the horrible
consequences
which thus have resulted to others who were similarly situated with
ourselves. The day wore on in this manner, when
I suddenly discovered
a sail to the eastward, and on our larboard bow. She appeared to be a
large
ship, and was coming nearly athwart us, being probably twelve or
fifteen
miles distant. None of my companions had as yet discovered her, and I
forbore
to tell them of her for the present, lest we might again be
disappointed
of relief. At length, upon her getting nearer, I saw distinctly that
she
was heading immediately for us, with her light sails filled. I could
now
contain myself no longer, and pointed her out to my fellow-sufferers.
They
immediately sprang to their feet, again indulging in the most
extravagant
demonstrations of joy, weeping, laughing in an idiotic manner, jumping,
stamping upon the deck, tearing their hair, and praying and cursing by
turns. I was so affected by their conduct, as well as by what I
considered
a sure prospect of deliverance, that I could not refrain from joining
in
with their madness, and gave way to the impulses of my gratitude and
ecstasy
by lying and rolling on the deck, clapping my hands, shouting, and
other
similar acts, until I was suddenly called to my recollection, and once
more to the extreme of human misery
and
despair, by perceiving the ship all at once with her stern fully
presented
towards us, and steering in a direction nearly opposite to that in
which
I had at first perceived her. It was some time before I could
induce my poor companions
to believe that this sad reverse in our prospects had actually taken
place.
They replied to all my assertions with a stare and a gesture implying
that
they were not to be deceived by such misrepresentations. The conduct of
Augustus most sensibly affected me. In spite of all I could say or do
to
the contrary, he persisted in saying that the ship was rapidly nearing
us, and in making preparations to go on board of her. Some seaweed
floating
by the brig, he maintained that it was the ship's boat, and endeavored
to throw himself upon it, howling and shrieking [page 100:] in
the most
heartrending
manner,
when I forcibly restrained him from thus casting himself into the sea. Having become in some degree
pacified, we continued
to watch the ship until we finally lost sight of her, the weather
becoming
hazy, with a light breeze springing up. As soon as she was entirely
gone,
Parker turned suddenly towards me with an expression of countenance
which
made me shudder. There was about him an air of self-possession which I
had not noticed in him until now, and before he opened his lips my
heart
told me what he would say. He proposed, in a few words, that one of us
should die to preserve the existence of the others. |
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