Mountains of water covered us at every instant, and burst with fury
into the midst of us. Very fortunately we had the wind from behind,
and the strongest of the sea was a little broken by the rapidity with
which we were driven before it. We were impelled towards the land. The
men, from the violence of the sea, were hurried from the back to the
front; we were obliged to keep to the centre, the firmest part of the
raft, and those who could not get there almost all perished. Before
and behind the waves dashed impetuously, and swept away the men in
spite of all their resistance. At the centre the pressure was such,
that some unfortunates were suffocated by the weight of their
comrades, who fell upon them at every instant. The officers kept by
the foot of the little mast, and were obliged every moment to call to
those around them to go to the one or the other side to avoid the
waves; for the sea coming nearly athwart us, gave our raft nearly a
perpendicular position, to counteract which, they were forced to throw
themselves upon the side raised by the sea.
The soldiers and sailors, frightened by the presence of almost
inevitable danger, doubted not that they had reached their last hour.
Firmly believing they were lost, they resolved to soothe their last
moments by drinking till they lost their senses. We had no power to
oppose this disorder. They seized a cask which was in the centre of
the raft, made a little hole in the end of it, and, with small tin
cups, took each a pretty large quantity; but they were obliged to
cease, for the sea water rushed into the hole they had made. The fumes
of the wine failed not to disorder their brains, already weakened by
the presence of danger and want of food. Thus excited, these men
became deaf to the voice of reason. They wished to involve, in one
common ruin, all their companions in misfortune. They avowedly
expressed their intention of freeing themselves from their officers,
who they said, wished to oppose their design; and then to destroy the
raft, by cutting the ropes which united its different parts.
Immediately after they resolved to put their plans into execution. One
of them advanced upon the side of the raft with a boarding axe, and
began to cut the cords. This was the signal of revolt. We stepped
forward to prevent these insane mortals, and he who was armed with the
hatchet, with which he even threatened an officer, fell the first
victim; a stroke of a sabre terminated his existence.
This man was an Asiatic, and a soldier in a colonial regiment. Of a
colossal stature, short hair, a nose extremely large, an enormous
mouth and dark complexion, he made a most hideous appearance. At first
he had placed himself in the middle of the raft, and, at each blow of
his fist, knocked down every one who opposed him; he inspired the
greatest terror, and none durst approach him. Had there been six such,
our destruction would have been certain.
Some men anxious to prolong their existence, armed and united
themselves with those who wished to preserve the raft; among this
number were some subaltern officers and many passengers. The rebels
drew their sabres, and those who had none armed themselves with
knives. They advanced in a determined manner upon us; we stood on our
defence; the attack commenced. Animated by despair, one of them aimed
a stroke at an officer; the rebel instantly fell, pierced with wounds.
This firmness awed them for an instant, but diminished nothing of
their rage. They ceased to advance, and withdrew, presenting to us a
front bristling with sabres and bayonets, to the back part of the raft
to execute their plan.--One of them feigned to rest himself on the
small railings on the sides of the raft, and with a knife began
cutting the cords. Being told by a servant, one of us sprung upon him.
A soldier, wishing to defend him, struck at the officer with his
knife, which only pierced his coat; the officer wheeled round, seized
his adversary, and threw both him and his comrade into the sea.
There had been as yet but partial affairs; the combat became general.
Some one cried to lower the sail; a crowd of infuriated mortals threw
themselves in an instant upon the haulyards and the shrouds, and cut
them. The fall of the mast almost broke the thigh of a captain of
infantry, who fell insensible. He was seized by the soldiers, who
threw him into the sea. We saved him, and placed him on a barrel,
whence he was taken by the rebels, who wished to put out his eyes with
a penknife. Exasperated by so much brutality, we no longer restrained
ourselves, but pushed in upon them, and charged them with fury. Sword
in hand we traversed the line which the soldiers had formed, and many
paid with their lives the errors of their revolt. Various passengers,
during these cruel moments, evinced the greatest courage and coolness.
M. Correard fell into a sort of swoon; but hearing at every instant
the cries, To Arms! with us comrades; we are lost! joined with the
groans and imprecations of the wounded and dying, was soon roused from
his lethargy. All this horrible tumult speedily made him comprehend
how necessary it was to be upon his guard. Armed with his sabre, he
gathered together some of his workmen on the front of the raft, and
there charged them to hurt no one, unless they were attacked. He
almost always remained with them; and several times they had to defend
themselves against the rebels, who, swimming round to that point of
the raft, placed M. Correard and his little troop between two dangers,
and made their position very difficult to defend. At every instant he
was opposed to men armed with knives, sabres and bayonets. Many had
carabines which they wielded as clubs. Every effort was made to stop
them, by holding them off at the point of their swords; but, in spite
of the repugnance they experienced in fighting with their wretched
countrymen, they were compelled to use their arms without mercy. Many
of the mutineers attacked with fury, and they were obliged to repel
them in the same manner. Some of the laborers received severe wounds
in this action. Their commander could show a great number received in
the different engagements. At last their united efforts prevailed in
dispersing this mass who had attacked them with such fury.
During this combat, M. Correard was told by one of his workmen who
remained faithful, that one of their comrades, named Dominique, had
gone over to the rebels, and that they had seized and thrown him into
the sea. Immediately forgetting the fault and treason of this man, he
threw himself in at the place whence the voice of the wretch was heard
calling for assistance, seized him by the hair, and had the good
fortune to restore him on board. Dominique had got several sabre
wounds in a charge, one of which had laid open his head. In spite of
the darkness we found out the wound, which seemed very large.
One of the workmen gave his handkerchief to bind and stop the blood.
Our care recovered the wretch; but, when he had collected strength,
the ungrateful Dominique, forgetting at once his duty and the signal
service which we had rendered him, went and rejoined the rebels. So
much baseness and insanity did not go unrevenged; and soon after he
found, in a fresh assault, that death from which he was not worthy to
be saved, but which he might in all probability have avoided, if, true
to honor and gratitude, he had remained among us.
Just at the moment we finished dressing the wounds of Dominique,
another voice was heard. It was that of the unfortunate female who was
with us on the raft, and whom the infuriated beings had thrown into
the sea, as well as her husband, who had defended her with courage.
M. Correard in despair at seeing two unfortunates perish, whose
pitiful cries, especially the woman's pierced his heart, seized a
large rope which he found on the front of the raft, which he fastened
round his middle, and throwing himself a second time into the sea, was
again so fortunate as to save the woman, who invoked, with all her
might, the assistance of our Lady of Land. Her husband was rescued at
the same time by the head workman, Lavilette. We laid these
unfortunates upon the dead bodies, supporting their backs with a
barrel. In a short while they recovered their senses. The first thing
the woman did was to acquaint herself with the name of the person who
saved her, and to express to him her liveliest gratitude.--Finding,
doubtless, that her words but ill expressed her feelings, she
recollected she had in her pocket a little snuff, and instantly
offered it to him,--it was all she possessed. Touched with the gift,
but unable to use it, M. Correard gave it to a poor sailor, which
served him for three or four days. But it is impossible for us to
describe a still more affecting scene, the joy this unfortunate couple
testified, when they had sufficiently recovered their senses, at
finding that they were both saved.
The rebels being repulsed, as it has been stated above, left us a
little repose. The moon lighted with her melancholy rays this
disastrous raft, this narrow space, on which were found united so many
torturing anxieties, so many cruel misfortunes, a madness so
insensate, a courage so heroic, and the most generous, the most
amiable sentiments of nature and humanity.
The man and wife, who had been but a little before stabbed with swords
and bayonets, and thrown both together into a stormy sea, could
scarcely credit their senses when they found themselves in one
another's arms. The woman was a native of the Upper Alps, which place
she had left twenty-four years before, and during which time she had
followed the French armies in the campaigns in Italy, and other
places, as a sutler. 'Therefore preserve my life,' said she to
M. Correard, 'you see I am an useful woman. Ah! if you knew how often
I have ventured upon the field of battle, and braved death to carry
assistance to our gallant men. Whether they had money or not I always
let them have my goods. Sometimes a battle would deprive me of my poor
debtors; but after the victory, others would pay me double or triple
for what they had consumed before the engagement. Thus I came in for a
share of their victories.' Unfortunate woman! she little knew what a
horrible fate awaited her among us! They felt, they expressed so
vividly that happiness which they alas so shortly enjoyed, that would
have drawn tears from the most obdurate heart. But in that horrible
moment, when we scarcely breathed from the most furious attack,--when
we were obliged to be continually on our guard, not only against the
violence of the men, but a most boisterous sea, few among us had time
to attend to scenes of conjugal affection.
After this second check, the rage of the soldiers was suddenly
appeased, and gave place to the most abject cowardice. Several threw
themselves at our feet, and implored our pardon, which was instantly
granted. Thinking that order was re-established, we returned to our
station on the centre of the raft, only taking the precaution of
keeping our arms. We, however, had soon to prove the impossibility of
counting on the permanence of any honest sentiment in the hearts of
these beings.
It was nearly midnight; and after an hour of apparent tranquility, the
soldiers rose afresh. Their mind was entirely gone; they ran upon us
in despair with knives and sabres in their hands. As they yet had all
their physical strength, and besides were armed, we were obliged again
to stand on our defence. Their revolt became still more dangerous, as,
in their delirium, they were entirely deaf to the voice of reason.
They attacked us, we charged them in our turn, and immediately the
raft was strewed with their dead bodies. Those of our adversaries who
had no weapons endeavored to tear us with their sharp teeth. Many of
us were cruelly bitten.--M. Savigny was torn on the legs and the
shoulder; he also received a wound on the right arm which deprived him
of the use of his fourth and little finger for a long while. Many
others were wounded; and many cuts were found in our clothes from
knives and sabres.
One of our workmen was also seized by four of the rebels, who wished
to throw him into the sea. One of them had laid hold of his right leg,
and had bit most unmercifully the tendon above the heel; others were
striking him with great slashes of their sabres, and with the butt end
of their guns, when his cries made us hasten to his assistance. In
this affair, the brave Lavilette, ex-serjeant of the foot artillery of
the Old Guard, behaved with a courage worthy of the greatest praise.
He rushed upon the infuriated beings in the manner of M. Correard, and
soon snatched the workman from the danger which menaced him. Some
short while after, in a fresh attack of the rebels, sub-lieutenant
Lozach fell into their hands. In their delirium, they had taken him
for Lieutenant Danglas, of whom we have formerly spoken, and who had
abandoned the raft at the moment when we were quitting the frigate.
The troop, to a man, eagerly sought this officer, who had seen little
service, and whom they reproached for having used them ill during the
time they garrisoned the Isle of Rhe. We believed this officer lost,
but hearing his voice, we soon found it still possible to save him.
Immediately MM. Clairet, Savigny, L'Heureux, Lavilette, Coudin,
Correard, and some workmen, formed themselves into small platoons, and
rushed upon the insurgents with great impetuosity, overturning every
one in their way, and retook M. Lozach, and placed him on the centre
of the raft.
The preservation of this officer cost us infinite difficulty. Every
moment the soldiers demanded he should be delivered to them,
designating him always by the name of Danglas. We endeavored to make
them comprehend their mistake, and told them that they themselves had
seen the person for whom they sought return on board the frigate. They
were insensible to everything we said; everything before them was
Danglas; they saw him perpetually, and furiously and unceasingly
demanded his head. It was only by force of arms we succeeded in
repressing their rage, and quieting their dreadful cries of death.
Horrible night! thou shrouded with thy gloomy veil these frightful
combats, over which presided the cruel demon of despair.
We had also to tremble for the life of M. Coudin. Wounded and fatigued
by the attacks which he had sustained with us, and in which he had
shown a courage superior to everything, he was resting himself on a
barrel, holding in his arms a young sailor boy of twelve years of age,
to whom he had attached himself. The mutineers seized him with his
barrel, and threw him into the sea with the boy, whom he still held
fast. In spite of his burden, he had the presence of mind to lay hold
of the raft, and to save himself from this extreme peril.
We cannot yet comprehend how a handful of men should have been able to
resist such a number so monstrously insane. We are sure we were not
more than twenty to combat all these madmen. Let it not, however, be
imagined, that in the midst of all these dangers we had preserved our
reason entire. Fear, anxiety, and the most cruel privations, had
greatly changed our intellectual faculties. But being somewhat less
insane than the unfortunate soldiers, we energetically opposed their
determination of cutting the cords of the raft. Permit us now to make
some observations concerning the different sensations with which we
were affected. During the first day, M. Griffon entirely lost his
senses. He threw himself into the sea, but M. Savigny saved him with
his own hands. His words were vague and unconnected. A second time he
threw himself in, but, by a sort of instinct, kept hold of the cross
pieces of the raft, and was again saved.
The following is what M. Savigny experienced in the beginning of the
night. His eyes closed in spite of himself, and he felt a general
drowsiness. In this condition the most delightful visions flitted
across his imagination. He saw around him a country covered with the
most beautiful plantations, and found himself in the midst of objects
delightful to his senses. Nevertheless, he reasoned concerning his
condition, and felt that courage alone could withdraw him from this
species of non-existence. He demanded some wine from the
master-gunner, who got it for him, and he recovered a little from this
stupor. If the unfortunates who were assailed with these primary
symptoms had not strength to withstand them, their death was certain.
Some became furious; others threw themselves into the sea, bidding
farewell to their comrades with the utmost coolness. Some said--'Fear
nothing; I am going to get you assistance, and will return in a short
while.' In the midst of this general madness, some wretches were seen
rushing upon their companions, sword in hand, demanding a wing of a
chicken and some bread to appease the hunger which consumed them;
others asked for their hammocks to go, they said, between the decks of
the frigate to take a little repose. Many believed they were still on
the Medusa, surrounded by the same objects they there saw daily. Some
saw ships, and called to them for assistance, or a fine harbor, in the
distance of which was an elegant city. M. Correard thought he was
travelling through the beautiful fields of Italy. An officer said to
him--'I recollect we have been abandoned by the boats; but fear
nothing. I am going to write to the governor, and in a few hours we
shall be saved.' M. Correard replied in the same tone, and as if he
had been in his ordinary condition.--'Have you a pigeon to carry your
orders with such celerity?' The cries and the confusion soon roused us
from this languor; but when tranquility was somewhat restored, we
again fell into the same drowsy condition. On the morrow, we felt as
if we had awoke from a painful dream, and asked our companions, if,
during their sleep, they had not seen combats and heard cries of
despair. Some replied, that the same visions had continually tormented
them, and that they were exhausted with fatigue. Every one believed he
was deceived by the illusions of a horrible dream.
After these different combats, overcome with toil, with want of food
and sleep, we laid ourselves down and reposed till the morrow dawned,
and showed us the horror of the scene. A great number in their
delirium had thrown themselves into the sea. We found that sixty or
sixty-five had perished during the night. A fourth part at least, we
supposed, had drowned themselves in despair. We only lost two of our
own numbers, neither of whom were officers. The deepest dejection was
painted on every face; each, having recovered himself, could now feel
the horrors of his situation; and some of us, shedding tears of
despair, bitterly deplored the rigor of our fate.
A new misfortune was now revealed to us. During the tumult, the rebels
had thrown into the sea two barrels of wine, and the only two casks of
water which we had upon the raft. Two casks of wine had been consumed
the day before, and only one was left. We were more than sixty in
number, and we were obliged to put ourselves on half rations.
At break of day, the sea calmed, which permitted us again to erect our
mast. When it was replaced, we made a distribution of wine. The
unhappy soldiers murmured and blamed us for privations which we
equally endured with them. They fell exhausted. We had taken nothing
for forty-eight hours, and we had been obliged to struggle continually
against a strong sea. We could, like them, hardly support ourselves;
courage alone made us still act. We resolved to employ every possible
means to catch fish, and, collecting all the hooks and eyes from the
soldiers, made fish-hooks of them but all was of no avail. The
currents carried our lines under the raft, where they got entangled.
We bent a bayonet to catch sharks, one bit at it, and straitened it,
and we abandoned our project. Something was absolutely necessary to
sustain our miserable existence, and we tremble with horror at being
obliged to tell that of which we made use. We feel our pen fall from
our hands: a mortal cold congeals all our members, and our hair
bristles erect on our foreheads. Readers! we implore you, feel not
indignant towards men already overloaded with misery. Pity their
condition, and shed a tear of sorrow for their deplorable fate.
The wretches, whom death had spared during the disastrous night we
have described, seized upon the dead bodies with which the raft was
covered, cutting them up by slices, which some even instantly
devoured. Many nevertheless refrained. Almost all the officers were of
this number. Seeing that this monstrous food had revived the strength
of those who had used it, it was proposed to dry it, to make it a
little more palatable. Those who had firmness to abstain from it, took
an additional quantity of wine. We endeavored to eat shoulder-belts
and cartouch-boxes, and contrived to swallow some small bits of them.
Some eat linen; others the leathers of their hats, on which was a
little grease or rather dirt. We had recourse to many expedients to
prolong our miserable existence, to recount which would only disgust
the heart of humanity.
The day was calm and beautiful. A ray of hope beamed for a moment to
quiet our agitation. We still expected to see the boats or some ships,
and addressed our prayers to the Eternal, on whom we placed our trust.
The half of our men were extremely feeble, and bore upon their faces
the stamp of approaching dissolution. The evening arrived, and we
found no help. The darkness of the third night augmented our fears,
but the wind was still, and the sea less agitated. The sun of the
fourth morning since our departure shone upon our disaster, and showed
us ten or twelve of our companions stretched lifeless upon the raft.
This sight struck us most forcibly, as it told us we would be soon
extended in the same manner in the same place. We gave their bodies to
the sea for a grave, reserving only one to feed those who, but the day
before, had held his trembling hands, and sworn to him eternal
friendship. This day was beautiful. Our souls, anxious for more
delightful sensations, were in harmony with the aspect of the heavens,
and got again a new ray of hope. Towards four in the afternoon, an
unlooked for event happened which gave us some consolation. A shoal of
flying fish passed under our raft, and as there were an infinite
number of openings between the pieces which composed it, the fish were
entangled in great quantities. We threw ourselves upon them, and
captured a considerable number. We took about two hundred and put them
in an empty barrel; we opened them as we caught them, and took out
what is called their milt. This food seemed delicious: but one man
would have required a thousand. Our first emotion was to give to God
renewed thanks for this unhoped for favor.
An ounce of gunpowder having been found in the morning, was dried in
the sun during the day, which was very fine; a steel, gunflints, and
tinder made also a part of the same parcel. After a good deal of
difficulty we set fire to some fragments of dry linen. We made a large
opening in the side of an empty cask, and placed at the bottom of it
several wet things, and upon this kind of scaffolding we set our fire;
all of which we placed on a barrel that the sea-water might not
extinguish it. We cooked some fish and eat them with extreme avidity;
but our hunger was such, and our portion so small, that we added to it
some of the sacrilegious viands, which the cooking rendered less
revolting. This some of the officers touched for the first time. From
this day we continued to eat it; but we could no longer dress it, the
means of making a fire having been entirely lost; the barrel having
caught fire we extinguished it without being able to preserve
anything to rekindle it on the morrow. The powder and tinder were
entirely gone. This meal gave us all additional strength to support
our fatigues. The night was tolerable, and would have been happy, had
it not been signalized by a new massacre.