We had now time to look about us, and to realise our position, which--
though it might easily have been worse--was certainly the reverse of
enviable.
In the first place we were upon a frail raft which, well constructed
though it was, could not be expected to hold long together, unless we
were favoured with exceptionally fine weather. In the next place
everything of which we were possessed in the shape of provisions was
comprised in the four dead fowls found in the hen-coop; and of water, or
any other liquid with which to quench our thirst, we had not a single
drop. On the other hand the island of Saint Domingo was under our lee,
at a distance of about ninety miles, and if our raft would only hold
together so long and maintain the speed at which it was then travelling,
we might hope to reach land in from two and a half to three days.
I laid these facts before my companions, directing their special
attention to the circumstance that we had to look forward to three days
of suffering from thirst, and also from hunger in a minor degree, urging
them to the brave endurance of these privations, if necessary, and
pointing out to them that though unfortunately we happened to be in one
of the least-frequented of the passages, there was a chance, although a
somewhat slender one, of our being picked up at any hour, and I wound up
by reminding them that, even on that frail raft, we were as much under
the protection of Him who holds the waters in the hollow of His hand as
we should be were we safe on shore. At the doctor's suggestion we then
all knelt down, while he offered up a brief but earnest prayer for our
deliverance. We all felt much more hopeful after this short religious
exercise, and went cheerfully about our work of examining the raft, now
that we had daylight with us once more, with the object of ascertaining
whether it was possible to make any improvement in it or not. The
examination, careful and minute though it was, was soon over, and we
came to the conclusion that no improvement was possible with the
materials at hand, and that, if the lashings did not give way and the
weather continued fine, we had not much to fear.
Hawsepipe had rigged steering-gear to the raft by lashing a piece of
deck-plank, some twelve feet long, to the schooner's foremast in such a
way that half of it was immersed in the water and acted as a rudder,
while the other half slanted in over the raft and served as a tiller; it
was, in fact, a rude substitute for a steering-oar. This answered its
purpose perfectly, in so far as that it enabled us to keep the raft dead
before the wind; but when I tried the experiment of edging a couple of
points or so to the southward of the direction in which the wind blew,
with the view of reaching the Saint Domingo shore as quickly as
possible, I found that the speed of the raft lessened sensibly, and that
she began to drive slightly sideways through the water--she would not,
in short, travel in any direction except dead before the wind, and we
were therefore compelled to rest content with that, and to devote all
our energies to the most careful steering, so as to run straight to
leeward and so get the greatest possible speed out of her.
We steered in spells of two hours each, the rest seeking shelter from
the sun's rays in the shadow of the sail, the seamen trying to pass away
the time as much as possible in sleep. As the morning wore on, the heat
became very great and our thirst grew with it, but we managed to stave
off its worst pangs by pouring sea-water plentifully over each other, as
we sat in our clothes. About noon we thought of dinner, but, hungry as
we by that time were, we scarcely fancied our fare, which was one of the
dead fowls, to be eaten raw of course, since we had no means of cooking
it. Finding that the rest were equally as squeamish as myself in this
respect, I suggested and it was agreed that the fowls should remain
untouched until we felt hungry enough to eat the uncooked flesh with a
relish. Toward sun-down we had a most unwelcome addition to our
company, in the shape of three sharks, which suddenly made their
appearance close under the stern of the raft, maintaining their
position, at about three yards distance, with a perseverance which was
worthy of a better cause. The size of their dorsal fins, which were
carried well out of the water, assured us that our followers were sharks
of the largest size, and enabled us to form a pretty fair idea of what
would be our fate should any of us be unfortunate enough to fall or be
washed off the raft.
A keen lookout was maintained during the whole of that day, but no sail
was seen, and at length the sun went down in a cloudless sky, giving us
an assurance of the continuance of fine weather.
I anxiously marked the position of the luminary when he reached the
horizon, and saw, with a heart-sick feeling which I cannot describe,
that we were--and had probably been all day--sailing a course about
W.S.W., or two points more to the northward than I had hoped. This was
a most serious matter, since it would throw us much farther to the
westward, and necessitate our going a much greater distance, probably
nearly double, before we could possibly reach land; and I began, for the
first time, to fear that we might possibly miss Saint Domingo
altogether. And I knew that if we did that we might give ourselves up
for lost, as I could not entertain much hope of our being able to hold
out until we should reach the Windward Channel, and even if we did, we
might still fail to fall in with a ship to pick us up, in which case we
should have to go on to Jamaica, which we could scarcely reach, under
the most favourable circumstances, in less than a fortnight. These
disquieting thoughts, however, I deemed it prudent to confine to my own
breast.
About midnight my worst apprehensions as to the course of the raft were
confirmed by the discovery of breakers ahead, which I knew, from the
position of the "Juanita" on the previous night, could indicate nothing
else than that we were running down upon the Square Handkerchief Shoal,
of which I had hoped to pass clear to the southward.
We gave the raft as much starboard helm as she would take, and after a
long and most anxious time succeeded in just scraping clear of the
breakers, which we found were occasioned by an extensive group of rocks
just awash. The sight of these rocks enabled me to identify our
position, as I recognised in them the rocks which occupy the north-east
corner of the shoal. We were therefore passing as nearly as possible
directly across the middle of the shoal, instead of going to the
southward of it, as I had hoped.
Meanwhile the pangs of hunger and thirst were steadily intensifying with
us. Our tongues grew dry and hard, and the doctor's lips began to
crack, while the men could talk of nothing but the clear, gurgling
brooks and sparkling cascades by the side of which they had stood in
other days.
The wind had freshened somewhat during the night, and toward sun-rise a
few clouds worked up to windward, the sight of which induced us for a
time to hope that we might be blessed with a shower. But they passed
over without dropping any of their longed-for moisture upon us, and the
sun once more rose up in unclouded splendour to torture us with his
scorching rays.
Our repugnance to raw fowl had by this time entirely passed away, and
although upon examination our poultry turned out to be rather high, one
of the defunct chickens was torn asunder, and, being divided among us
with the most scrupulous fairness, was devoured in an incredibly short
time.
"Ah!" exclaimed one of the men, as the last morsel of his allowance
disappeared down his throat. "That's the most tasty snack as I've ate
for many a long day. It's a pity there ain't more of it. But there, I
s'pose it won't do to eat up all our wittals to oncet; let's be thankful
as we've had even that small mossel. I say, mates, don't you find these
here fowl-bones very sweet picking?"
"Uncommon," answered another. "There's a sort of a peculiar flavour
with 'em that I don't disremember to have tasted with fowl-bones when
I've had 'em for breakfast afore."
There was unquestionably "a sort of a peculiar flavour" with my share,
but I should scarcely have referred to it with such gusto as they did, I
thought.
"Now if I could only have washed my breakfast down with a pannikin of
grog," remarked a third, "I should ha' said as I'd thoroughly enj'yed
it."
"Grog!" exclaimed the first speaker. "Grog be blowed! Whenever I've a
glass of grog I always wants another on top of it, and so I should to-
day. I'd give all the grog as ever was brewed for one good long swig at
the spring which bubbles out from under the rocks behind my poor old
mother's house on Dartmoor. That _is_ sweet water, if you like, mates."
"'Tain't sweeter, I know, than the water of the trout-stream in which I
used to fish with a bit of twine bent on to a crooked pin, when I was a
boy," remarked another. "Many's the time as I've gone down on my hands
and knees upon a rock or a little bit of a shingly bar, when I've been
hot and thirsty--as it might be now--and drunk and drunk until I could
drink no more. My eyes! mates, but they _was_ drinks, and no mistake."
And so they rambled on, their dry lips smacking with every fresh
reminiscence.
I knew that this sort of conversation would do more harm than good by
intensifying the feeling of burning thirst from which they were
suffering, so I cut it short by remarking,--
"By the way, lads, speaking of fishing, cannot one or another of you
work up one of the nails out of those hatches into a fish-hook with your
knives? The others meanwhile might get some threads out of that piece
of spare canvas which we cut off the topgallant sail, and twist it up
into a fishing-line."
No sooner said than done. The poor fellows were glad of something to
employ their minds and fingers upon, and went to work with avidity to
carry out the suggestion.
By sunset an ordinary three-inch nail had been hammered and bent and
scraped down to a very respectable substitute for a hook; while the
other three seamen had each contrived to spin up about five fathoms of
good strong line. Neither hook nor line, however, was ever used.
The breeze again freshened during the night, driving the raft along
about two knots in the hour; and again uprose the sun in a cloudless
sky.
We divided another of the dead fowls between us, but on this morning
there was none of the cheerful chat which had accompanied the previous
meal. The repulsive food was devoured in silence, due probably in part
to the absence of any hopeful topic of conversation, and also,
doubtless, to a great extent in consequence of the dry, sore, swollen
sensation in the men's throats. For my own part my throat was in such a
state that it was with the utmost difficulty I succeeded in swallowing
my own allowance.
Hawsepipe, the doctor, and I struck up as lively a conversation as we
could, touching the probability of our soon being picked up, and I
embraced the opportunity of mentioning casually that in consequence of
the great amount of easting in the wind I feared we should not reach
land quite as soon as I had at first anticipated. I was almost sorry
immediately afterwards that I had mentioned it, when I saw the
despairing look which came into the faces of my fellow-sufferers, and
the yearning glances upward at the pitiless sky, which showed not the
faintest fleece of cloud--not the remotest promise of a single drop of
pure, fresh water wherewith to moisten our parched and baked tongues and
throats. The thirst-agony now began to paint its effects upon us more
and more palpably every hour; our lips being dry, black, and gashed with
deep cracks; while our tongues were dry and swollen until they seemed
too large for our mouths. The skin upon the faces of my companions was
burnt, parched, and shrivelled by the sun, seamed in every direction by
cracks, and peeling off in many places; while their eyes glowed and
sparkled like coals of fire with the fierce fever which consumed them.
The sharks which had stuck to us with such frightful and ominous
pertinacity had their number augmented this day by the arrival of three
new-comers.
"Six of 'em," muttered the seaman who was steering the raft when the
three new arrivals appeared; "that means as six out of us seven is
doomed."
Another endless day of indescribable agony--another long night of
torment; and again up rose the sun in a pitiless, cloudless sky.
Oh! how fervently I longed and prayed for an overcast sky and a pelting
rain, even though it were accompanied by the wildest hurricane which
ever blew; the worst that could happen to us in such a case would be
drowning, the prospect of which seemed to be bliss itself compared with
this slow fiery torment of thirst.
On this day Tom Miles and Ned Rodgers, two of the four seamen, suddenly
sprang to their feet, and with a despairing yell plunged over the side
of the raft into the sea before we were aware of or could arrest their
terrible intention. There was a frightful splashing in the water
astern, as the sea-monsters fought over their prey; then all was quiet
again. _Two of the sharks had disappeared_.
My companions regarded this terrible tragedy almost with indifference,
and the doctor, in a weak and cracked voice which was scarcely audible,
muttered something to the effect that "those _two_ were happily out of
their suffering." Before sunset the poor fellow had followed them, and
_another shark had disappeared_.
Some time during the night I was awakened by Hawsepipe, whose trick at
the helm it was. He aroused me by giving me a feeble shake on the
shoulder, and, being by this time unable to speak, raised his hand and
pointed skyward. I looked up and saw that the firmament was obscured by
heavy masses of cloud, which held out the promise of a speedy fall of
thrice-blessed rain. I scrambled to my feet and hastened to arouse the
two seamen, in order that we might take immediate measures to secure as
much as possible of the priceless liquid. One of the poor fellows was
in such a weak and exhausted condition that he was unable to rise; the
other contrived to do so with the utmost difficulty, and we lowered down
the sail, mast and all, so as to form with the canvas a receptacle for
the expected blessing.
At length it came in a sudden squall of wind, with a few flashes of
lightning, and for two or three minutes it poured down almost as heavily
as it did on that night--oh! how many ages ago it seemed now--when the
"Juanita" was destroyed. We gathered round the sail and drank greedily,
recklessly, of the heaven-sent nectar; filled our hats and boots--our
only receptacles--with it, and then drank and drank again as long as a
drop remained in the sail. And oh! how we grudged the precious drops
which poured in a stream through the thin canvas!
To describe the reviving effect which this delicious draught had upon
our exhausted frames is impossible; our strength and our voices returned
to us like magic, our spirits revived, and we felt like new creatures.
We re-hoisted the mast and sail into its place with comparative ease,
and then, with one accord, knelt down and offered our sincere and heart-
felt thanks for the mercy which had been shown us in our extremity;
while the raft swept cheerily away before the rising blast at almost
double her usual speed.
On the following day we were again favoured with an example of the ease
with which the Almighty can supply the wants of His creatures, even in
such a situation as ours; for during the forenoon a shoal of flying-fish
rose out of the water alongside, and passed directly over the raft,
nearly a score being intercepted in their flight by our sail, and caught
before they were able to flop off into the water again. I thought that
any attempt to preserve them would be sure to end in failure by their
quickly becoming unfit for human food, and therefore proposed that they
should be at once eaten, which proposition, I need scarcely say, met
with the cordial approval of my companions, and was immediately carried
out. We took with them the remainder of the water which we had caught
and preserved in our hats and boots, but found, to our consternation,
that a great deal of it had leaked away, and the little that remained
had become strongly brackish from the quantity of spray which had flown
over us and mingled with it since the freshening of the breeze.
The wind remained fresh all that day and rose still higher during the
following night, so that our speed gradually increased from a knot and a
half to nearly four knots. The sea rose also in proportion, and this
caused the raft to work to such an extent that I began to entertain
serious fears as to whether it would hold together much longer. Most of
the lashings had worked quite loose; but there were now only three of
us, and our united strength was wholly inadequate to the tightening of
them until the sea should go down.
Another night passed, another day, and no more rain had fallen; and then
our sufferings returned--as it seemed to us--with tenfold intensity.
Our strength went from us like water from a sieve; and when night once
more closed down upon our tortured frames we abandoned ourselves, with
one accord, to despair; the helm was left to itself, and the raft was
allowed to steer herself as best she might. We sank down upon the
hatches which formed our deck, and sought to evade in our slumbers some
small portion of our horrible torments. As far as I was concerned,
however, the effort was in vain; for the moment that sleep stole upon my
exhausted frame visions of lakes and springs, murmuring brooks and
sparkling fountains of cool, delicious, fresh water arose before me, and
I suffered all the agonies of the mythical Tantalus.
At length I could endure the torment of dreaming no more, and started to
my feet, went to the helm, and got the raft once more before the wind.
I had scarcely done so and turned my glances astern for a moment, when,
"A sail! A sail!!" I screamed.
My two companions started to their feet and hurried to my side, eagerly
questioning me as to her whereabouts. I pointed her out to them. There
she was, about three miles directly astern, clearly visible in the light
of the young moon, which gleamed faintly upon her canvas; but--oh,
misery--she was close-hauled upon the starboard tack, dead to windward,
_and sailing away from us_. We shouted until not another sound would
our parched throats utter, but it was all of course of no avail; and we
were far too low in the water to attract the attention of even the
sharpest lookout in that feeble light; the ship swept steadily on and at
length passed out of sight below the horizon.
Then, as we sank down again in utter abandonment, how bitterly we
reproached ourselves and each other for not maintaining a lookout! Had
we done so, we should assuredly have made her out while still to
windward of her, and could have lowered our sail until she had
approached near enough to enable us to run down upon her. However, it
was too late now to remind each other of that; the mischief was done;
and the only thing that remained was to take care that there should be
no recurrence of it.
But I will dwell no longer upon the details of those endless days and
interminable nights of indescribable torture. Suffice it to say that I
endured two more days and nights of suffering, during which I was only
dimly cognisant of my surroundings; all my faculties were engaged in the
task of wrestling with and assisting my tortured frame to bear up
against the terrible anguish which consumed me; at the end of that time
exhausted nature could bear no more, and relief at length came with
unconsciousness.