On The 17th, Two Seamen, Faint And Exhausted, Were
Washed Overboard.
The next wave threw their bodies back upon the
deck, where they remained, swashing backward and forward, ghastly
objects to the almost perishing survivors.
Mr. Ogden, the
supercargo, who was at the bowsprit, called to the men nearest to
the bodies, to fasten them to the wreck; as a last horrible
resource in case of being driven to extremity by famine!
On the 17th the gale gradually subsided, and the sea became calm.
The sailors now crawled feebly about the wreck, and began to
relieve it from the main incumbrances. The spars were cleared
away, the anchors and guns heaved overboard; the sprit-sail yard
was rigged for a jury-mast, and a mizzen topsail set upon it. A
sort of stage was made of a few broken spars, on which the crew
were raised above the surface of the water, so as to be enabled
to keep themselves dry, and to sleep comfortably. Still their
sufferings from hunger and thirst were great; but there was a
Sandwich Islander on board, an expert swimmer, who found his way
into the cabin, and occasionally brought up a few bottles of wine
and porter, and at length got into the rum, and secured a quarter
cask of wine. A little raw pork was likewise procured, and dealt
out with a sparing hand. The horrors of their situation were
increased by the sight of numerous sharks prowling about the
wreck, as if waiting for their prey.
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