Chapter 11

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, we endeavoured to snatch a little repose. In this I
succeeded beyond my expectations, sleeping until my companions,
who had not been so fortunate, aroused me at daybreak to renew
our attempts at getting up provisions 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 endeavour 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, he made every exertion to force
the 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 balance 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, 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 endeavour 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
endeavoured 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 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 endeavoured 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. Toward 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 favourable change took place, they could afford
me no assistance in providing for our common safety. I had not
yet abandoned all idea of 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 endeavoured, by every means in my power, to rouse him. Thinking
that a plunge in the sea-water 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 (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 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 endeavouring 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 vigour, 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 toward
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
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 human misery and
despair, by perceiving the ship all at once with her stern fully
presented toward 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 endeavoured to throw himself upon it, howling and shrieking
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 toward 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.