f possible, to right the ship. Vain trouble--the
cabin is already filled with water.

In this dismal situation, I made up to the Captain, who, in his
perplexity, could pay attention to nothing. It was but eighteen months
before, that Captain Cassin had experienced a similar accident near Cape
Blanc. In his desperation, he had occasioned the loss of many unhappy
wretches by blowing out his own brains. I began to fear that Captain le
Turc might act in the same manner, and that we should lose him too. I
therefore besought him to have patience, and endeavoured to raise his
spirits and courage, but in vain. We had without doubt perished, if M.
Yan, his first lieutenant, M. Suret, a passenger, three English sailors
and some others, encouraged by my example, had not assisted in throwing
over the long boat into the sea, and preventing it afterwards from being
broken to pieces against the ship, or sunk. We were compelled to
struggle the whole night with a boisterous sea, in hopes that, when day
appeared, we might effect a landing on the coast, and shun the rocks
which surrounded us on every side.

Having taken every precaution, I went into the boat with a few of the
sailors, and desired they would throw to us some ropes from the ship, to
moor our boat, by which means they might pull the boat again to the
vessel, in case we were lucky enough to get a safe landing. This was the
only method we could think of for preserving the Captain, his mate, and
about three-fourths of the hands, who did not incline to hazard
themselves in the boat, for the first trial.

Scarcely had we made two strokes with the oars, when the ebbing and
flowing of the waves tore them from the hands of the rowers, and the
boat was overset; the waves parted us, and cast us all on the shore,
except the Sieur Devoise, brother of the Consul of Tripoli, in Syria. I
plunged again into the sea, and was lucky enough, at that instant, to
snatch him from the grave.

Our unfortunate friends on board the ship, had now no prospect of
assistance from us; but I speedily endeavoured to refresh them with
hope; and for this end again threw myself into the water, accompanied by
Sieur Yan, who always zealously supported me. He soon engaged the rest
to assist us in attempting to recover the boat, which we did with much
difficulty. Our labour was however abundantly repaid, when we had
brought the whole crew safe to land.--Thus did we escape this first
danger, only to fall victims