aves agitated the raft;
their flesh covered with contusions and hideous wounds, dissolved, as it
were, in the briny waves, whilst the roaring flood around them was
coloured with their blood.

As the raft, when it was abandoned, was nearly two leagues from the
frigate, it was impossible these unfortunate persons could return to it:
they were soon after far out at sea. These victims still appeared above
their floating tomb; and, stretching out their supplicating hands
towards the boats which fled from them, seemed yet to invoke, for the
last time, the names of the wretches who had deceived them. O horrid
day! a day of shame and reproach! Alas! that the hearts of those who
were so well acquainted with misfortune, should have been so
inaccessible to pity!

After witnessing that most inhuman scene, and seeing they were
insensible to the cries and lamentations of so many unhappy beings, I
felt my heart bursting with sorrow. It seemed to me that the waves would
overwhelm all these wretches, and I could not suppress my tears. My
father, exasperated to excess, and bursting with rage at seeing so much
cowardice and inhumanity among the officers of the boats, began to
regret he had not accepted the place which had been assigned for us upon
the fatal raft. "At least," said he, "we would have died with the brave,
or we would have returned to the wreck of the Medusa; and not have had
the disgrace of saving ourselves with cowards." Although this produced
no effect upon the officers, it proved very fatal to us afterwards; for,
on our arrival at Senegal, it was reported to the Governor, and very
probably was the principal cause of all those evils and vexations which
we endured in that colony.

Let us now turn our attention to the several situations of all those who
were endeavouring to save themselves in the different boats, as well as
to those left upon the wreck of the Medusa.

We have already seen, that the frigate was half sunk when it was
deserted, presenting nothing but a hulk and wreck. Nevertheless,
seventeen still remained upon it, and had food, which, although damaged,
enabled them to support themselves for a considerable time; whilst the
raft was abandoned to float at the mercy of the waves, upon the vast
surface of the ocean. One hundred and fifty wretches were embarked upon
it, sunk to the depth of at least three feet on its fore part, and on
its poop immersed even to the middle. What victuals they had were soon
consum