to
preserve the life of the youth, I offered to try it myself. I
stripped, and making the line fast round my body, plunged from the
ship's side into the sea. It was a new deep-sea line, and stiff in the
coil, so that not drawing close round me, it slipped, and I swam
through it, but catching it as it slipped over my feet, I made it
secure by putting my head and one arm through the noose. I swam direct
for the boy, and found that I swam with ease, owing to the strength
and buoyant nature of the water in those latitudes. I had not swum
more than half-way before the line got foul on the coil on board, and
checking me suddenly, it pulled me backwards and under water. I
recovered myself, and struck out again. During this time, to clear the
line on board, they had cut some of the entangled parts, and in the
confusion and hurry, severed the wrong part, so that the end went
overboard, and I had half the coil of line hanging to me, and at the
same time was adrift from the ship. They immediately hailed me to
return, but from the booming of the waves I could not hear what they
said, and thought that they were encouraging me to proceed. I shouted
in return to show the confidence which I had in myself. I easily
mounted the waves as they breasted me, but still I made my way very
slowly against such a swell, and saw the boy only at intervals when I
was on the top of the wave. He could swim very little, and did not
make for the ship, but with his eyes fixed upon the sky, paddled like
a dog to keep himself above water. I now began to feel the weight of
the line upon me, and to fear that I should never hold out. I began to
repent of my rashness, and thought I had only sacrificed myself
without any chance of saving him. I persevered, nevertheless, and
having, as I guessed, come to the spot where the boy was, I looked
round, and not seeing him, was afraid that he had gone down, but on
mounting the next wave, I saw him in the hollow, struggling hard to
keep above water, and almost spent with his long exertion.

I swam down to him, and hailing him, found he was still sensible, but
utterly exhausted. I desired him to hold on by my hand but not to
touch my body, as we should both sink. He promised to obey me, and I
held out my right-hand to him, and made a signal for them to haul in
on board, for I had no idea that the line had been cut. I was
frightened when I perceived the distance that the ship was from me--at
least a quarter of a mile. I