t
back to the northward, and blew very fresh. They got their oars out
the greatest part of the night, and the next day the wind still dying
away, the people laboured alternately at the oars, without
distinction. About noon the wind sprung up so that they laid in their
oars, and, as they thought, steered about N. N. W. and continued so
until about eight or nine in the morning of July 9, when they all
thought they were upon soundings, by the coldness of the water.--They
were, in general, in very good spirits. The weather continued still
thick and hazy, and by the North star, they found that they had been
steering about N. by W.

July 10.--The people had drank so much salt water, that it came from
them as clear as it was before they drank it; and Mr. Purnell
perceived that the second mate had lost a considerable share of his
strength and spirits; and also, at noon, that the carpenter was
delirious, his malady increasing every hour; about dusk he had almost
overset the boat, by attempting to throw himself overboard, and
otherwise behaving quite violent.

As his strength, however, failed him, he became more manageable, and
they got him to lie down in the middle of the boat, among some of the
people. Mr. Purnell drank once a little salt water, but could not
relish it; he preferred his own urine, which he drank occasionally as
he made it. Soon after sunset the second mate lost his speech. Mr.
Purnell desired him to lean his head on him; he died, without a groan
or struggle, on the 11th of July, being the 9th day they were in the
boat. In a few minutes after, the carpenter expired almost in a
similar manner. These melancholy scenes rendered the situation of the
survivors more dreadful; it is impossible to describe their feelings.
Despair became general; every man imagined his own dissolution was
near. They all now went to prayers; some prayed in the Welch language,
some in Irish, and others in English; then, after a little
deliberation, they stripped the two dead men, and hove them overboard.

The weather being now very mild, and almost calm, they turned to,
cleaned the boat, and resolved to make their sail larger out of the
frocks and trowsers of the two deceased men. Purnell got the captain
to lie down with the rest of the people, the boatswain and one man
excepted, who assisted him in making the sail larger, which they had
completed by six or seven o'clock in the afternoon, having made a
shroud out of the boat's painter,