it, the fish were
entangled in great quantities. We threw ourselves upon them, and
captured a considerable number. We took about two hundred and put them
in an empty barrel; we opened them as we caught them, and took out
what is called their milt. This food seemed delicious: but one man
would have required a thousand. Our first emotion was to give to God
renewed thanks for this unhoped for favor.

An ounce of gunpowder having been found in the morning, was dried in
the sun during the day, which was very fine; a steel, gunflints, and
tinder made also a part of the same parcel. After a good deal of
difficulty we set fire to some fragments of dry linen. We made a large
opening in the side of an empty cask, and placed at the bottom of it
several wet things, and upon this kind of scaffolding we set our fire;
all of which we placed on a barrel that the sea-water might not
extinguish it. We cooked some fish and eat them with extreme avidity;
but our hunger was such, and our portion so small, that we added to it
some of the sacrilegious viands, which the cooking rendered less
revolting. This some of the officers touched for the first time. From
this day we continued to eat it; but we could no longer dress it, the
means of making a fire having been entirely lost; the barrel having
caught fire we extinguished it without being able to preserve
anything to rekindle it on the morrow. The powder and tinder were
entirely gone. This meal gave us all additional strength to support
our fatigues. The night was tolerable, and would have been happy, had
it not been signalized by a new massacre.

Some Spaniards, Italians, and negroes, had formed a plot to throw us
all into the sea. The negroes had told them that they were very near
the shore, and that, when there, they would enable them to traverse
Africa without danger. We had to take to our arms again, the sailors,
who had remained faithful to us, pointing out to us the conspirators.
The first signal for battle was given by a Spaniard, who, placing
himself behind the mast, holding fast by it, made the sign of the
Cross with one hand, invoking the name of God, and with the other held
a knife. The sailors seized him and threw him into the sea. An
Italian, servant to an officer of the troops, who was in the plot,
seeing all was discovered, armed himself with the only boarding axe
left on the raft, made his retreat to the front, enveloped himself in
a piece of drapery he wore across his brea