life was
prematurely closed by the overwhelming severities of the lamentable
catastrophe he had shared.

During the course of another tedious night, many suggested the
possibility of constructing a raft which might carry the survivors to
Cerigotto; and the wind being favorable, might enable them to reach
that island. At all events, attempting this seemed preferable to
remaining on the rock to expire of hunger and thirst. Accordingly, at
daylight they prepared to put their plan in execution. A number of the
larger spars were lashed together, and sanguine hopes of success
entertained. At length the moment of launching the raft arrived, but
it was only to distress the people with new disappointments, for a few
moments sufficed for the destruction of a work on which the strongest
of the party had been occupied hours. Several from this unexpected
failure became still more desperate, and five resolved to trust
themselves on a few small spars slightly lashed together, and on which
they had scarce room to stand. Bidding their companions adieu, they
launched out into the sea, where they were speedily carried away by
unknown currents, and vanished forever from sight.

Towards the same afternoon, the people were again rejoiced by the
sight of the whale-boat, and the coxswain told them that he had
experienced great difficulty in prevailing on the Greek fishermen of
Cerigotto to venture in their boats, from dread of the weather.
Neither would they permit him to take them unaccompanied by
themselves; he regretted what his comrades had endured, and his grief
at not being able yet to relieve them, but encouraged them with hopes,
if the weather remained fine, that next day the boats might come.
While the coxswain spoke this, twelve or fourteen men imprudently
plunged from the rock into the sea, and very nearly reached the boat.
Two indeed, got so far as to be taken in, one was drowned and the rest
providentially recovered their former station. Those who thus escaped
could not but be envied by their companions, while they reproached the
indiscretion of the others, who, had they reached the boat, would
without all doubt have sunk her, and thus unwittingly consigned the
whole to irremediable destruction.

The people were wholly occupied in reflections on the passing
incidents; but their weakness increased as the day elapsed; one of the
survivors describes himself as feeling the approach of annihilation,
that his sight failed, and his s