umed on the ensuing Lent, and had a crew of fifteen men. The captain
was very ill when we sailed, owing, as he said, to a cup of wine which
his wife had mixed with her tears, and persuaded him to drink at their
parting. He gradually declined as we proceeded on our voyage, until at
last he was not able to quit his bed; and no person on board except
myself having any knowledge of keeping a ship's reckoning, that duty
devolved upon me.

A few days before his death, the captain sent for me. "Francois," said
he, "my wife has poisoned me, that I might not return to interrupt a
connection which she had formed during my absence. I have no children,
and no relations that have ever cared for me. I am the owner of the
cargo, as well as the captain of this vessel, and it is my intention to
make it over to you; I consider that you have the greatest claim to it,
as there is nobody on board except yourself who can navigate her.
Understand me, it is not out of any particular regard, so much as to
prevent my wife from obtaining my property, that I select you as my
heir; you have, therefore, to thank heaven for your good fortune, more
than you have me. I have but one request to make in return, which is,
that you will faithfully promise to cause five hundred masses to be said
for my soul, upon your arrival in Italy."

I readily made the promise which he required, and the captain drew up a
will, which he read and executed before the whole of the crew, by which
the vessel and cargo were made over to me. Two days afterwards he
expired. We sewed him up in a hammock, and threw him overboard. Although
it was quite calm at the time, a gale sprung up immediately afterwards,
which eventually increased to a hurricane.

We were obliged to bear up, and for several days scudded under bare
poles, until I found that we were in the very centre of the Atlantic,
out of the track of any vessels. Gradually the weather became more
settled, and we again spread our canvas to the breeze. To my surprise, I
observed, that although by my reckoning we were nearly one thousand
miles from any land, several aquatic birds were hovering about the ship,
of a description that seldom go far from the shore. I watched them as
the sun went down, and perceived that they took their flight to the
south-east. Anxious to discover any land, not hitherto described, I
steered the ship in that direction during the night, and early on the
next morning we found ourselves close to an is