seamen denied it, and this difference of opinion, which at first
was a mere nothing, from sullenness, I presume, and something being
required to excite them, in the course of a day or two ended in a
serious feud; the Paduans terming the anti-Paduans heretics and Jews.
The epithet of Jew was what irritated so much, and the parties being
exactly even, four on each side, on the third day, after an angry
altercation, they all rushed out of the tent to decide the affair with
their knives. The conflict was very fierce, and took place when the
captain and I were at the xebeque, and before we could separate them
four of them had fallen; two were killed, and the other two badly
wounded. It may appear ridiculous that people should take each other's
lives for such a trifle; but, after all, nations declare war against
each other, and thousands are killed on both sides, for causes almost as
slight. With great difficulty we separated the remaining combatants,
and such was their rage and excitement, that every now and then they
would attempt to break from us and attack each other again; but at last
we disarmed them.

This was a sad business; and it was melancholy to think that companions
in misfortune should take each other's lives, instead of feeling
grateful to the Almighty for their preservation.

We buried the two men who had fallen, and dressed the wounds of the
hurt; but after this quarrel the four others came to their work, and
continued steady at it. We had now removed the upper portion of the
xebeque, and commenced fixing beams and carlines on the lower part, so
as to make a decked boat of it, and in another week we had decked her
over. But we had a great deal more to do: we had to reduce the mast and
yard to a proper size, to alter the sail and rigging, to make a small
rudder, and rollers to launch her upon. All this, with our reduced
force, occupied us another month; for the two wounded men, although
recovering, could but just crawl about. We turned many more turtle at
night, that we might have a sufficient supply. We now looked out for a
channel of deep water through the reef, to get our boat out, and made
one out to a certain extent, but could not survey further without
getting off the reef, and the sharks were so numerous that we dared not
venture. However, we took it for granted, as we had found deep water in
shore, that we should be sure to do so in the offing; and we now got our
boat upon the rollers which