I dived down below again, and I returned aft to the cabin; there
was no more demand for powder; not a soul was to be seen abaft.
Suddenly the after-hatchway grating was thrown off; I heard some one
descend; I knew it was the hurried tread of the negro captain. It was
so dark, and the cabin so full of smoke, that, coming from the light, he
did not perceive me, although I could distinguish him. He was evidently
badly wounded, and tottered in his walk: he came into the cabin, put his
hand to his girdle, and felt for his pistol, and then he commenced
pulling down the screen, which was between him and the magazine. His
intentions were evident; which were to blow up the vessel.

I felt that I had not a moment to lose. I dashed past him, ran up the
ladder, sprung aft to the taffrail, and dashed over the stern into the
sea. I was still beneath the surface, having not yet risen from my
plunge, when I heard and felt the explosion--felt it, indeed, so
powerfully, that it almost took away my senses; so great was the shock,
even when I was under the water, that I was almost insensible. I have a
faint recollection of being drawn down by the vortex of the sinking
vessel, and scrambling my way to the surface of the water, amidst
fragments of timbers and whirling bodies. When I recovered myself, I
found that I was clinging to a portion of the wreck, in a sort of patch,
as it were, upon the deep blue water, dark as ink, and strewed with
splintered fragments.

There I remained some minutes, during which time I gained my
recollection: I looked around and perceived the Arrow schooner, lying
about one hundred yards off, totally dismantled, and my own frigate
about a quarter of a mile to leeward, as bright and as fresh as if she
had just been refitted. I observed a signal, made by the Calliope to
the schooner, which was answered. I looked in vain towards the
schooner, expecting her to lower down a boat. The fact was, that the
Calliope had made the signal for her to do so, and the schooner had
replied that she had no boat that could swim. I then perceived that the
frigate had lowered down a boat which was pulling towards me, and I
considered myself as safe.

In a few minutes, during which I had quite recovered myself, the boat
pulled into the mass of floating fragments, and then the sailors ceased
rowing to look about them. They perceived and pulled towards me--
hoisted me in over the gunwale, and laid me at the bottom of the b