lip
anticipated that the next movement of the vessel would be towards
them, but he was mistaken. Satisfied with their booty, and imagining
that there could be no more on the raft, the pirate pulled away to the
eastward, towards the islands from amongst which she had first made
her appearance. Thus were those who expected to escape and who had
deserted their companions, deservedly punished, whilst those who
anticipated every disaster from this desertion, discovered that it was
the cause of their being saved.

The remaining people on board the raft amounted to about forty-five;
Philip, Krantz, Schriften, Amine, the two mates, sixteen seamen,
and twenty-four soldiers, who had been embarked at Amsterdam. Of
provisions they had sufficient for three or four weeks, but of water
they were very short, already not having sufficient for more than
three days at the usual allowance. As soon as the mast had been
stepped and rigged, and the sails set (although there was hardly a
breath of wind), Philip explained to the men the necessity of reducing
the quantity of water, and it was agreed that it should be served out
so as to extend the supply to twelve days, the allowance being reduced
to half a pint per day.

There was a debate at this time, as the raft was in two parts, whether
it would not be better to cast off the smaller one and put all the
people on board the other; but this proposal was overruled, as in the
first place, although the boats had deserted them, the number on the
raft had not much diminished, and moreover, the raft would steer much
better under sail, now that it had length, than it would do if they
reduced its dimensions and altered its shape to a square mass of
floating wood.

For three days it was a calm, the sun poured down his hot beams upon
them, and the want of water was severely felt; those who continued to
drink spirits suffered the most.

On the fourth day the breeze sprung up favourably, and the sail was
filled; it was a relief to their burning brows and blistered backs;
and as the raft sailed on at the rate of four miles an hour, the men
were gay and full of hope. The land below the cocoa-nut trees was now
distinguishable, and they anticipated that the next day they could
land and procure the water, which they now so craved for. All night
they carried sail, but the next morning they discovered that the
current was strong against them, and that what they gained when the
breeze was fresh, they lost f