ve a constant memorial of my "night of horror" to depress me; while if
I committed the body to the waves I should for ever have it on my
conscience that I refused burial to a christian.

Then I thought, why not at dawn in the morning tow the body to Herm, and
drag it ashore on the rocks opposite the labourers' cottages, as if it
had been flung there by the waves; but a high sea was running, and to my
craft the passage of the Percee was impossible, for the current running
through it would have swept me away, so that with a weight towing astern
I should never have reached Herm, not even if I had taken the corpse as
a passenger inside my boat. I lit my pipe to conjure up fresh
inspiration, and the charm worked, for I got an idea which seemed to me
to fulfil all my requirements from a religious point of view, and it
also appeared practicable.

Being a sailor, my idea was to give the poor fellow a sailor's funeral,
and _bury him myself at sea_; and if the sea were not too rough it
should take place this very night. It wanted yet an hour of dusk, and I
would commence my preparations at once. Having formed my plan, and
looked calmly upon my undertaking as one that was a _duty_ for a
christian man to perform, the fear in a great measure seemed to leave
me.

I hauled down my boat, with "Eddy's" help, to high-water mark, and then
went, with as bold a mien as I could muster, to the poor man's side;
nerving myself with a prayer I lifted the straw from his face, and was
pleased to find that the features had assumed their normal aspect, in
fact but for the eyes being partly opened, he looked as if he were
asleep. This was a great relief to me, and I now felt firm for the task
I had undertaken. I got the body on the cart by great exertion, and
transported it to the boat, where I laid it across amidships on two
planks and tied a huge rock to each ankle; then, having prepared
everything by the time night set in, I left the boat, as I found the
tide would not float her away, and went home.

I thought if I waited another four or five hours the swell of the sea
would run down with the tide and become calm enough for me to venture
out upon my mission. I therefore had a substantial meal, and lay down on
my bed to rest, as I was very tired with my day's work and my previous
sleepless night.

When I awoke I found that it was past eleven p.m., but on looking out
discovered that it was a fine night, though very dark. The sea had
greatly qu