not a pint of water or an ounce of
bread or biscuit, or anything eatable on board," was his very
unsatisfactory announcement.

The captain stood as cool and unmoved as if he was hearing an account of
any ordinary occurrence.

"You have some tallow candles and oil, and some raisins, and a few other
little things of that sort?" he remarked.

The purser said there was a small supply on board.

"Very well, they will serve to keep all hands alive for a day or two,
and by that time we may hope to fall in with assistance," he answered.

He then called us all round him, and officially announced what the
purser had told him.

"I'll let the people know the state of things," he added, and directed
that they should be summoned aft.

Their pale, thin faces, and the slow way in which many of them walked,
showed that the want of sufficient food was already telling on their
strength.

"My lads," said Captain Packenham, "we put to sea in a hurry, and we
expected to be back before our provisions were expended, but we are
mistaken. We are short of food, but many ships have been in a worse
case. We have done our best to get back to Jamaica, and as we cannot
get there, I hope we may fall in with some vessels or other from which
we may get a supply of provisions, either friends to give them to us, or
enemies from which we may take them, and, hungry as we are, I would not
fear to lay you alongside an enemy's ship, for I am very certain you
would take care to provide yourselves with a good supper at the end of
the fight."

The crew warmly cheered this speech, though the voices of many of the
poor fellows sounded hollow and faint. They knew, however, that, badly
off as they might be, not an officer would touch a mouthful of food
while they were without it. How eagerly we all looked out for a sail
which might bring us relief! There was no necessity to hail the
mast-heads to ascertain that the men stationed there were doing their
duty. I certainly did not wish myself back at Ou Trou, but I never
suffered such pangs of hunger there as I was now doing. We had two or
three prophets of disaster on board, and they were continually citing
instances where the whole crew of a ship had died from starvation, or
perhaps where only one or two had survived to tell the tale of their
misfortunes. Water was our greatest want. The wind was light, almost a
calm, and the sun shone forth on the calm shining sea with intense fury,
the very pitch