the vessel; bright flames
burst forth from every hatchway; several loud reports were heard; then
one louder than the rest, and the ill-fated ship, and all who remained
on board, were blown into the air!

CHAPTER TWENTY.

OUR ESCAPE FROM THE ISLAND.

After the catastrophe I have described, the ship continued to burn
furiously--the oil in her hold helping to feed the conflagration. The
savages who were already in their canoes paddled rapidly away; many must
have lost their lives, as several canoes appear to have been destroyed.
Numbers of the unfortunate wretches, wounded by the explosion, were
swimming about, trying to get hold of their canoes or of pieces of the
wreck; while others, who had escaped injury, were making for the shore.
But they had watchful enemies in the sea looking for them; the water
swarmed with sharks, and several, unable to defend themselves, were
caught by the voracious monsters. What became of our poor countrymen--
whether they were blown up with the ship or carried off by the savages--
we could not tell.

By this accident our numbers were sadly diminished, as was our hope of
obtaining what we might require from the wreck. Cousin Silas took
occasion to urge upon the remainder of the men the importance of keeping
together for mutual support; but, from the way the whaler's crew took
his advice, I saw that they were in no way inclined to follow it. It
was with difficulty even that he could persuade them to keep watch at
night. That was a trying period with us. Cousin Silas and I, with two
of the crew kept our watch; and Ben, and the doctor, and Jerry, with two
others, watched the rest of the night. We kept our ears and eyes wide
open, and fancied that we could see under the shadow of the trees the
savages prowling about us, and could hear their suppressed whispers; but
if such was the case, when they found that we were on the alert, they
refrained from attacking us.

That first night the captain awoke from his stupor, and, sitting up,
inquired what had occurred. When he was told, somewhat abruptly, by one
of his crew that the ship was cast away, that the mates and several of
the men were lost, and that we were surrounded by savages ready to
destroy us, the account had so great an effect on him that it seemed to
drive him out of his mind. He shrieked out, "It is false! it is false--
mutiny! mutiny!" and continued to rave in the most outrageous and
dreadful manner. Thus he continued