to live in such a sea.

As I approached the boat I could see several guns, pointed, apparently,
at me. Perhaps we had misunderstood each other; perhaps they viewed me
as an enemy. In fact, they were aimed to keep the Indians from following
me into the water, which they did not attempt. My strength was fast
failing me; the man at the helm, perceiving it, stretched out a rifle at
arm's length. The muzzle dropped into the water and arrested my feeble
vision. Summoning all my remaining energy, I grasped it, and was drawn
towards the boat; a sense of relief shot through and revived me, but
revived, also, such a dread lest the Indians should give chase, that I
begged them to pull away, I could hold on. The man reached down and
seized me by the collar, and ordered his men to ply their oars. They had
made but a few strokes when a simultaneous cry broke from their lips,
"Pull the dear man in! Pull the dear man in!" They let fall their oars,
laid hold of me, and, in their effort to drag me over the side of their
whale-boat, I received some injury. I requested that they would let me
help myself, and, working my body up sufficiently to get one knee over
the gunwale, I gave a spring with what strength was left me, and fell
into the bottom of the boat.

They kindly offered to strip me and put on dry clothing; but I told
them, if they would only work the boat farther from the shore, I would
take care of myself. They pulled away, while I crawled forward, divested
myself of my coat, and put on one belonging to one of the crew.
Conversation, which was attempted, was impossible. It was one of the
coldest days in a Patagonian winter. I was chilled through, and could
only articulate, "I ca-n't ta-lk now; I'll ta-lk by a-nd by." Some
liquor, bread, and tobacco, which had been put on board for my ransom,
on supposition that this was what the signal meant, was produced for my
refreshment. The sea was heavy, with a strong head-wind, so that, though
the men toiled vigorously, our progress was slow. I was soon comfortably
warmed by the stimulants provided, and offered to lend a hand at the
oar, but the offer was declined. The shouts and screams of the Indians,
which had followed me into the water, and rung hideously in my ears
while struggling for life in the surf, were kept up till distance made
them inaudible. Whether they found the watch, whose mysterious tick at
once awed and delighted them, and restored it to its place of state in
the chie