voyage to Simon's Bay.

The man who had been picked up just before the fire broke out had been
carefully tended by the surgeon. During the whole time that efforts had
been made to extinguish it, he had remained in a state of insensibility,
and only recovered after the troops had landed. Tom, whose berth he
occupied, visited him frequently, but found him ill able to converse or
even to give any account of himself. At length, after a refreshing
sleep, he awoke greatly recovered.

"I understand from the doctor, sir," he said, when Tom soon afterwards
went to see him, "that you have placed me in your berth, and I wish not
to keep you out of it longer than possible. I am a ruined man, and must
not expect longer to enjoy any of the comforts of life, until I can
retrieve my fortunes, if that can ever be done."

"Pray do not consider that you have inconvenienced me," answered Tom.
"I am very happy to be of service to you. All we know is that we found
you nearly perishing, and are happy to render you any aid in our power.
We are naturally somewhat curious to know how you came to be floating
all by yourself on a raft."

"That's very natural, sir. My story is not a long one. My name is
Cooper. I was master and part owner of a fine barque, the _Flora_,
trading to Hobart Town, in Tasmania. I was coming home by the southern
route, when during some thick weather we sighted a rock not laid down in
my chart. I call it a rock, but it was rather a small island rising in
lofty precipices out of the sea. The weather clearing, somewhat to my
surprise I made out a signal flying from a flag-staff, and on standing
in close I could see through my glass a small hut. Believing that some
shipwrecked people were there, I stood still closer in, when a sudden
squall struck my vessel, and laid her on her beam ends. She righted
without much damage, as far as could be discovered; but the weather
coming on very bad, I was obliged to keep off the shore. I made a
second attempt, but was again driven off, and soon afterwards as heavy a
gale as ever I experienced coming on from the southward, having lost my
main and mizzen masts, and very nearly my fore-topmast, I was compelled
to run before it. I had hopes of getting into Simon's Bay, when the
carpenter came to me and reported eight feet of water in the hold. I
sent the crew to the pumps, but all their efforts could not free the
ship, for the water kept rushing in with fearful rapidity.