[B4] XI.—­Embarkment of the Crew.

On the 5th, about seven o’clock in the morning, all the soldiers were first embarked on board the raft, which was not quite finished, these unfortunate men crowded together upon pieces of wood, were in water up to the middle.

Mrs. and Miss Schmalz went on board their boat.  Mr. Schmalz, notwithstanding the entreaties of every body, would not yet quit the vessel.

The people embarked in disorder, every body was in a hurry, I advised them to wait patiently till every one’s turn came.  I gave the example, and was near being the victim of it.  All the boats, carried away by the current, withdrew and dragged the raft with them:  there still remained sixty of us on board.  Some sailors, thinking that the others were going to abandon them, loaded their muskets, and were going to fire upon the boats, and particularly upon the boat of the captain, who had already gone on board.  It was with the greatest difficulty that I dissuaded them from it.  I had need of all my strength, and all the arguments I could think of.  I succeeded in seizing some loaded muskets and threw them into the sea.

When I was preparing to quit the frigate, I had contented myself with a small parcel of things which were indispensable; all the rest had been already pillaged.  I had divided, with a comrade, eight hundred livres in gold, which I had still in my possession; this proved very fortunate for me in the sequel.  This comrade had embarked on board one of the boats, (B)

[A8] XII.—­On Mr. Espiau.

The name of this officer cannot be mentioned, in this memoir, without acknowledging the services which he performed on this occasion.  To him we owe the lives of several sailors and soldiers who had remained on board.  It is he who, notwithstanding the various dangers with which he was surrounded, following only the impulse of his courage, succeeded in saving them.  In giving him a command, the minister has paid the debt which the State had contracted towards this officer for his honorable conduct.(A)

[B5] XIII.—­Embarkation of the Men who remained on Board the Frigate.

I began to believe that we were abandoned, and that the boats, being too full, could take no more people on board.  The frigate was quite full of water.  Being convinced that she touched the bottom, and that she could not sink, we did not lose courage.  Without fearing death it was proper to do every thing we could to save ourselves:  we joined all together, officers, sailors and soldiers.  We appointed a master-pilot for our leader, we pledged our honour, either to save ourselves, or to perish all together; an officer and myself promised to remain to the last.

We thought of making another raft.  We made the necessary preparations to cut away one of the masts, in order to ease the frigate.  Exhausted by fatigue, it was necessary to think of taking some food; the gally was not under water; we lighted a fire; the pot was already boiling, when we thought we saw the long-boat returning to us; it was towed by two other lighter-boats, we all renewed the oath, either all to embark, or all to remain.  It appeared to us that our weight would sink the long-boat.