Mr. Espiau, who commanded it, came on board the frigate, he said that he would take every body on board.  First, two women and a child were let down; the most fearful followed.  I embarked immediately before Mr. Espiau.  Some men preferred remaining on board the frigate to sinking, as they said, with the long-boat.  In fact, we were crowded in it to the number of ninety persons; we were obliged to throw into the sea our little parcels, the only things we had left.  We did not dare to make the least motion for fear of upsetting our frail vessel.

I had had some water-casks and a great many bottles of wine put on board:  I had got all these things ready before hand.  The sailors concealed in the long-boat what ought to have been for every body; they drank the whole the first night, which exposed us to the danger of perishing with thirst in the sequel.(B)

[A9] XIV.—­Occurrences which took place after the Raft was abandoned.

About half-past six in the evening, and just at sun-set, the people in the boats descried the land:  that is to say, the high downs of sand of the Zaara, which appeared quite brilliant and like heaps of gold and silver.  The sea, between the frigate and the coast, appeared to have some depth; the waves were longer and more hollow, as if the bank of Arguin rose towards the West.  But as they approached the land, the water suddenly became shallow, and finding only a depth of three or four feet, they resolved to cast anchor till day-break.  Several scattered hills, a few rocky shoals nearly dry, made them presume that they were in the Lagunes, formed by the River St. John; this opinion was verified by the sight of Cape Meric, which appears like the continuation of a high hill coming from the interior, but suddenly rising at its approach to the sea, like the torrents of Volcanic matter.  In passing before this cape, out at sea and towards the West, the sea appeared to break over some shoals, which are suspected to be the Southern end of the bank of Arguin, which, according to some persons at Senegal, is dry at low water. (A)

[B6] XV.—­Forsaking the Raft.

When we had overtaken the raft, towed by the other boats, we asked the latter to take from us at least twenty men, or otherwise we should sink.  They answered that they were already too much loaded.  One of our movements, towards the boats, made them fancy that despair had inspired us with the idea of sinking them and ourselves at the same time.

How could the officers imagine that such a design was entertained by Mr. Espiau, who had just before displayed such a noble desire to assist his comrades?  The boats, in order to avoid us, cut the ropes which united them together, and made all the sail they could from us.  In the midst of this confusion, the rope which towed the raft, broke also, and a hundred and fifty men were abandoned in the midst of the ocean, without any hope of relief.