We were now only twenty-seven remaining; of this number but fifteen seemed likely to live some days:  all the rest, covered with large wounds, had almost entirely lost their reason; yet they had a share in the distribution of provisions, and might, before their death, consume thirty or forty bottles of wine, which were of inestimable value to us.  We deliberated thus:  to put the sick on half allowance would have been killing them by inches.  So after a debate, at which the most dreadful despair presided, it was resolved to throw them into the sea.  This measure, however repugnant it was to ourselves, procured the survivors wine for six days; when the decision was made, who would dare to execute it?  The habit of seeing death ready to pounce upon us as his prey, the certainly of our infallible destruction, without this fatal expedient, every thing in a word, had hardened our hearts, and rendered them callous to all feeling except that of self preservation.  Three sailors and a soldier took on themselves this cruel execution:  we turned our faces aside, and wept tears of blood over the fate of these unhappy men.  Among them were the unfortunate woman and her husband.  Both of them had been severely wounded in the various combats:  the woman had a thigh broken between the pieces of wood composing the raft, and her husband had received a deep wound with a sabre on his head.  Every thing announced their speedy dissolution.  We must seek to console ourselves, by the belief, that our cruel resolution shortened, but for a few moments only, the measure of their existence.

This French woman, to whom soldiers and Frenchmen gave the sea for a tomb, had partaken for twenty years in the glorious fatigues of our armies; for twenty years she had afforded to the brave, on the field of battle, either the assistance which they needed, or soothing consolations ...  It is in the midst of her friends; it is by the hands of her friends ...  Readers, who shudder at the cry of outraged humanity, recollect at least, that it was other men, fellow countrymen, comrades, who had placed us in this horrible situation.

This dreadful expedient saved the fifteen who remained; for, when we were found by the Argus, we had very little wine left, and it was the sixth day after the cruel sacrifice which we have just described:  the victims, we repeat it, had not above forty-eight hours to live, and by keeping them on the raft, we should absolutely have been destitute of the means of existence two days before we were found.  Weak as we were, we considered it as certain that it would have been impossible for us to hold out, even twenty-four hours, without taking some food.  After this catastrophe, which inspired us with a degree of horror not to be overcome, we threw the arms into the sea; we reserved, however, one sabre in case it should be wanted to cut a rope or piece of wood.

After all this, we had scarcely sufficient food on the raft, to last for the six days, and they were the most wretched immaginable.  Our dispositions had become soured:  even in sleep, we figured to ourselves the sad end of all our unhappy companions, and we loudly invoked death.