The men obeyed, as Philip, to encourage them, had almost jocularly remarked (for a joke is often well-timed, when apparently on the threshold of eternity), there was no want of light.  The column of fire now ascended above the main-top—­licking with its forky tongue the top-mast rigging—­and embracing the mainmast in its folds:  and the loud roar with which it ascended proved the violence and rapidity of the combustion below, and how little time there was to be lost.  The lower and main decks were now so filled with smoke that no one could remain there:  some few poor fellows, sick in their cots, had long been smothered, for they had been forgotten.  The swell had much subsided, and there was not a breath of wind:  the smoke which rose from the hatchways ascended straight up in the air, which, as the vessel had lost all steerage way, was fortunate.  The boats were soon in the water, and trusty men placed in them:  the spars were launched over, arranged by the men in the boats, and lashed together.  All the gratings were then collected and firmly fixed upon the spars for the people to sit upon; and Philip’s heart was glad at the prospect which he now had of saving the numbers which were embarked.

Chapter XVII

But their difficulties were not surmounted—­the fire now had communicated to the main-deck, and burst out of the port-holes amidships—­and the raft which had been forming alongside was obliged to be drifted astern, where it was more exposed to the swell.  This retarded their labour, and, in the meantime, the fire was making rapid progress; the mainmast, which had long been burning, fell over the side with the lurching of the vessel, and the flames out of the main-deck ports soon showed their points above the bulwarks, while volumes of smoke were poured in upon the upper deck, almost suffocating the numbers which were crowded there; for all communication with the fore-part of the ship had been, for some time, cut off by the flames, and everyone had retreated aft.  The women and children were now carried on to the poop; not only to remove them farther from the suffocating smoke, but that they might be lowered down to the raft from the stern.

It was about four o’clock in the morning when all was ready, and by the exertions of Philip and the seamen, notwithstanding the swell, the women and children were safely placed on the raft, where it was considered that they would be less in the way, as the men could relieve each other in pulling when they were tired.

After the women and children had been lowered down, the troops were next ordered to descend by the ladders; some few were lost in the attempt, falling under the boat’s bottom and not reappearing; but two-thirds of the men were safely put in the berths they were ordered to take by Krantz, who had gone down to superintend this important arrangement.  Such had been the vigilance of Philip, who had requested Captain Barentz