Even in this terrible hour, their commander remained cool and collected; his voice was still raised in words of encouragement, and as the dreaded enemy did not make its appearance, he again succeeded in persuading them to renew their efforts to clear the boat.  The night had passed away—­it was about ten o’clock on the morning of the 28th; the baling had progressed without interruption; a little more exertion, and the boat would have been cleared, when again was heard the cry of—­’The sharks! the sharks!’ But this was no false alarm; the boat a second time capsized, and the unhappy men were literally cast amongst a shoal of these terrible monsters.

The men, for a few minutes, remained uninjured, but not untouched; for the sharks actually rubbed against their victims, and, to use the exact words of one of the survivors, ’frequently passed over the boat and between us, whilst resting on the gunwale,’ This, however, did not last long; a shriek soon told the fate of one of the men; a shark had seized him by the leg, dying the water with his blood; another shriek followed, and another man disappeared.

But these facts are almost too horrible to dwell upon; human nature revolts from so terrible a picture; we will therefore hurry over this part of our tale.

Smith had witnessed the sufferings of his followers with the deepest distress; and although aware that in all probability he must soon share the same fate, he never for a moment appeared to think of himself.  There were but six men left, and these he endeavoured to sustain by his example, cheering them on to further exertions.  They had once more recommenced their labours to clear out the boat, when one of his legs was seized by a shark.  Even whilst suffering the most horrible torture, he restrained the expression of his feelings, for fear of increasing the alarm of the men.  But the powers of his endurance were doomed to be tried to the utmost; another limb was scrunched from his body, and uttering a deep groan, he was about to let go his hold, when he was seized by two of his men, and placed in the stern sheets.

Yet when his whole frame was convulsed with agony, the energies of his mind remained as strong as ever, his own pain was disregarded, he thought only of the preservation of his crew.  Calling to his side a lad of the name of Wilson, who appeared to be the strongest of the remaining few, he exhorted him, in the event of his surviving, to inform the admiral that he was going to Cape Ontario in search of the pirate when the unfortunate accident occurred; ‘Tell him,’ he continued, ’that my men have done their duty, and that no blame is attached to them.  I have but one favour to ask, and that is, that he will promote Meldrum to be a gunner.’

He then shook each man by the hand, and bade them farewell.  By degrees his strength began to fail, and at last became so exhausted, that he was unable to speak.  He remained in this state until the sunset, when another panic seized the men, from a reappearance of the sharks.  The boat gave a lurch, and the gallant commander found an end to his sufferings in a watery grave.