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four days, if we would only promise not to kill his wife in the interval.

but finding her immovable in
her resolution, I returned, and
reported her answer to her hus-
band. The poor man thought
at first that I was joking, and
would not believe me; but after
a little consideration he fell into
a complete fury, took up a mus-
ket, and swore he would shoot
her. But he had not gone
many steps when he relented.
He stopped, and bursting into
tears, begged me to go by my-
self and try again to bring her
to reason, and even to threaten
that he would shoot her.
went and did as he bade me,
but the woman resolutely re-
plied, "As to death, I fear it
not.

I

'We now entrenched ourselves on a neighbouring hill; and about a week after, a number of savages appeared on the opposite shore of the river, expressing to us a wish to enter into treaty with us. I immediately went down to the water's edge, attended by several of our people. An elderly man, dressed in the European style, appeared as the leader of the opposite party, amongst whom was Mrs. B. She immediately told us that our female prisoner was the sister of the chief, that they were both kind people, to whom she owed the greatest obligations, and demanded that we would instantly set her at liberty. On our telling her, however, that her husband would not liberate her, unless she herself were first restored to him, she replied, to our horror and consternation, that she was very well contented to stay where she was, at the same time advising us to deliver our-meantime I reflected upon his selves also to her present pro- wife's words, and ultimately detectors. Their chief, she said, termined to follow her advice. was a candid and honourable I communicated my resolution man, well known on this coast, to my companions, who at first who would, without the least unanimously declared against doubt, liberate and send us on it; but on Mr. B.'s declaring board two vessels now lying in that he would follow my exthe Bay of St. Juan de Fuca. ample, they begged to be alAs to the other prisoners, she lowed to consider till the next said they were dispersed among morning. the tribes in the vicinity. I tried for some time to persuade her to a different determination;

I will rather die than wander with you again through the forests, where we may fall at last into the hands of some cruel tribe, whilst now I live among kind and humane people. Tell my husband that I despise his threats." This cruel answer almost deprived the unfortunate and doting husband of his senses. He leaned against a tree and wept bitterly. In the

'The morning came, and the savages appeared again, renewing their demand for the restora

and Mrs. B., who had become reconciled to each other, was truly cruel; sometimes they were united together, sometimes they were separated, and in constant fear of being so for

tion of the captives. This was immediately agreed to, and at the same time Mr. Bulugin, myself, and three others of our party surrendered ourselves to their discretion. The remainder of our comrades, however, obsti- | ever. At last death kindly renately refused to follow. Hav-leased them. The lady died in ing taken, therefore, a hearty farewell of each other, we departed with the tribe to which we now belonged. The next day we reached the village of the Koonishtshati (a tribe in the vicinity of Cape Flattery), where my host, the abovenamed chief, Yootramaki, had his winter residence. Mr. B. went to the master of his wife, whilst the three others fell into various hands. The remainder of our companions attempted to reach the Island of Destruction, but foundered upon a rock; and after losing all their gunpowder, had some difficulty in escaping with their lives. They tried, therefore, to overtake us; but being intercepted by another tribe, they were all taken prisoners and dispersed along the

coast.

'At the end of about a month, my master returned to his village near Cape Flattery, taking with him myself and Mr. B., whom he had purchased from his master, with a promise of purchasing his wife also. We

lived for some time very comfortable; but afterwards our situation frequently changed, the savages sometimes selling, sometimes giving us to one another. The fate of poor Mr.

August 1809, and in February of the following year her disconsolate husband followed her; but not to the grave, for his wife had been at her death in the hands of such a barbarian, that he would not allow her a burial, but had her exposed in the forest. In the meantime I passed the greater part of my captivity with the good Yootramaki, who treated me like a friend. These people are like children, and pleased with every trifle. I found, therefore, no difficulty in ingratiating myself with them; and the construction of a paper kite and a watchman's rattle spread my reputation, as well as that of the Russian nation in general, far among them. At last their veneration for my abilities was carried so far, that in one of the general assemblies of the toëns, it was resolved that they would henceforward consider me as one of their equals, after which I always enjoyed the same honours as my master or any other chief. They often wondered how Bulugin, who could neither shoot birds flying nor use the hatchet, could have been our chief. During the ensuing winter, so great a dearth of provisions ensued, that one

beaver was paid for ten salmon.ately offered to ransom the With some chiefs the want was so great, that three of our countrymen took refuge with me, and my master was kind enough to support them till the next spring, when they were demanded back by their owners, and I had influence enough to ensure them immunity for their flight.

In the month of March, we again removed to our summer village, where I built for myself a hut, with embrasures for defence, and of so novel a construction, that the chiefs came from great distances in order to see and admire it. In the meantime, however, God had heard our prayers, and provided for our deliverance. On the 6th of May, an American brig, the Lydia, Captain Brown, visited this coast. I went on board, and found one of our companions, whom the captain had released near the river Columbia. This honest tar immedi

whole of us. The savages, who thought this a good opportunity for obtaining large quantities of European goods, made such exorbitant demands, that Captain Brown, to cut the matter short, took one of their chiefs into custody, and declared that he would detain him till all the Russians were delivered up to him for a moderate price, for which several of us had already been ransomed. This proceeding had the desired effect; in less than two days he liberated thirteen of us.

Seven had died

during our captivity, one had been sold to a distant nation, anong whom he remained, and one was ransomed in 1809, by another American vessel near the river Columbia. On the 10th of May our vessel weighed anchor, and after touching at several points of the coast for the purpose of barter, we were safely landed on the 9th of June at New Archangel.'

CHAPTER XIV.
LIFE ON THE MEDUSA RAFT.

THE Medusa, of forty-four guns, in company with three other vessels, sailed from Rochefort, on the 17th of June 1816, to take possession of the French settlements on the Gambia, which had been restored to France by the treaties of 1814 and 1815. As it was intended that the Governor of Senegal,

who was on board, should send
out a party to ascertain the
possibility of establishing a
settlement near
Cape Verd,
the expedition was accompanied
by a number of scientific men,
agriculturists, and miners. The
Medusa, on board of which
were embarked about four hun-
dred persons, was commanded

As the boats were not suffi

by M. de Chaumareys, who appears to have been wholly ciently capacious to contain the unworthy of his station. In the sailors and troops, a raft was course of the voyage the smaller hastily and unskilfully conships parted company, and the structed, while attempts were Medusa was left alone. In making to liberate the frigate. consequence of a most disgrace- When, by the bulging of the ful obstinacy and want of sea- frigate, all hope was at an end, manship on the part of the it became necessary to resort to captain, the vessel ran upon this clumsy contrivance. The the bank of Arguin, which lies same carelessness and want of off the northern part of the foresight, which had marked all Senegambian coast. The crew the past proceedings, still prewere immediately thrown into vailed at this important moment. the most dreadful consterna- No arrangements for embarking tion. But when they had partly were made, no care was taken shaken off the effects of the to secure a proper supply of first shock, they began to make provisions; all was confusion and efforts for getting the vessel off fear. Some boats had not above the reef; their exertions, how-twenty-four pounds of biscuit, ever, were awkward, ill-directed, a small cask of water, and very and consequently ineffectual. little wine. The raft, which They were continued for two was designed to carry 150 perdays, and were then relinquished sons, had a tolerably large in despair. On the night of the quantity of wine, and some third day a heavy gale arose, water, but not a single barrel the sea ran high, and the ship of biscuit. bulged. The keel broke in two, the rudder was unshipped; and as it still held to the stern by the chains, every wave made it act as a battering-ram against the vessel, to the destruction of which it materially contributed. At this critical period, when order and union were so needful, a mutiny broke out, excited by some of the soldiers, who persuaded their comrades that it was intended to leave them in the frigate, while the crew escaped in the boats. The governor and the officers, how-intoxicated to be moved, some ever, succeeded in bringing despairing of the safety of the back the soldiers to their duty. boats. The embarkation was

A bag containing twenty-five pounds of biscuit, which was thrown from the vessel at the instant of departure, and the contents of which were converted into paste by the sea water, was the sole resource of the unfortunate navigators on the raft. On board the six boats were two hundred and thirty persons. On the raft were a hundred and twenty soldiers and officers, twenty-nine sailors and passengers, and one woman. Seventeen were abandoned on the wreck, some too

effected in the utmost disorder, but no lives were lost. Mr. Corréard, who was to have gone in one of the boats, but who nobly refused, because his men were on the raft, and who was one of the very few who retained any presence of mind, suggested to the captain the necessity of providing proper instruments and charts on board the raft, and was told that everything which could possibly be wanted there had been provided, and that a naval officer would be sent to assume the command. The officer, however, Mr. Danglas, a lieutenant, not liking the post assigned him, hastened back again on board the frigate, and returned no more; while neither chart nor compass were ever found.

The ship was quitted on the morning of the 5th of July, the coast being then distant not more than twelve or fifteen leagues. It was settled that the raft should be taken in tow by the boats; and it seems certain that, with proper exertion, the whole might have reached the shore within sixand-thirty hours. But those who navigated the boats, were now guilty of an act of vile cruelty and baseness towards their wretched comrades. Scarcely had they rowed two leagues from the wreck, before, one by one, they cast off the tow lines, abandoned the raft to its fate, and made the best of their way to the shore. It was some time before the victims

could believe that they were really deserted; but they were at length too well convinced of the melancholy truth. The disasters which followed upon this cruel desertion must be told in the language of one of the sufferers himself:

'After the disappearance of the boats, the consternation was extreme; all the terrors of thirst and famine arose before our imaginations; and we had, besides, to contend with a perfidious element, which already covered the half of our bodies. When recovered from stupefaction, the sailors and soldiers gave themselves up to despair; all saw inevitable destruction before them, and gave vent in lamentations to the gloomy thoughts which agitated them. All we said did not at first avail to calm their fears, in which we, however, participated, but which a greater degree of strength of mind enabled us to dissemble. At last a firm countenance and consoling words succeeded in calming them by degrees, but could not wholly dispel the terror with which they were struck. When tranquillity was a little restored, we began to look upon the raft for the charts, the compass, and the anchor, which we presumed had been placed there, from what had been said to us at the time we quitted the frigate. These highly necessary articles had not been put upon our machine. The want of a compass in particular

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