 apparently in the last agonies. Upon getting hold of him
it was found that he was attached by a rope to the floating timber. This rope,
it will be remembered, I had myself tied round his waist, and made fast to a
ring-bolt, for the purpose of keeping him in an upright position, and my so
doing, it appeared, had been ultimately the means of preserving his life. The
Ariel was slightly put together, and in going down her frame naturally went to
pieces; the deck of the cuddy, as might have been expected, was lifted, by the
force of the water rushing in, entirely from the main timbers, and floated (with
other fragments, no doubt) to the surface - Augustus was buoyed up with it, and
thus escaped a terrible death.
    It was more than an hour after being taken on board the Penguin before he
could give any account of himself, or be made to comprehend the nature of the
accident which had befallen our boat. At length he became thoroughly aroused,
and spoke much of his sensations while in the water. Upon his first attaining
any degree of consciousness, he found himself beneath the surface, whirling
round and round with inconceivable rapidity, and with a rope wound in three or
four folds tightly about his neck. In an instant afterward he felt himself going
rapidly upward, when, his head striking violently against a hard substance, he
again relapsed into insensibility. Upon once more reviving he was in fuller
possession of his reason - this was still, however, in the greatest degree
clouded and confused. He now knew that some accident had occurred, and that he
was in the water, although his mouth was above the surface, and he could breathe
with some freedom. Possibly, at this period the deck was drifting rapidly before
the wind, and drawing him after it as he floated upon his back. Of course, as
long as he could have retained this position, it would have been nearly
impossible that he should be drowned. Presently a surge threw him directly
athwart the deck; and this post he endeavored to maintain, screaming at
intervals for help. Just before he was discovered by Mr. Henderson, he had been
obliged to relax his hold through exhaustion, and, falling into the sea, had
given himself up for lost. During the whole period of his struggles he had not
the faintest recollection of the Ariel, nor of any matters in connection with
the source of his disaster. A vague feeling of terror and despair had taken
entire possession of his faculties. When he was finally picked up
