 no doubt, appear unnatural;
but it must be remembered that our intellects were so entirely disordered by the
long course of privation and terror to which we had been subjected, that we
could not justly be considered, at that period, in the light of rational beings.
In subsequent perils, nearly as great, if not greater, I bore up with fortitude
against all the evils of my situation, and Peters, it will be seen, evinced a
stoical philosophy nearly as incredible as his present childlike supineness and
imbecility - the mental condition made the difference.
    The overturning of the brig, even with the consequent loss of the wine and
turtle, would not, in fact, have rendered our situation more deplorable than
before, except for the disappearance of the bedclothes by which we had been
hitherto enabled to catch rain-water, and of the jug in which we had kept it
when caught; for we found the whole bottom, from within two or three feet of the
bends as far as the keel, together with the keel itself, thickly covered with
large barnacles, which proved to be excellent and highly nutritious food. Thus,
in two important respects, the accident we had so greatly dreaded proved a
benefit rather than an injury; it had opened to us a supply of provisions which
we could not have exhausted, using it moderately, in a month; and it had greatly
contributed to our comfort as regards position, we being much more at our ease,
and in infinitely less danger, than before.
    The difficulty, however, of now obtaining water blinded us to all the
benefits of the change in our condition. That we might be ready to avail
ourselves, as far as possible, of any shower which might fall, we took off our
shirts, to make use of them as we had of the sheets - not hoping, of course, to
get more in this way, even under the most favorable circumstances, than half a
gill at a time. No signs of a cloud appeared during the day, and the agonies of
our thirst were nearly intolerable. At night, Peters obtained about an hour's
disturbed sleep, but my intense sufferings would not permit me to close my eyes
for a single moment.
    August 5th. - To-day, a gentle breeze springing up carried us through a vast
quantity of sea-weed, among which we were so fortunate as to find eleven small
crabs, which afforded us several delicious meals. Their shells being quite soft,
we ate them entire, and found that they irritated our thirst far less than the
barnacles. Seeing no
