the works of edgar allan poe-3-第30章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


indescribable　relief　in　bathing；　and　to　have　this　resource　cut　off　in
so　frightful　a　manner　was　more　than　we　could　bear。　Nor；　indeed；　were
we　altogether　free　from　the　apprehension　of　immediate　danger；　for　the
least　slip　or　false　movement　would　have　thrown　us　at　once　within
reach　of　those　voracious　fish；　who　frequently　thrust　themselves
directly　upon　us；　swimming　up　to　leeward。　No　shouts　or　exertions　on
our　part　seemed　to　alarm　them。　Even　when　one　of　the　largest　was
struck　with　an　axe　by　Peters　and　much　wounded；　he　persisted　in　his
attempts　to　push　in　where　we　were。　A　cloud　came　up　at　dusk；　but；　to
our　extreme　anguish；　passed　over　without　discharging　itself。　It　is
quite　impossible　to　conceive　our　sufferings　from　thirst　at　this
period。　We　passed　a　sleepless　night；　both　on　this　account　and　through
dread　of　the　sharks。

　　　　August　3。　No　prospect　of　relief；　and　the　brig　lying　still　more
and　more　along；　so　that　now　we　could　not　maintain　a　footing　upon　deck
at　all。　Busied　ourselves　in　securing　our　wine　and　tortoise…meat；　so
that　we　might　not　lose　them　in　the　event　of　our　rolling　over。　Got　out
two　stout　spikes　from　the　forechains；　and；　by　means　of　the　axe；　drove
them　into　the　hull　to　windward　within　a　couple　of　feet　of　the　water；
this　not　being　very　far　from　the　keel；　as　we　were　nearly　upon　our
beam…ends。　To　these　spikes　we　now　lashed　our　provisions；　as　being
more　secure　than　their　former　position　beneath　the　chains。　Suffered
great　agony　from　thirst　during　the　whole　day…　no　chance　of　bathing　on
account　of　the　sharks；　which　never　left　us　for　a　moment。　Found　it
impossible　to　sleep。

　　　August　4。　A　little　before　daybreak　we　perceived　that　the　hulk　was
heeling　over；　and　aroused　ourselves　to　prevent　being　thrown　off　by
the　movement。　At　first　the　roll　was　slow　and　gradual；　and　we
contrived　to　clamber　over　to　windward　very　well；　having　taken　the
precaution　to　leave　ropes　hanging　from　the　spikes　we　had　driven　in
for　the　provision。　But　we　had　not　calculated　sufficiently　upon　the
acceleration　of　the　impetus；　for；　presently　the　heel　became　too
violent　to　allow　of　our　keeping　pace　with　it；　and；　before　either　of
us　knew　what　was　to　happen；　we　found　ourselves　hurled　furiously　into
the　sea；　and　struggling　several　fathoms　beneath　the　surface；　with　the
huge　hull　immediately　above　us。

　　　　In　going　under　the　water　I　had　been　obliged　to　let　go　my　hold
upon　the　rope；　and　finding　that　I　was　completely　beneath　the　vessel；
and　my　strength　nearly　exhausted；　I　scarcely　made　a　struggle　for
life；　and　resigned　myself；　in　a　few　seconds；　to　die。　But　here　again　I
was　deceived；　not　having　taken　into　consideration　the　natural　rebound
of　the　hull　to　windward。　The　whirl　of　the　water　upward；　which　the
vessel　occasioned　in　Tolling　partially　back；　brought　me　to　the
surface　still　more　violently　than　I　had　been　plunged　beneath。　Upon
coming　up　I　found　myself　about　twenty　yards　from　the　hulk；　as　near　as
I　could　judge。　She　was　lying　keel　up；　rocking　furiously　from　side　to
side；　and　the　sea　in　all　directions　around　was　much　agitated；　and
full　of　strong　whirlpools。　I　could　see　nothing　of　Peters。　An　oil…cask
was　floating　within　a　few　feet　of　me；　and　various　other　articles　from
the　brig　were　scattered　about。

　　　　My　principal　terror　was　now　on　account　of　the　sharks；　which　I
knew　to　be　in　my　vicinity。　In　order　to　deter　these；　if　possible；　from
approaching　me；　I　splashed　the　water　vigorously　with　both　hands　and
feet　as　I　swam　towards　the　hulk；　creating　a　body　of　foam。　I　have　no
doubt　that　to　this　expedient；　simple　as　it　was；　I　was　indebted　for　my
preservation；　for　the　sea　all　round　the　brig；　just　before　her　rolling
over；　was　so　crowded　with　these　monsters；　that　I　must　have　been；　and
really　was；　in　actual　contact　with　some　of　them　during　my　progress。
By　great　good　fortune；　however；　I　reached　the　side　of　the　vessel　in
safety；　although　so　utterly　weakened　by　the　violent　exertion　I　had
used　that　I　should　never　have　been　able　to　get　upon　it　but　for　the
timely　assistance　of　Peters；　who；　now；　to　my　great　joy；　made　his
appearance　（having　scrambled　up　to　the　keel　from　the　opposite　side　of
the　hull）；　and　threw　me　the　end　of　a　rope　　one　of　those　which　had
been　attached　to　the　spikes。

　　　　Having　barely　escaped　this　danger；　our　attention　was　now　directed
to　the　dreadful　imminency　of　another　　that　of　absolute　starvation。
Our　whole　stock　of　provision　had　been　swept　overboard　in　spite　of　all
our　care　in　securing　it；　and　seeing　no　longer　the　remotest
possibility　of　obtaining　more；　we　gave　way　both　of　us　to　despair；
weeping　aloud　like　children；　and　neither　of　us　attempting　to　offer
consolation　to　the　other。　Such　weakness　can　scarcely　be　conceived；
and　to　those　who　have　never　been　similarly　situated　will；　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　rainwater；
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　to　be　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　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　5。　To…day；　a　gentle　breeze　springing　up　carried　us　through
a　vast　quantity　of　seaweed；　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
trace　of　sharks　among　the　seaweed；　we　also　ventured　to　bathe；　and
remained　in　the　water　for　four　or　five　hours；　during　which　we
experienced　a　very　sensible　diminution　of　our　thirst。　Were　greatly
refreshed；　and　spent　the　night　somewhat　more　comfortably　than　before；
both　of　us　snatching　a　little　sleep。

　　　　August　6。　This　day　we　were　blessed　by　a　brisk　and　continual　rain；
lasting　from　about　noon　until　after　dark。　Bitterly　did　we　now　regret
the　loss　of　our　jug　and　carboy；　for；　in　spite　of　the　little　means　we
had　of　catching　the　water；　we　might　have　filled　one；　if　not　both　of
them。　As　it　was；　we　contrived　to　satisfy　the　cravings　of　thirst　by
suffering　the　shirts　to　become　saturated；　and　then　wringing　them　so
as　to　let　the　grateful　fluid　trickle　into　our　mouths。　In　this
occupation　we　passed　the　entire　day。

　　　　August　7。　Just　at　daybreak　we　both　at　the　same　instant　descried　a
sail　to　the　eastward；　and　_evidently　coming　towards　us！_　We　hailed
the　glorious　sight　with　a　long；　altho