Inthisfrightfulsituationwelayuntilthedaybrokesoastoshowusmorefullythehorrorswhichsurroundedus。Thebrigwasamerelog，rollingaboutatthemercyofeverywave；thegalewasupontheincrease，ifanything，blowingindeedacompletehurricane，andthereappearedtousnoearthlyprospectofdeliverance。Forseveralhoursweheldoninsilence，expectingeverymomentthatourlashingswouldeithergiveway，thattheremainsofthewindlasswouldgobytheboard，orthatsomeofthehugeseas，whichroaredineverydirectionaroundusandaboveus，woulddrivethehulksofarbeneaththewaterthatweshouldbedrownedbeforeitcouldregainthesurface。BythemercyofGod，however，wewerepreservedfromtheseimminentdangers，andaboutmiddaywerecheeredbythelightoftheblessedsun。Shortlyafterwardwecouldperceiveasensiblediminutionintheforceofthewind，when，nowforthefirsttimesincethelatterpartoftheeveningbefore，Augustusspoke，askingPeters，wholayclosesttohim，ifhethoughttherewasanypossibilityofourbeingsaved。Asnoreplywasatfirstmadetothisquestion，weallconcludedthatthehybridhadbeendrownedwherehelay；butpresently，toourgreatjoy，hespoke，althoughveryfeebly，sayingthathewasingreatpain，beingsocutbythetightnessofhislashingsacrossthestomach，thathemusteitherfindmeansoflooseningthemorperish，asitwasimpossiblethathecouldendurehismiserymuchlonger。Thisoccasionedusgreatdistress，asitwasaltogetheruselesstothinkofaidinghiminanymannerwhiletheseacontinuedwashingoverusasitdid。Weexhortedhimtobearhissufferingswithfortitude，andpromisedtoseizethefirstopportunitywhichshouldofferitselftorelievehim。Herepliedthatitwouldsoonbetoolate；thatitwouldbealloverwithhimbeforewecouldhelphim；andthen，aftermoaningforsomeminutes，laysilent，whenweconcludedthathehadperished。
Astheeveningdrewon，theseahadfallensomuchthatscarcelymorethanonewavebrokeoverthehulkfromwindwardinthecourseoffiveminutes，andthewindhadabatedagreatdeal，althoughstillblowingaseveregale。Ihadnotheardanyofmycompanionsspeakforhours，andnowcalledtoAugustus。Hereplied，althoughveryfeebly，sothatIcouldnotdistinguishwhathesaid。IthenspoketoPetersandtoParker，neitherofwhomreturnedanyanswer。
ShortlyafterthisperiodIfellintoastateofpartialinsensibility，duringwhichthemostpleasingimagesfloatedinmyimagination；suchasgreentrees，wavingmeadowsofripegrain，processionsofdancinggirls，troopsofcavalry，andotherphantasies。Inowrememberthat，inallwhichpassedbeforemymind’seye，motionwasapredominantidea。Thus，Ineverfanciedanystationaryobject，suchasahouse，amountain，oranythingofthatkind；butwindmills，ships，largebirds，balloons，peopleonhorseback，carriagesdrivingfuriously，andsimilarmovingobjects，presentedthemselvesinendlesssuccession。WhenIrecoveredfromthisstate，thesunwas，asnearasIcouldguess，anhourhigh。I
hadthegreatestdifficultyinbringingtorecollectionthevariouscircumstancesconnectedwithmysituation，andforsometimeremainedfirmlyconvincedthatIwasstillintheholdofthebrig，nearthebox，andthatthebodyofParkerwasthatofTiger。
WhenIatlengthcompletelycametomysenses，Ifoundthatthewindblewnomorethanamoderatebreeze，andthattheseawascomparativelycalm；somuchsothatitonlywashedoverthebrigamidships。Myleftarmhadbrokenloosefromitslashings，andwasmuchcutabouttheelbow；myrightwasentirelybenumbed，andthehandandwristswollenprodigiouslybythepressureoftherope，whichhadworkedfromtheshoulderdownward。Iwasalsoingreatpainfromanotherropewhichwentaboutmywaist，andhadbeendrawntoaninsufferabledegreeoftightness。Lookingrounduponmycompanions，I
sawthatPetersstilllived，althoughathicklinewaspulledsoforciblyaroundhisloinsastogivehimtheappearanceofbeingcutnearlyintwo；asIstiffed，hemadeafeeblemotiontomewithhishand，pointingtotherope。Augustusgavenoindicationoflifewhatever，andwasbentnearlydoubleacrossasplinterofthewindlass。Parkerspoketomewhenhesawmemoving，andaskedmeifI
hadnotsufficientstrengthtoreleasehimfromhissituation，sayingthatifIwouldsummonupwhatspiritsIcould，andcontrivetountiehim，wemightyetsaveourlives；butthatotherwisewemustallperish。Itoldhimtotakecourage，andIwouldendeavortofreehim。
Feelinginmypantaloons’pocket，Igotholdofmypenknife，and，afterseveralineffectualattempts，atlengthsucceededinopeningit。Ithen，withmylefthand，managedtofreemyrightfromitsfastenings，andafterwardcuttheotherropeswhichheldme。Uponattempting，however，tomovefrommyposition，Ifoundthatmylegsfailedmealtogether，andthatIcouldnotgetup；neithercouldI
movemyrightarminanydirection。UponmentioningthistoParker，headvisedmetoliequietforafewminutes，holdingontothewindlasswithmylefthand，soastoallowtimeforthebloodtocirculate。Doingthis，thenumbnesspresentlybegantodieawaysothatIcouldmovefirstoneofmylegs，andthentheother，and，shortlyafterwardIregainedthepartialuseofmyrightarm。InowcrawledwithgreatcautiontowardParker，withoutgettingonmylegs，andsooncutlooseallthelashingsabouthim，when，afterashortdelay，healsorecoveredthepartialuseofhislimbs。WenowlostnotimeingettingloosetheropefromPeters。Ithadcutadeepgashthroughthewaistbandofhiswoollenpantaloons，andthroughtwoshirts，andmadeitswayintohisgroin，fromwhichthebloodflowedoutcopiouslyasweremovedthecordage。Nosoonerhadweremovedit，however，thanhespoke，andseemedtoexperienceinstantrelief-
beingabletomovewithmuchgreatereasethaneitherParkerormyself-thiswasnodoubtowingtothedischargeofblood。
WehadlittlehopesthatAugustuswouldrecover，asheevincednosignsoflife；but，upongettingtohim，wediscoveredthathehadmerelyswoonedfromthelossofblood，thebandageswehadplacedaroundhiswoundedarmhavingbeentornoffbythewater；noneoftheropeswhichheldhimtothewindlassweredrawnsufficientlytighttooccasionhisdeath。Havingrelievedhimfromthefastenings，andgothimclearofthebrokenwoodaboutthewindlass，wesecuredhiminadryplacetowindward，withhisheadsomewhatlowerthanhisbody，andallthreeofusbusiedourselvesinchafinghislimbs。Inabouthalfanhourhecametohimself，althoughitwasnotuntilthenextmorningthathegavesignsofrecognizinganyofus，orhadsufficientstrengthtospeak。Bythetimewehadthusgotclearofourlashingsitwasquitedark，anditbegantocloudup，sothatwewereagaininthegreatestagonylestitshouldcomeontoblowhard，inwhicheventnothingcouldhavesavedusfromperishing，exhaustedaswewere。Bygoodfortuneitcontinuedverymoderateduringthenight，theseasubsidingeveryminute，whichgaveusgreathopesofultimatepreservation。AgentlebreezestillblewfromtheN。W。，buttheweatherwasnotatallcold。Augustuswaslashedcarefullytowindwardinsuchamannerastopreventhimfromslippingoverboardwiththerollsofthevessel，ashewasstilltooweaktoholdonatall。Forourselvestherewasnosuchnecessity。Wesatclosetogether，supportingeachotherwiththeaidofthebrokenropesaboutthewindlass，anddevisingmethodsofescapefromourfrightfulsituation。Wederivedmuchcomfortfromtakingoffourclothesandwringingthewaterfromthem。Whenweputthemonafterthis，theyfeltremarkablywarmandpleasant，andservedtoinvigorateusinnolittledegree。WehelpedAugustusoffwithhis，andwrungthemforhim，whenheexperiencedthesamecomfort。
Ourchiefsufferingswerenowthoseofhungerandthirst，andwhenwelookedforwardtothemeansofreliefinthisrespect，ourheartssunkwithinus，andwewereinducedtoregretthatwehadescapedthelessdreadfulperilsofthesea。Weendeavoured，however，toconsoleourselveswiththehopeofbeingspeedilypickedupbysomevesselandencouragedeachothertobearwithfortitudetheevilsthatmighthappen。
Themorningofthefourteenthatlengthdawned，andtheweatherstillcontinuedclearandpleasant，withasteadybutverylightbreezefromtheN。W。Theseawasnowquitesmooth，andas，fromsomecausewhichwecouldnotdetermine，thebrigdidnothesomuchalongasshehaddonebefore，thedeckwascomparativelydry，andwecouldmoveaboutwithfreedom。Wehadnowbeenbetterthanthreeentiredaysandnightswithouteitherfoodordrink，anditbecameabsolutelynecessarythatweshouldmakeanattempttogetupsomethingfrombelow。Asthebrigwascompletelyfullofwater，wewenttothisworkdespondently，andwithbutlittleexpectationofbeingabletoobtainanything。Wemadeakindofdragbydrivingsomenailswhichwebrokeoutfromtheremainsofthecompanion-hatchintotwopiecesofwood。Tyingtheseacrosseachother，andfasteningthemtotheendofarope，wethrewthemintothecabin，anddraggedthemtoandfro，inthefainthopeofbeingthusabletoentanglesomearticlewhichmightbeofusetousforfood，orwhichmightatleastrenderusassistanceingettingit。Wespentthegreaterpartofthemorninginthislabourwithouteffect，fishingupnothingmorethanafewbedclothes，whichwerereadilycaughtbythenails。Indeed，ourcontrivancewassoveryclumsythatanygreatersuccesswashardlytobeanticipated。
Wenowtriedtheforecastle，butequallyinvain，andwereuponthebrinkofdespair，whenPetersproposedthatweshouldfastenaropetohisbody，andlethimmakeanattempttogetupsomethingbydivingintothecabin。Thispropositionwehailedwithallthedelightwhichrevivinghopecouldinspire。Heproceededimmediatelytostripoffhisclotheswiththeexceptionofhispantaloons；andastrongropewasthencarefullyfastenedaroundhismiddle，beingbroughtupoverhisshouldersinsuchamannerthattherewasnopossibilityofitsslipping。Theundertakingwasoneofgreatdifficultyanddanger；for，aswecouldhardlyexpecttofindmuch，ifany，provisioninthecabinitself，itwasnecessarythatthediver，afterlettinghimselfdown，shouldmakeaturntotheright，andproceedunderwateradistanceoftenortwelvefeet，inanarrowpassage，tothestoreroom，andreturn，withoutdrawingbreath。
Everythingbeingready，Petersnowdescendedinthecabin，goingdownthecompanion-ladderuntilthewaterreachedhischin。Hethenplungedin，headfirst，turningtotherightasheplunged，andendeavouringtomakehiswaytothestoreroom。Inthisfirstattempt，however，hewasaltogetherunsuccessful。Inlessthanhalfaminuteafterhisgoingdownwefelttheropejerkedviolentlythesignalwehadagreeduponwhenhedesiredtobedrawnup。Weaccordinglydrewhimupinstantly，butsoincautiouslyastobruisehimbadlyagainsttheladder。Hehadbroughtnothingwithhim，andhadbeenunabletopenetratemorethanaverylittlewayintothepassage，owingtotheconstantexertionshefounditnecessarytomakeinordertokeephimselffromfloatingupagainstthedeck。Upongettingouthewasverymuchexhausted，andhadtorestfullfifteenminutesbeforehecouldagainventuretodescend。
Thesecondattemptmetwithevenworsesuccess；forheremainedsolongunderwaterwithoutgivingthesignal，that，becomingalarmedforhissafety，wedrewhimoutwithoutit，andfoundthathewasalmostatthelastgasp，having，ashesaid，repeatedlyjerkedattheropewithoutourfeelingit。Thiswasprobablyowingtoaportionofithavingbecomeentangledinthebalustradeatthefootoftheladder。Thisbalustradewas，indeed，somuchintheway，thatwedeterminedtoremoveit，ifpossible，beforeproceedingwithourdesign。Aswehadnomeansofgettingitawayexceptbymainforce，wealldescendedintothewaterasfaraswecouldontheladder，andgivingapullagainstitwithourunitedstrength，succeededinbreakingitdown。
Thethirdattemptwasequallyunsuccessfulwiththetwofirst，anditnowbecameevidentthatnothingcouldbedoneinthismannerwithouttheaidofsomeweightwithwhichthedivermightsteadyhimself，andkeeptothefloorofthecabinwhilemakinghissearch。
Foralongtimewelookedaboutinvainforsomethingwhichmightanswerthispurpose；butatlength，toourgreatjoy，wediscoveredoneoftheweather-forechainssoloosethatwehadnottheleastdifficultyinwrenchingitoff。Havingfastenedthissecurelytooneofhisankles，Petersnowmadehisfourthdescentintothecabin，andthistimesucceededinmakinghiswaytothedoorofthesteward’sroom。Tohisinexpressiblegrief，however，hefounditlocked，andwasobligedtoreturnwithouteffectinganentrance，as，withthegreatestexertion，hecouldremainunderwaternotmore，attheutmostextent，thanasingleminute。Ouraffairsnowlookedgloomyindeed，andneitherAugustusnormyselfcouldrefrainfromburstingintotears，aswethoughtofthehostofdifficultieswhichencompassedus，andtheslightprobabilitywhichexistedofourfinallymakinganescape。Butthisweaknesswasnotoflongduration。
ThrowingourselvesonourkneestoGod，weimploredHisaidinthemanydangerswhichbesetus；andarosewithrenewedhopeandvigortothinkwhatcouldyetbedonebymortalmeanstowardaccomplishingourdeliverance。