indiscriminately crowded together on a small spot, were the living,
the dying, and the dead; and the wretched survivors unable to give any
help to those whose sufferings might shortly be their own.

There was nothing to be done, but to wait in hope for the return of
the whale-boat, when, to the indescribable joy of all, a ship, with
all sail set, hove in sight: she was coming down before the wind, and
steering directly for the rock.

This cheering sight infused vigour into the weakest and most
desponding. Signals of distress were instantly made, and at last they
were perceived by the vessel, which brought to, and then hoisted out
her boat. Great was the joy of all the famishing creatures on the
rock, to see their deliverance at hand; the strongest began to fasten
spars and planks together to form rafts, on which they might get to
the ship; the boat came within pistol-shot. She was full of men, who
rested on their oars for a few minutes, as if to examine the persons
whom they were approaching: the man at the helm waved his hat, and
then the boat's head was put round and they pulled back again to the
ship, and left the crew of the Nautilus to their fate.

The transition from hope to despair was terrible,--all that day they
watched in vain for the return of their own boat from Cerigotto; but
hour after hour passed away, and they began, at length, to fear that
she had been lost in the gale of the preceding night.

Death, in its most horrible forms, now stared them in the face; the
pangs of hunger and thirst were almost insupportable. There was--

Water, water everywhere,