The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym

Chapter 11

WE spent the remainder of the day in a condition of stupid

lethargy, gazing after the retreating vessel until the darkness,

hiding her from our sight, recalled us in some measure to our senses.

The pangs of hunger and thirst then returned, absorbing all other

cares and considerations. Nothing, however, could be done until the

morning, and, securing ourselves as well as possible, we endeavoured

to snatch a little repose. In this I succeeded beyond my

expectations, sleeping until my companions, who had not been so

fortunate, aroused me at daybreak to renew our attempts at getting up

provisions from the hull.

It was now a dead calm, with the sea as smooth as have ever known

it, -- the weather warm and pleasant. The brig was out of sight. We

commenced our operations by wrenching off, with some trouble, another

of the forechains; and having fastened both to Peters' feet, he again

made an endeavour to reach the door of the storeroom, thinking it

possible that he might be able to force it open, provided he could

get at it in sufficient time; and this he hoped to do, as the hulk

lay much more steadily than before.

He succeeded very quickly in reaching the door, when, loosening

one of the chains from his ankle, be made every exertion to force the

passage with it, but in vain, the framework of the room being far

stronger than was anticipated. He was quite exhausted with his long

stay under water, and it became absolutely necessary that some other

one of us should take his place. For this service Parker immediately

volunteered; but, after making three ineffectual efforts, found that

he could never even succeed in getting near the door. The condition

of Augustus's wounded arm rendered it useless for him to attempt

going down, as he would be unable to force the room open should be

reach it, and it accordingly now devolved upon me to exert myself for

our common deliverance.

Peters had left one of the chains in the passage, and I found,

upon plunging in, that I had not sufficient balance to keep me firmly

down. I determined, therefore, to attempt no more, in my first

effort, than merely to recover the other chain. In groping along the

floor of the passage for this, I felt a hard substance, which I

immediately grasped, not having time to ascertain what it was, but

returning and ascending instantly to the surface. The prize proved to

be a bottle, and our joy may be conceived when I say that it was

found to be full of port wine. Giving thanks to God for this timely

and cheering assistance, we immediately drew the cork with my

penknife, and, each taking a moderate sup, felt the most

indescribable comfort from the warmth, strength, and spirits with

which it inspired us. We then carefully recorked the bottle, and, by

means of a handkerchief, swung it in such a manner that there was no

possibility of its getting broken.

Having rested a while after this fortunate discovery, I again

descended, and now recovered the chain, with which I instantly came

up. I then fastened it on and went down for the third time, when I

became fully satisfied that no exertions whatever, in that situation,

would enable me to force open the door of the storeroom. I therefore

returned in despair.

There seemed now to be no longer any room for hope, and I could

perceive in the countenances of my companions that they had made up

their minds to perish. The wine had evidently produced in them a

species of delirium, which, perhaps, I had been prevented from

feeling by the immersion I had undergone since drinking it. They

talked incoherently, and about matters unconnected with our

condition, Peters repeatedly asking me questions about Nantucket.

Augustus, too, I remember, approached me with a serious air, and

requested me to lend him a pocket-comb, as his hair was full of

fish-scales, and he wished to get them out before going on shore.

Parker appeared somewhat less affected, and urged me to dive at

random into the cabin, and bring up any article which might come to

hand. To this I consented, and, in the first attempt, after staying

under a full minute, brought up a small leather trunk belonging to

Captain Barnard. This was immediately opened in the faint hope that

it might contain something to eat or drink. We found nothing,

however, except a box of razors and two linen shirts. I now went down

again, and returned without any success. As my head came above water

I heard a crash on deck, and, upon getting up, saw that my companions

had ungratefully taken advantage of my absence to drink the remainder

of the wine, having let the bottle fall in the endeavour to replace

it before I saw them. I remonstrated with them on the heartlessness

of their conduct, when Augustus burst into tears. The other two

endeavoured to laugh the matter off as a joke, but I hope never again

to behold laughter of such a species: the distortion of countenance

was absolutely frightful. Indeed, it was apparent that the stimulus,

in the empty state of their stomachs, had taken instant and violent

effect, and that they were all exceedingly intoxicated. With great

difficulty I prevailed upon them to lie down, when they fell very

soon into a heavy slumber, accompanied with loud stertorous

breathing.

I now found myself, as it were, alone in the brig, and my

reflections, to be sure, were of the most fearful and gloomy nature.

No prospect offered itself to my view but a lingering death by

famine, or, at the best, by being overwhelmed in the first gale which

should spring up, for in our present exhausted condition we could

have no hope of living through another.

The gnawing hunger which I now experienced was nearly

insupportable, and I felt myself capable of going to any lengths in

order to appease it. With my knife I cut off a small portion of the

leather trunk, and endeavoured to eat it, but found it utterly

impossible to swallow a single morsel, although I fancied that some

little alleviation of my suffering was obtained by chewing small

pieces of it and spitting them out. Toward night my companions awoke,

one by one, each in an indescribable state of weakness and horror,

brought on by the wine, whose fumes had now evaporated. They shook as

if with a violent ague, and uttered the most lamentable cries for

water. Their condition affected me in the most lively degree, at the

same time causing me to rejoice in the fortunate train of

circumstances which had prevented me from indulging in the wine, and

consequently from sharing their melancholy and most distressing

sensations. Their conduct, however, gave me great uneasiness and

alarm; for it was evident that, unless some favourable change took

place, they could afford me no assistance in providing for our common

safety. I had not yet abandoned all idea being able to get up

something from below; but the attempt could not possibly be resumed

until some one of them was sufficiently master of himself to aid me

by holding the end of the rope while I went down. Parker appeared to

be somewhat more in possession of his senses than the others, and I

endeavoured, by every means in my power, to rouse him. Thinking that

a plunge in the sea-water might have a beneficial effect, I contrived

to fasten the end of a rope around his body, and then, leading him to

the companion-way (he remaining quite passive all the while), pushed

him in, and immediately drew him out. I had good reason to

congratulate myself upon having made this experiment; for he appeared

much revived and invigorated, and, upon getting out, asked me, in a

rational manner, why I had so served him. Having explained my object,

he expressed himself indebted to me, and said that he felt greatly

better from the immersion, afterward conversing sensibly upon our

situation. We then resolved to treat Augustus and Peters in the same

way, which we immediately did, when they both experienced much

benefit from the shock. This idea of sudden immersion had been

suggested to me by reading in some medical work the good effect of

the shower-bath in a case where the patient was suffering from _mania

a potu_.

Finding that I could now trust my companions to hold the end of

the rope, I again made three or four plunges into the cabin, although

it was now quite dark, and a gentle but long swell from the northward

rendered the hulk somewhat unsteady. In the course of these attempts

I succeeded in bringing up two case-knives, a three-gallon jug,

empty, and a blanket, but nothing which could serve us for food. I

continued my efforts, after getting these articles, until I was

completely exhausted, but brought up nothing else. During the night

Parker and Peters occupied themselves by turns in the same manner;

but nothing coming to hand, we now gave up this attempt in despair,

concluding that we were exhausting ourselves in vain.

We passed the remainder of this night in a state of the most

intense mental and bodily anguish that can possibly be imagined. The

morning of the sixteenth at length dawned, and we looked eagerly

around the horizon for relief, but to no purpose. The sea was still

smooth, with only a long swell from the northward, as on yesterday.

This was the sixth day since we had tasted either food or drink, with

the exception of the bottle of port wine, and it was clear that we

could hold out but a very little while longer unless something could

be obtained. I never saw before, nor wish to see again, human beings

so utterly emaciated as Peters and Augustus. Had I met them on shore

in their present condition I should not have had the slightest

suspicion that I had ever beheld them. Their countenances were

totally changed in character, so that I could not bring myself to

believe them really the same individuals with whom I had been in

company but a few days before. Parker, although sadly reduced, and so

feeble that he could not raise his head from his bosom, was not so

far gone as the other two. He suffered with great patience, making no

complaint, and endeavouring to inspire us with hope in every manner

he could devise. For myself, although at the commencement of the

voyage I had been in bad health, and was at all times of a delicate

constitution, I suffered less than any of us, being much less reduced

in frame, and retaining my powers of mind in a surprising degree,

while the rest were completely prostrated in intellect, and seemed to

be brought to a species of second childhood, generally simpering in

their expressions, with idiotic smiles, and uttering the most absurd

platitudes. At intervals, however, they would appear to revive

suddenly, as if inspired all at once with a consciousness of their

condition, when they would spring upon their feet in a momentary

flash of vigour, and speak, for a short period, of their prospects,

in a manner altogether rational, although full of the most intense

despair. It is possible, however, that my companions may have

entertained the same opinion of their own condition as I did of mine,

and that I may have unwittingly been guilty of the same extravagances

and imbecilities as themselves -- this is a matter which cannot be

determined.

About noon Parker declared that he saw land off the larboard

quarter, and it was with the utmost difficulty I could restrain him

from plunging into the sea with the view of swimming toward it.

Peters and Augustus took little notice of what he said, being

apparently wrapped up in moody contemplation. Upon looking in the

direction pointed out, I could not perceive the faintest appearance

of the shore -- indeed, I was too well aware that we were far from

any land to indulge in a hope of that nature. It was a long time,

nevertheless, before I could convince Parker of his mistake. He then

burst into a flood of tears, weeping like a child, with loud cries

and sobs, for two or three hours, when becoming exhausted, he fell

asleep.

Peters and Augustus now made several ineffectual efforts to

swallow portions of the leather. I advised them to chew it and spit

it out; but they were too excessively debilitated to be able to

follow my advice. I continued to chew pieces of it at intervals, and

found some relief from so doing; my chief distress was for water, and

I was only prevented from taking a draught from the sea by

remembering the horrible consequences which thus have resulted to

others who were similarly situated with ourselves.

The day wore on in this manner, when I suddenly discovered a sail

to the eastward, and on our larboard bow. She appeared to be a large

ship, and was coming nearly athwart us, being probably twelve or

fifteen miles distant. None of my companions had as yet discovered

her, and I forbore to tell them of her for the present, lest we might

again be disappointed of relief. At length upon her getting nearer, I

saw distinctly that she was heading immediately for us, with her

light sails filled. I could now contain myself no longer, and pointed

her out to my fellow-sufferers. They immediately sprang to their

feet, again indulging in the most extravagant demonstrations of joy,

weeping, laughing in an idiotic manner, jumping, stamping upon the

deck, tearing their hair, and praying and cursing by turns. I was so

affected by their conduct, as well as by what I considered a sure

prospect of deliverance, that I could not refrain from joining in

with their madness, and gave way to the impulses of my gratitude and

ecstasy by lying and rolling on the deck, clapping my hands,

shouting, and other similar acts, until I was suddenly called to my

recollection, and once more to the extreme human misery and despair,

by perceiving the ship all at once with her stern fully presented

toward us, and steering in a direction nearly opposite to that in

which I had at first perceived her.

It was some time before I could induce my poor companions to

believe that this sad reverse in our prospects had actually taken

place. They replied to all my assertions with a stare and a gesture

implying that they were not to be deceived by such

misrepresentations. The conduct of Augustus most sensibly affected

me. In spite of all I could say or do to the contrary, he persisted

in saying that the ship was rapidly nearing us, and in making

preparations to go on board of her. Some seaweed floating by the

brig, he maintained that it was the ship's boat, and endeavoured to

throw himself upon it, howling and shrieking in the most heartrending

manner, when I forcibly restrained him from thus casting himself into

the sea.

Having become in some degree pacified, we continued to watch the

ship until we finally lost sight of her, the weather becoming hazy,

with a light breeze springing up. As soon as she was entirely gone,

Parker turned suddenly toward me with an expression of countenance

which made me shudder. There was about him an air of self-possession

which I had not noticed in him until now, and before he opened his

lips my heart told me what he would say. He proposed, in a few words,

that one of us should die to preserve the existence of the others.