The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 3Poe, Edgar Allan
General
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Volume 3
Poe, Edgar Allan
American fiction -- 19th century; Fantasy fiction; Horror tales, American
evening we saw several sharks, and were somewhat alarmed by the
audacious manner in which an enormously large one approached us.
At one time, a lurch throwing the deck very far beneath the
water, the monster actually swam in upon us, floundering for some
moments just over the companion-hatch, and striking Peters
violently with his tail. A heavy sea at length hurled him
overboard, much to our relief. In moderate weather we might have
easily captured him.
July 26. This morning, the wind having greatly abated, and the
sea not being very rough, we determined to renew our exertions in
the storeroom. After a great deal of hard labor during the whole
day, we found that nothing further was to be expected from this
quarter, the partitions of the room having been stove during the
night, and its contents swept into the hold. This discovery, as
may be supposed, filled us with despair.
July 27. The sea nearly smooth, with a light wind, and still from
the northward and westward. The sun coming out hotly in the
afternoon, we occupied ourselves in drying our clothes. Found
great relief from thirst, and much comfort otherwise, by bathing
in the sea; in this, however, we were forced to use great
caution, being afraid of sharks, several of which were seen
swimming around the brig during the day.
July 28. Good weather still. The brig now began to lie along so
alarmingly that we feared she would eventually roll bottom up.
Prepared ourselves as well as we could for this emergency,
lashing our tortoise, waterjug, and two remaining jars of olives
as far as possible over to the windward, placing them outside the
hull below the main-chains. The sea very smooth all day, with
little or no wind.
July 29. A continuance of the same weather. Augustus’s wounded
arm began to evince symptoms of mortification. He complained of
drowsiness and excessive thirst, but no acute pain. Nothing could
be done for his relief beyond rubbing his wounds with a little of
the vinegar from the olives, and from this no benefit seemed to
be experienced. We did every thing in our power for his comfort,
and trebled his allowance of water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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