the works of edgar allan poe-3-第26节

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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。

　　　　July　30。　An　excessively　hot　day；　with　no　wind。　An　enormous　shark
kept　close　by　the　hulk　during　the　whole　of　the　forenoon。　We　made
several　unsuccessful　attempts　to　capture　him　by　means　of　a　noose。
Augustus　much　worse；　and　evidently　sinking　as　much　from　want　of
proper　nourishment　as　from　the　effect　of　his　wounds。　He　constantly
prayed　to　be　relieved　from　his　sufferings；　wishing　for　nothing　but
death。　This　evening　we　ate　the　last　of　our　olives；　and　found　the
water　in　our　jug　so　putrid　that　we　could　not　swallow　it　at　all
without　the　addition　of　wine。　Determined　to　kill　our　tortoise　in　the
morning。

　　　　July　31。　After　a　night　of　excessive　anxiety　and　fatigue；　owing　to
the　position　of　the　hulk；　we　set　about　killing　and　cutting　up　our
tortoise。　He　proved　to　be　much　smaller　than　we　had　supposed；　although
in　good　condition；…　the　whole　meat　about　him　not　amounting　to　more
than　ten　pounds。　With　a　view　of　preserving　a　portion　of　this　as　long
as　possible；　we　cut　it　into　fine　pieces；　and　filled　with　them　our
three　remaining　olive　jars　and　the　wine…bottle　（all　of　which　had　been
kept）；　pouring　in　afterward　the　vinegar　from　the　olives。　In　this
manner　we　put　away　about　three　pounds　of　the　tortoise；　intending　not
to　touch　it　until　we　had　consumed　the　rest。　We　concluded　to　restrict
ourselves　to　about　four　ounces　of　the　meat　per　day；　the　whole　would
thus　last　us　thirteen　days。　A　brisk　shower；　with　severe　thunder　and
lightning；　came　on　about　dusk；　but　lasted　so　short　a　time　that　we
only　succeeded　in　catching　about　half　a　pint　of　water。　The　whole　of
this；　by　common　consent；　was　given　to　Augustus；　who　now　appeared　to
be　in　the　last　extremity。　He　drank　the　water　from　the　sheet　as　we
caught　it　（we　holding　it　above　him　as　he　lay　so　as　to　let　it　run　into
his　mouth）；　for　we　had　now　nothing　left　capable　of　holding　water；
unless　we　had　chosen　to　empty　out　our　wine　from　the　carboy；　or　the
stale　water　from　the　jug。　Either　of　these　expedients　would　have　been
resorted　to　had　the　shower　lasted。

　　　　The　sufferer　seemed　to　derive　but　little　benefit　from　the
draught。　His　arm　was　completely　black　from　the　wrist　to　the　shoulder；
and　his　feet　were　like　ice。　We　expected　every　moment　to　see　him
breathe　his　last。　He　was　frightfully　emaciated；　so　much　so　that；
although　he　weighed　a　hundred　and　twenty…seven　pounds　upon　his
leaving　Nantucket；　he　now　did　not　weigh　more　than　forty　or　fifty　at
the　farthest。　His　eyes　were　sunk　far　in　his　head；　being　scarcely
perceptible；　and　the　skin　of　his　cheeks　hung　so　loosely　as　to　prevent
his　masticating　any　food；　or　even　swallowing　any　liquid；　without
great　difficulty。

　　　　August　1。　A　continuance　of　the　same　calm　weather；　with　an
oppressively　hot　sun。　Suffered　exceedingly　from　thirst；　the　water　in
the　jug　being　absolutely　putrid　and　swarming　with　vermin。　We
contrived；　nevertheless；　to　swallow　a　portion　of　it　by　mixing　it　with
wine；　our　thirst；　however；　was　but　little　abated。　We　found　more
relief　by　bathing　in　the　sea；　but　could　not　avail　ourselves　of　this
expedient　except　at　long　intervals；　on　account　of　the　continual
presence　of　sharks。　We　now　saw　clearly　that　Augustus　could　not　be
saved；　that　he　was　evidently　dying。　We　could　do　nothing　to　relieve
his　sufferings；　which　appeared　to　be　great。　About　twelve　o'clock　he
expired　in　strong　convulsions；　and　without　having　spoken　for　several
days。　His　death　filled　us　with　the　most　gloomy　forebodings；　and　had
so　great　an　effect　upon　our　spirits　that　we　sat　motionless　by　the
corpse　during　the　whole　day；　and　never　addressed　each　other　except　in
a　whisper。　It　was　not　until　some　time　after　dark　that　we　took　courage
to　get　up　and　throw　the　body　overboard。　It　was　then　loathsome　beyond
expression；　and　so　far　decayed　that；　as　Peters　attempted　to　lift　it；
an　entire　leg　came　off　in　his　grasp。　As　the　mass　of　putrefaction
slipped　over　the　vessel's　side　into　the　water；　the　glare　of
phosphoric　light　with　which　it　was　surrounded　plainly　discovered　to
us　seven　or　eight　large　sharks；　the　clashing　of　whose　horrible　teeth；
as　their　prey　was　torn　to　pieces　among　them；　might　have　been　heard　at
the　distance　of　a　mile。　We　shrunk　within　ourselves　in　the　extremity
of　horror　at　the　sound。

　　　　August　2。　The　same　fearfully　calm　and　hot　weather。　The　dawn　found
us　in　a　state　of　pitiable　dejection　as　well　as　bodily　exhaustion。　The
water　in　the　jug　was　now　absolutely　useless；　being　a　thick　gelatinous
mass；　nothing　but　frightful…looking　worms　mingled　with　slime。　We
threw　it　out；　and　washed　the　jug　well　in　the　sea；　afterward　pouring　a
little　vinegar　in　it　from　our　bottles　of　pickled　tortoise。　Our　thirst
could　now　scarcely　be　endured；　and　we　tried　in　vain　to　relieve　it　by
wine；　which　seemed　only　to　add　fuel　to　the　flame；　and　excited　us　to　a
high　degree　of　intoxication。　We　afterward　endeavoured　to　relieve　our
sufferings　by　mixing　the　wine　with　seawater；　but　this　instantly
brought　about　the　most　violent　retchings；　so　that　we　never　again
attempted　it。　During　the　whole　day　we　anxiously　sought　an　opportunity
of　bathing；　but　to　no　purpose；　for　the　hulk　was　now　entirely　besieged
on　all　sides　with　sharks…　no　doubt　the　identical　monsters　who　had
devoured　our　poor　companion　on　the　evening　before；　and　who　were　in
momentary　expectation　of　another　similar　feast。　This　circumstance
occasioned　us　the　most　bitter　regret　and　filled　us　with　the　most
depressing　and　melancholy　forebodings。　We　had　experienced
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