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 I 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, he 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 he 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.