Page:Shipwrecks and disasters at sea.pdf/9

 the wreck, it happened that the raft, which was destined to carry the greatest number of people, had the least share of provisions; of wine, indeed, it had more than enough, but not a single barrel of biscuit. No embarkation list bad been made out—no disposition of any kind for the distribution of those on board.

There were five boats; in the first were the governor of Senegal and his family, in all thirty-five; it might (says our authors) have carried twice as many; the second took forty-two; the third twenty-eight; the fourth, the long-boat, eighty-eight; the fifth twenty-five; and the jolly boat fifteen, among whom were M. Picard, his wife, four children, and three young ladies. The military had, in the first instance, been placed upon the raft—the number embarked on this fatal machine was not less than one hundred and fifty; making, with those in the boats, a total of three hundred and ninety-seven.

On leaving the wreck, M. Correard, geographical engineer, one of the writers of the narrative, who had volunteered to accompany his men on the raft, wishing to be assured that proper instruments and charts for navigating it had been put on board, was told by the captain that every thing necessary had been provided, and a naval officer appointed to take charge of them ; this naval officer, however, jumped into one of the boats, and never joined them.

The boats pushed off in a line, towing the raft, and assuring the people on board that they would conduct them safely to land. They had