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every moment; numbers were swept away, particularly near the extremities of the raft; and the crowding towards the centre of it was so great, that several poor wretches were smothered by the pressure of their comrades, who were unable to keep upon their legs.
Firmly persuaded that they were all on the point of being swallowed up, both soldiers and sailors resolved to soothe their last moments by drinking till they had lost their reason. They bored a hole in the head of the cask, from which they continued to swill till the salt water, mixing with the wine, rendered it no longer palatable. Excited by the fumes, acting on empty stomachs, and heads already disordered by danger, they now became deaf to the voice of reason; boldly declared their intention of murdering their officers, and then cutting the ropes which held the rafts together: one of them, seizing an axe, actually began the dreadful work—this was the signal for revolt; the officers rushed forward to quell the tumult, and the man with the hatchet was the first that fell—the stroke of a sabre terminated his existence.
The passengers joined the officers, but the mutineers were still the greater number; luckily they were but badly armed, or the few bayonets and sabres of the opposite party could not have kept them at bay. One fellow was detected secretly cutting the ropes, and immediately flung overboard; others destroyed the shrouds and halyard; and the mast destitute of support immediately fell on a captain of infantry and broke
