50 THE SHIPWRECK,

extinguishable hatred toCountCharles. But he no longer
sought to retaliate the affronts put upon him by that offi-
cer. Confiding in the justice of his captain, he suffered
all in silence, but, within his heart, the desire of future
revenge reigned supreme. The hazardous situation to
which they were reduced would have softened the impla-
cable hatred of almost any two of the ship’s company but —
Philip and Charles; a severer remedy was necessary to
purge from their hearts the revengeful spirit which was
corroding them.

The Achilles, in her present deplorable condition, was in
the middle of the treacherous Atlantic, almost under the
line, without water; so that ere they could succeed in
making the coast of Brazil, the crew would find themselves
the victims of thirst, at all times most tormenting, but
wholly intolerable in those burning latitudes.

An island, in the midst of all these perplexities, was hap-
pily discovered, at no very great distance ahead: they flat-
tered themselves it might be one of those little islands
where the Portuguese kept settlements for the purpose of
revictualling such of their ships as trade with Africa. Like
St Helena, or Ascension Isle, this one too appeared crowned
with rocks or volcanoes. But, at all events, they might
probably obtain a few casks of fresh water from some little