If men, notwithstanding their energies, sunk under the sufferings
caused by the intense heat and burning thirst, what must have been
the state of the poor little plant which faded away before the eye!
It had its allowance also, but it was not enough; and every morning
and evening Desclieux gave it his, only for which it would have died.
Louisa was astonished to see the feeble plant yet bearing up; but
Desclieux carefully concealed from her the means he was using, lest
she also would deprive herself of water for it, and that he did not
wish--he preferred suffering alone; and a long sojourn in the hottest
parts of Arabia had in a great measure inured him to the climate, so
that he did not feel it so much as others. The calm was
uninterrupted, the remainder of the water was nearly exhausted, their
situation was become dreadful, and there was no hope, in their case,
of any relief from another vessel, for all were alike becalmed; and
it was sad to see the ocean without a sail in the horizon, or, if
there was one, it too was motionless.
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