'Was I left alone in this awful place ?' I knew not.
Next I became conscious of a burning thirst.

I put my hand over the edge of the boat into the water and drew it up again with a cry.

No wonder: nearly all the skin was burnt off the back of it.

The water, however, was cold, or nearly so, and I drank pints and splashed myself all over.

My body seemed to suck up the fluid as one may see a brick wall suck up rain after a drought; but where I was burnt the touch of it caused intense pain.