The Ariel was slightly put together, and in going down her frame naturally went to pieces; the deck of the cuddy, as might have been expected, was lifted, by the force of the water rushing in, entirely from the main timbers, and floated (with other fragments, no doubt) to the surface--Augustus was buoyed up with it, and thus escaped a terrible death.
It was more than an hour after being taken on board the Penguin before he could give any account of himself, or be made to comprehend the nature of the accident which had befallen our boat.

At length he became thoroughly aroused, and spoke much of his sensations while in the water.
Upon his first attaining any degree of consciousness, he found himself beneath the surface, whirling round and round with inconceivable rapidity, and with a rope wrapped in three or four folds tightly about his neck.

In an instant afterward he felt himself going rapidly upward, when, his head striking violently against a hard substance, he again relapsed into insensibility.

Upon once more reviving he was in fuller possession of his reason--this was still, however, in the greatest degree clouded and confused.

He now knew that some accident had occurred, and that he was in the water, although his mouth was above the surface, and he could breathe with some freedom.