The barbarians, who seemed to be, and who in truth were, fully apprised of
the defenceless and feeble condition of the party on board, were at work
without the smallest apprehension of receiving any injury from that
quarter. Their great object was to get possession of the ship, before the
returning water should again drive them from the rocks. In order to effect
this, they had placed all who were willing and sufficiently subordinate on
the bridge, though a hundred were idle, shouting, clapping their hands,
menacing, and occasionally discharging a musket, of which there were
probably fifty in their possession.
"They work with judgment at their pontoon," said Paul, after he had
examined the proceedings of those on the reef for a few minutes. "You may
perceive that they have dragged the outer end of the bridge up to
windward, and have just shoved it from the rocks, with the intention to
permit it to drift round, until it shall bring up against the bows of the
ship, when they will pour on board like so many tigers. It is a disjointed
and loose contrivance, that the least sea would derange; but in this
perfectly smooth water it will answer their purpose. It moves slowly, but
will surely drift round upon us in the course of fifteen or twenty minutes
more; and of this they appear to be quite certain themselves, for they
seem as well satisfied with their work as if already assured of its
complete success.
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