For some moments I could not believe it true, and I stood on the thwart and gazed carefully round, scanning every fragment of the wreck in the expectation of seeing some trick to deceive us--men lying flat with only their faces above the surface of the water, and holding on by sweep or bamboo with one hand.  But in a very short time we were all certain that not a living being was near; of the dead there were several, as we found on rowing here and there.  One, as he was turned over, seemed to be perfectly uninjured, but the others displayed ghastly wounds in face, neck, and breast, showing how horribly fierce had been the encounter in which they had been engaged.