J. Gericault: The Raft of the Medus

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From the French broadcasting system and as we present the
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story of a monster the first in a series of programs we're
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counting the historical background over world famous artistic
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masterpieces.
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Today the raft of the Medusa.
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The 17th of June 1860 around 8 o'clock in the morning
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the Medusa ship of the Royal Navy disembarked. The weather was
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radiant. The master of the ship after Gandhi was captained
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several months later and sensational trial took place in the
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accused box with the same Captain
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Louis by the grace of God King of France and.
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Salutations to all present and to come this day.
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3rd of March 1817 ten o'clock in the morning after having
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celebrated the mass of the Holy Spirit and by virtue of the ordinance of His
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Majesty Louis the eighteenth of the last seventh of January the maritime
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council of war can vote by Monsieur and more rear
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admiral of the Royal Military Order of St. Louis is
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assembled aboard the military vessel in the port of Ross for.
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Gentleman. The object of this meeting. Is to
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judge monsieur who triggered captain former captain of
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the Medusa stranded on the 2nd of July. Eighteen hundred sixteen
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around 3:00 in the afternoon off the African coast of the sadder
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and completely lost the Fifth of July following around
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three o'clock in the morning also to examine the
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conduct of the said Commander concerning the facts preceding
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accompanying and following the loss of the ship.
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There are reasons which are brought about the necessity. Of judging Monsieur de
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Chaumont I never heard of flying gravity
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and catastrophe without precedent in the matter to Manaus of our country and the
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abandoning in open seas of a raft bearing a hundred fifty of
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the ship. Clerk Please read the principal
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accusations made against the commander of the frigate Medusa who go
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go sure.
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There are five principal accusations against Monsieur the Shah Madre.
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One separation of the frigate Medusa from the Corvette Echo and the brig
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Argus. Although the Medusa under the command of Monsieur the Shomali was the lead ship
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of the convoy destined for Senegal. To the stranding of the
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Medusa on the 2nd of July 1816 due to a grave navigational
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error. Free the loss of the abuser on July the 5th
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1816. For. Evacuation and abandon of the
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Medusa. All those seventeen passengers were still on board and who were not rescued
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until 17 days later. Date. Only three men half
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insane were found on the derelict tilted at 45 degree angle.
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5. Abandon of the raft of the Medusa from the fifth to the
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17th of July in open seas with one hundred forty seven passengers
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including a woman and a child of the one hundred forty seven passengers on the
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raft. Only 14 were found living 12 days after their about.
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Four of the survivors died as a result of horrible injuries contracted on the raft.
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Three of the eight are among the 23 witnesses that the court will hear.
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They are called the cadet officer first class in charge
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of the raft. Louis good full sail master the mystery
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of the 70 surgeon.
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Could a head office a genre Danielle couldn't. Your ordeal on the raft
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lasted 13 days and as many nights can you day by
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day. Tell us. What your existence was like on bone. You're
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strong. What was the prevailing atmosphere around the
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raft. The first evening.
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Carm three portions of wine were distributed to everyone since we believed
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to be not far off. Evening prayers were said. But the night
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was terrible. The seas rose and a storm broke out. We don't enough space
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to standing clutching on to one another. We were constantly falling over each other
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into the water up to our waists. It was women through the 70s helped by several
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among us thought of stringing ropes along the length of the raft. By
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gripping these ropes. We were better able to resist the waves.
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Then someone had an idea to give each person a number so that we would be able to take
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count of the survivors at all times.
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Around midnight the CM reached its full fury. Dash to and fro in groups
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like going to capsize.
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Hold on tight to the earth.
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It's around seven o'clock in the morning the tempest abated somewhat.
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We then discovered 12 less fortunate. The legs had become wedged in the
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separations between the logs of the raft. They were unable to free themselves and to
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drown several others have been washed away by the storm. We
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were minus twenty all told. At what moment did you read the news
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hope from the tenth day on on that day that two ships boys
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and a young bacon men could no longer stand the waiting. They threw
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themselves into the sea.
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See my mother again my home town home never again put my back foot on the
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sand never again sleep in a bed. But it's
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frightening my friends flowers getting moldy. If one day you
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should see my mother tell her that I loved her but that I couldn't. I loved her but
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I'm not.
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I was a big.
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Three. This list of treatment options why
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that also was the evening of the first revote.
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Yes your honor. During the night from the 6th of July
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storm was up again.
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The wind was so strong that we were all forced to clutch one another around the mosque like a hive of
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bees. Or else run from one end of the rock to the other to counterbalance the weight of the
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waves. The soldiers thought the end was calm and
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started drinking.
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As long as we're all going to die let's open the cake by the mass. They're all helpless the others.
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Let's get rid of them. They should go before us talk said comrade to arms.
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And hatch. The skulls of all he knows how
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we must and we shall be safe. I want us all to die but we won't let that happen. Two arms
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two arms and he's having one foster car.
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According to the witnesses. 60 to 65 soldiers a pettish during that
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night massacred or drowned. How was such a slaughter
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possible. Did not the group of officers of which you were in Judge
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have some responsibility in this con and.
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It was them or us. They still have their bayonets and sabers and they charged us.
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One of them pretended to be resting on the supplies which made up the side of the raft in order to cut the guide ropes with
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his knife. When he was discovered and tried to kill an officer. We
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threw him overboard. Another time when I ordered the sail Holden and these madman
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rushed up and cut the halyards on the stays. The falling mass nearly broke the hip of the infantry
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captain duple. Revolt is wanted to throw him overboard.
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Others wanted to gouge out his eyes. I group the officers together and we finally
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encircle the mutineers.
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Is it true that you kept the mutineers who had fallen overboard from climbing back
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into the raft. And is it true that in order to do this you didn't
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hesitate to chop their fingers off.
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It is true. My safety was stake. Was there a lot
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of women aboard.
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Yes the campaign of. She was also thrown overboard by the mutineers and
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was half drowned when the moon came out on the raft.
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It lit up the slaughter house. It seemed like a butcher's table.
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We had no drinking water left and nothing left to live on.
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Is it true that from that day on. The survivors of the Medusa
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ate human flesh. It's true.
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How does one reconcile oneself to such an outrage against nature under such
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circumstances.
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On that raft with death at our elbows life had all value and no value. In the
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morning the men of the crew and the soldiers fell upon the cabdrivers of the the men who died the preceding
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night. They cut them into slices in it and let them
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roll without waiting. My officer and I refused to touch it but
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we had to admit that those who did he did became stronger. We had a meeting
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and decided to drive a flash in the sun to make it more palatable.
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How long did you and your officers hold out. Not very long.
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How could we. We did nothing for three days my hunger pains were horrible.
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We were barefooted two nights in a row we had been through a senseless struggle. We were up in
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water to our knees and up to our waist when the seas rose. We could only rest
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standing. The wounded were laid out on empty barrels and constantly
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knocked against one another.
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But didn't you try and find some other means of staving off your hunger.
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Yes but it was no good. The bravest tried to eat the
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limb bandoliers off the Sabers. They were hardly able to even swallow the
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smallest fragments like here ones at the leather interior of their
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knapsacks. Which had become soft from sweat and grease.
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But what about fish.
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The tropical seas abound in fish evolved varieties and that was precisely what we thought at
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first we fashioned some small hawks and also had bent one of the
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sabers hoping to catch some sharks but to no avail.
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The current carried our hooks under the raft where they got in Tangled. Actually one shot
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did bite at the bandit but it managed to straighten it and get away.
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The morning of the 14th day 12 other of our companions died of hunger
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and were littered over the raft. We too were dying of hunger.
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We didn't resist any longer but the fear of God human
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self-respect fear of dying was stronger.
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Now let us proceed on to the fourth day.
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That was the most bearable without a doubt. Don't misunderstand me by that. I
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merely mean it was the least horrible. The weather was clear.
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Flying fish passed under the raft and some of them came through the spaces between the logs of it.
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All we had to do is bend to our knees and catch them. We're talking about 200
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that same evening we had another stroke of good luck. The Master.
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Discovered something badly wrapped package.
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Captain I like to pitch in something
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everyone don't get carried away in the season.
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What we've got to do is put
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someone in the bottom of the bag that's how you saw a hole in the
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side of the cask. Put a piece of dry cloth and I just
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want a pretty
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place for the first time.
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My office isn't flush. With the.
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Surprise of powder which we quickly used up. And soon we had nothing.
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Thank you. I would now like to
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hear Monsieur de 70.
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I must put one question to you Miss you to send me.
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I've been told that you were responsible for an unusual decision.
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Made on the following day the fifth day to be exact the ninth of
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July. However it appears that everything was more or less
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calm on that ninth of July. But in the
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evening. The revolt broke out again.
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Wow.
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Some foot soldiers had persuaded the other soldiers that the coast of Africa was
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nearby. They promised to lead them across the desert without danger.
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On one condition to grab the jewels of the passengers of the ship's treasure
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which was fastened to the math.
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Unfortunately no one is able to confirm the verity of this plot.
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All the evidence is un based. And that is why I question you.
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You are the one.
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Who gave the signal put the massacre of the night of the 9th to the 10th of July.
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You were the one who only ordered a sergeant from PM No
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promo about this sergeant had managed to make a hole in the
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side of the last half cask of wine we had left. He had
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already 500 drunk a great deal of it.
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Death is a severe penalty.
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We had sworn to kill the first who tried to cheat on the Russians. If
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I had let him go it would have been anarchy on board. It was a just
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service.
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However it was that which incited the other soldiers to a murderous fury.
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The fighting was terrible. We fought with anything nice pieces of iron. Horrible.
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We lost five of our best sailors. The mutineers were nearly all killed. The
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canteen woman was injured.
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How many survivors were left on the raft. The morning of the 10th of July
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30.
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But of these 30 20 you were hardly able to remain upright.
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That was the day you decided to throw the sick overburden correct commits you to
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70.
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Yes it was evening. I was not the only one to decide. We had a council
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the 15 dying could not have been saved.
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Is that right Commander. That is right.
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We had a stormy one.
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We have the right to take
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me to him
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for that. I'll save my car and.
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Those who agree with the proposition of. Raise their right and.
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I'm against it but I'll take the majority.
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I thought.
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There's nothing left an hour to go right and carry out you are right. But
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wait. The woman you're not going to kill the kind canteen woman too.
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I like the others. She has a broken hip she centered She stopped. I
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have to kill her Russian wife. No delicacy Are We All right.
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My friends as I am I see that you want to get me to.
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After having see more than 20 years have gone
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by since I left my neat it you wouldn't Sure. I
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follow the armies of the republic. I thin the campaigns
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Russia. France I never met and I saw
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dues even in the worst moment. I may use.
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Every one will tell you so take my wine. Canteen woman is
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so used to pour out all the way. Kate even the last to
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take it but it's there.
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My compliments. Don't go away.
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No. We. Yes it's an extra aisle or bottle. It's
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an extra mouth to feed briefs I can not see me
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go.
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We threw overboard.
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They were useless except for a saber to cut rope and from then on
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hope and desperation took possession of us. Everything assumed an
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exaggerated importance. One day I don't recall when
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someone discovered a sprig of garlic and the next day
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we nearly killed each other over it. We also passed an empty
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flask which it contained rose water from hand to hand as if it contained
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life. Some sucked on pieces of tying to quench their
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thirst. One of us drank sea water. Another was constantly soaking his
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clothing in it. I once tried to jump overboard into a group of sharks but
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Masood held me back.
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Did you never think of building a small raft.
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Yes but right when we were launching it. As they were
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walking from one end to the other sank it. What was the use to try again.
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Just as well wait for death aboard the raft. What was the state of your morale was at
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that moment overwhelming weakness and
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complete disgust.
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You're.
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Very those who eat the flesh of that chick which ran away
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from one of the doors of
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certainly understand that it wasn't our fault.
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She'd take me in an arms.
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What good survived Nazi Death is the only sin and
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death is the only damnation of the day my friend. Again a blue sky.
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Doctor stop. That's what
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doctor think North American news.
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I could just call aftermath.
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Hundred and
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One
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the great painter was captured forever the moment before the final
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rescue of these shipwrecked men in his famous canvas of the
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Medusa at the foot of the mast of the makeshift raft tossed
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about by the sea are huddled in the last survivor
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pointing with his arm indicates the brig on the horizon to something who
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is backed up against the mast and to the other sailors.
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A man raised on an empty barrel waved the scrap of cloth an old man
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and cradled the body of his dead son on his knee.
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This work remarkable for its real oozing with expression the grandeur of its scope its
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blazing colors and its masterly execution was not originally
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appreciated not was the usual along with masterpieces.
[23:36 - 23:40]
The painter was unable to sell his work which he took with him to England in
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1820. Since however it has long held a
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place of honor in going to who museum in Paris.
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Croque. Read the names of the 15 survivors of the raft of the
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Medusa. Which took a boat one hundred forty seven passengers.
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Including a woman and a child. On July the 5th.
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Do you pull entrance to Captain that her infantry
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captain. Those are dead as a result of injuries.
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For Sale monster
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ship sense and shallow dead as a result of
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injuries. Dead as a result of
[24:42 - 24:47]
injuries. LaViolette Saudia.
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Cost sailor Thomas pilot
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Francois into
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engineer 70. Surgeon
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Josh Gad as a result of injuries
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as a result of injuries.
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I am. By right through the
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powers invested in this cog
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51 years old former commander of the Medusa
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is declared guilty of the
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loss of the Medusa. According to Article 39
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of the neighborhood penal code and by a majority of five to
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eight years struck from the list of naval officers
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and declared incapable of serving
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guilty of not having been the last to abandon the sinking
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Medusa which he commanded by a majority
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of five to eight. Years sentenced to three years in
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prison. Use equally to be fined the
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expenses of this hearing hearing held
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closed.
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Judged and sentenced aboard the vessel at
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1:45 in the evening.
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I am. I am.
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I now speak not for the indulgence of your judges
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in respect to your past service and the honor of the crown
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but is one of your peers an unbending one
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who you have acted honorably.
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I hereby declare in the name of the Legion of Honor
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that you are no longer a member. Neither are you a
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member of the Royal Military Order of sound we
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by unanimous opinion of the naval council there.
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I strip you of your decorations.
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You've been listening to the story of a masterpiece. Today's eulogy
[27:47 - 27:53]
and the rise of the MMA dude. With the ones that.
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Carol Jonathan the Lyall joy Norman and the old
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show on the street and is this good. This program was
[28:03 - 28:08]
written by piece gullable about that into English by Joel Saltzman and
[28:08 - 28:12]
directed by piece on. It came to you
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transcribed from 48 the French broadcasting system in Paris.
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This program was distributed by the national educational radio network.