It was Jack's idea to set fire to the barge and let it go. Josephine didn't protest and since none of us were in the mood for a burial, a flaming funeral on the open water seemed the only solution to Robert's corpse.
I personally would have left him there to rot, truth be told. Jack was much more empathetic. He laid his hands on the timber, calling forth his control of wood, summoning the flames of the living metal. The railing of the barge caught almost immediately. Jack gave it a push, splashing forward a few steps to set it free from shore, his immense strength more than enough to accomplish the task.
We stood there for a long time, watching the ship drift away, engulfed in flames and the creeping gold Jack's touch purposely left behind to complete the consumption. I felt the others approaching, but ignored them until they galloped to the water's edge.