CHAPTER XIII.


They stood slowly away to the north-east along the coast of Brazil.
Every morning, towards the end of the dog-watch, when the sun rose in
its gorgeous majesty from the sea, there came a refreshing breeze off
the land, bringing with it the perfume of a thousand aromatic herbs;
albatrosses and sea-gulls circled round the ship; flying-fish were to be
seen in shoals; and all nature, animate and inanimate, seemed to be
freshened for the time into activity and life. But gradually the breeze
would become warmer and lighter, and then die away altogether, so that
before noon the sails would hang flapping against the mast. They
scarcely made five knots in the watch, and the heat during the greater
part of the day was unbearable--as unbearable almost as the captain's
temper, which showed no signs of improvement, and which vented itself in
a systematic grinding of the crew, who, Captain Beck declared, were
getting into intolerable habits of idleness.

Strange things occurred on board just at this time, which, taken in
connection with the captain's mood, produced an uncomfortable feeling
that there was some evil influence at work by which both the ship and
the captain were possessed. Groans had been distinctly heard down in the
hold among the coals; and the sailmaker affirmed that on several nights
in succession he had seen a man go from amidships aft along the bulwark
railings, stand still and point with his hand to the compass, and then
disappear in the wake of the ship. Another declared that he had seen the
ship's genius proceed in the same direction and jump overboard--cap and
all he was no higher than a half sea-boot; and when the genius deserts a
ship, it betokens in the sailors' superstitious creed that she is about