fellow, all white, directly ahead of us, asleep upon the waves,
with his head under his wing; now rising on the top of a huge billow,
and then falling slowly until he was lost in the hollow between.
He was undisturbed for some time, until the noise of our bows,
gradually approaching, roused him, when, lifting his head, he stared
upon us for a moment, and then spread his wide wings and took his flight.




CHAPTER VI
LOSS OF A MAN--SUPERSTITION


Monday, Nov. 19th. This was a black day in our calendar. At seven
o'clock in the morning, it being our watch below, we were aroused
from a sound sleep by the cry of "All hands ahoy! a man overboard!"
This unwonted cry sent a thrill through the heart of every one,
and hurrying on deck we found the vessel hove flat aback, with all
her studding-sails set; for the boy who was at the helm left it to
throw something overboard, and the carpenter, who was an old sailor,
knowing that the wind was light, put the helm down and hove her aback.
The watch on deck were lowering away the quarter-boat, and I got on
deck just in time to heave myself into her as she was leaving the side;
but it was not until out upon the wide Pacific, in our little boat,
that I knew whom we had lost. It was George Ballmer, a young English
sailor, who was prized by the officers as an active lad and willing
seaman, and by the crew as a lively, hearty fellow, and a good shipmate.
He was going aloft to fit a strap round the main top-mast-head,
for ringtail halyards, and had the strap and block, a coil of halyards