138 The Lonely Man of the Ocean. [FEB. 



ment with a certain moral firmness of mind, which is not unfrequently 

 combined in the German character, and which, joining high-strung feel- 

 ings with pow r ers of soul sufficient to hold them in subjection, presents 

 .an exterior composed, and even phlegmatic, while the soul within glows 

 like ignited matter beneath a surface of frigidity. 



The revels broke up ; and ere the sun had set on the succeeding day, 

 the so recent pleasure-vessel was ploughing her solitary way on the 

 Atlantic j her festive decorations vanished like a dream, and even the 

 shores that had witnessed them were no longer within sight. 



On the second day of the voyage, the attention of Loeffler was forcibly 

 arrested by the livid and almost indescribable appearance of a young 

 seaman, who was mounting the main-shrouds of the vessel. Christian 

 called to him, inquired if he were ill, and, in the voice of humanity, 

 counselled him to descend. The young man did not, however, appear to 

 hear the humane caution ; and ere the lapse of a few seconds, he loosed 

 his hold on the main-yards which he had reached, and rushing, with 

 falling violence, through sails and rigging, was quickly precipitated to 

 the deck. Loeffler ran to raise him ; but not only was life extinct, even 

 its very traces had disappeared, and unlike one so recently warm with 

 vitality the features of the youth had assumed the livid and straight- 

 ened character of a corpse long deprived of its animating principle. 



The log-book, however, passed a verdict of et accidental death, 

 occasioned by a fall from the main-yard," on the youth's case; and as 

 such it went down in the marine record, amid notices of fair weather 

 and foul, notwithstanding Loeffler's repeated representations of the 

 young seaman's previous appearance. Christian's testimony was fated 

 ere long to obtain a fearful credence. On the succeeding day several 

 of the crew sickened ; and ere the lapse of another twenty-four hours, 

 death as well as sickness began to shew itself. The captain became 

 alarmed, and a report was soon whispered through the vessel that the 

 hand of some direful, base, or revengeful Portuguese had mingled poison 

 with the festive viands which had been liberally distributed to the 

 whole crew at the farewell entertainment of the Invincible. Loeffler, 

 although a German, was no great believer in tales of mystery and dark 

 vengeance. A more fearful idea than even that of poison once or twice 

 half-insinuated itself into his mind, but was forced from it with horror. 



The wind, which had blown favourably for the first ten days of the 

 voyage, now seemed totally to die away, and left the vessel becalmed in 

 the midway ocean. But for the idle rocking occasioned by the under 

 swell of the broad Atlantic waves, she might have seemed a fixture to 

 those seas ; for not even the minutest calculable fraction in her latitude 

 and longitude could have been discovered, even by the nicest observer, 

 for fourteen days. All this while a tropical sun sent its burning, 

 searching rays on the vessel, whose increasing sick and dying gasped 

 for air ; and unable either to endure the suffocation below, or the fiery 

 sunbeams above, choked the gangways in their restless passage to and 

 from deck, or giving themselves up in despair, called on death for relief. 

 The whole crew were in consternation; and they who had still health 

 and strength left to manage or clear the ship, went about their usual 

 duties with the feelings of men who might, at a moment's warning, be 

 summoned from them to death and eternal doom. 



Loeffler had shewn much courage during these fearful scenes ; but 

 when he beheld sickness and death mysteriously extending their reign 

 around him, and bearing away the best and the bravest of that gallant 



