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CHAPTER VII. 



GETTING SOUTHWARD. 



Whether our recent experience had altered the captain's 

 plans or not I do not know, but much to the dismay 

 of the Portuguese portion of the crew, we did but sight, 

 dimly and afar oflf, the outline of the Cape Verde Islands 

 before our course was altered, and we bore away for the 

 southward like any other outward-bounder. That is, 

 as far as our course went ; but as to the speed, we still 

 retained the leisurely tactics hitherto pursued, shorten- 

 ing sail every night, and, if the weather was very fine, 

 setting it all again at daybreak. 



The morose and sullen temper of the captain had 

 been, if anything, made worse by recent events, and 

 we were worked as hard as if the success of the voyage 

 depended upon our ceaseless toil of scrubbing, scraping, 

 and polishing. Discipline was indeed maintained at a 

 high pitch of perfection, no man daring to look awry, 

 much less complain of any hardship, however great. 

 Even this humble submissiveness did not satisfy our 

 tyrant, and at last his cruelty took a more active shape. 

 One of the long Yankee farmers from Vermont, Abuer 

 Gushing by name, with the ingenuity which seems inbred 

 in his 'cute countrymen, must needs try his hand at 



