cording　to　sea…usage；　were　at　stated　times　made　to　him　by　some　petty　underling　（either　a　white；　mulatto　or　black）；　he　hardly　had　patience　enough　to　listen　to；　without　betraying　contemptuous　aversion。　His　manner　upon　such　occasions　was；　in　its　degree；　not　unlike　that　which　might　be　supposed　to　have　been　his　imperial　countryman's；　Charles　V。；　just　previous　to　the　anchoritish　retirement　of　that　monarch　from　the　throne。　　　　　This　splenetic　disrelish　of　his　place　was　evinced　in　almost　every　function　pertaining　to　it。　Proud　as　he　was　moody；　he　condescended　to　no　personal　mandate。　Whatever　special　orders　were　necessary；　their　delivery　was　delegated　to　his　body…servant；　who　in　turn　transferred　them　to　their　ultimate　destination；　through　runners；　alert　Spanish　boys　or　slave　boys；　like　pages　or　pilot…fish　within　easy　call　continually　hovering　round　Don　Benito。　So　that　to　have　beheld　this　undemonstrative　invalid　gliding　about；　apathetic　and　mute；　no　landsman　could　have　dreamed　that　in　him　was　lodged　a　dictatorship　beyond　which；　while　at　sea；　there　was　no　earthly　appeal。　　　　　Thus；　the　Spaniard；　regarded　in　his　reserve；　seemed　as　the　involuntary　victim　of　mental　disorder。　But；　in　fact；　his　reserve　might；　in　some　degree；　have　proceeded　from　design。　If　so；　then　in　Don　Benito　was　evinced　the　unhealthy　climax　of　that　icy　though　conscientious　policy；　more　or　less　adopted　by　all　commanders　of　large　ships；　which；　except　in　signal　emergencies；　obliterates　alike　the　manifestation　of　sway　with　every　trace　of　sociality；　transforming　the　man　into　a　block；　or　rather　into　a　loaded　cannon；　which；　until　there　is　call　for　thunder；　has　nothing　to　say。　　　　　Viewing　him　in　this　light；　it　seemed　but　a　natural　token　of　the　perverse　habit　induced　by　a　long　course　of　such　hard　self…restraint；　that；　notwithstanding　the　present　condition　of　his　ship；　the　Spaniard　should　still　persist　in　a　demeanour；　which；　however　harmless…　or　it　may　be；　appropriate…　in　a　well…appointed　vessel；　such　as　the　San　Dominick　might　have　been　at　the　outset　of　the　voyage；　was　anything　but　judicious　now。　But　the　Spaniard　perhaps　thought　that　it　was　with　captains　as　with　gods：　reserve；　under　all　events；　must　still　be　their　cue。　But　more　probably　this　appearance　of　slumbering　dominion　might　have　been　but　an　attempted　disguise　to　conscious　imbecility…　not　deep　policy；　but　shallow　device。　But　be　all　this　as　it　might；　whether　Don　Benito's　manner　was　designed　or　not；　the　more　Captain　Delano　noted　its　pervading　reserve；　the　less　he　felt　uneasiness　at　any　particular　manifestation　of　that　reserve　toward　himself。　　　　　Neither　were　his　thoughts　taken　up　by　the　captain　alone。　Wonted　to　the　quiet　orderliness　of　the　sealer's　comfortable　family　of　a　crew；　the　noisy　confusion　of　the　San　Dominick's　suffering　host　repeatedly　challenged　his　eye。　Some　prominent　breaches　not　only　of　discipline　but　of　decency　were　observed。　These　Captain　Delano　could　not　but　ascribe；　in　the　main；　to　the　absence　of　those　subordinate　deck…officers　to　whom；　along　with　higher　duties；　is　entrusted　what　may　be　styled　the　police　department　of　a　populous　ship。　True；　the　old　oakum…pickers　appeared　at　times　to　act　the　part　of　monitorial　constables　to　their　countrymen；　the　blacks；　but　though　occasionally　succeeding　in　allaying　trifling　outbreaks　now　and　then　between　man　and　man；　they　could　do　little　or　nothing　toward　establishing　general　quiet。　The　San　Dominick　was　in　the　condition　of　a　transatlantic　emigrant　ship；　among　whose　multitude　of　living　freight　are　some　individuals；　doubtless；　as　little　troublesome　as　crates　and　bales；　but　the　friendly　remonstrances　of　such　with　their　ruder　companions　are　of　not　so　much　avail　as　the　unfriendly　arm　of　the　mate。　What　the　San　Dominick　wanted　was；　what　the　emigrant　ship　has；　stern　superior　officers。　But　on　these　decks　not　so　much　as　a　fourth　mate　was　to　be　seen。　　　　　The　visitor's　curiosity　was　roused　to　learn　the　particulars　of　those　mishaps　which　had　brought　about　such　absenteeism；　with　its　consequences；　because；　though　deriving　some　inkling　of　the　voyage　from　the　wails　which　at　the　first　moment　had　greeted　him；　yet　of　the　details　no　clear　understanding　had　been　had。　The　best　account　would；　doubtless；　be　given　by　the　captain。　Yet　at　first　the　visitor　was　loth　to　ask　it；　unwilling　to　provoke　some　distant　rebuff。　But　plucking　up　courage；　he　at　last　accosted　Don　Benito；　renewing　the　expression　of　his　benevolent　interest；　adding；　that　did　he　（Captain　Delano）　but　know　the　particulars　of　the　ship's　misfortunes；　he　would；　perhaps；　be　better　able　in　the　end　to　relieve　them。　Would　Don　Benito　favour　him　with　the　whole　story？　　　　　Don　Benito　faltered；　then；　like　some　somnambulist　suddenly　interfered　with；　vacantly　stared　at　his　visitor；　and　ended　by　looking　down　on　the　deck。　He　maintained　this　posture　so　long；　that　Captain　Delano；　almost　equally　disconcerted；　and　involuntarily　almost　as　rude；　turned　suddenly　from　him；　walking　forward　to　accost　one　of　the　Spanish　seamen　for　the　desired　information。　But　he　had　hardly　gone　five　paces；　when　with　a　sort　of　eagerness　Don　Benito　invited　him　back；　regretting　his　momentary　absence　of　mind；　and　professing　readiness　to　gratify　him。　　　　　While　most　part　of　the　story　was　being　given；　the　two　captains　stood　on　the　after　part　of　the　main…deck；　a　privileged　spot；　no　one　being　near　but　the　servant。　　　　　〃It　is　now　a　hundred　and　ninety　days；〃　began　the　Spaniard；　in　his　husky　whisper；　〃that　this　ship；　well　officered　and　well　manned；　with　several　cabin　passengers…　some　fifty　Spaniards　in　all…　sailed　from　Buenos　Ayres　bound　to　Lima；　with　a　general　cargo；　Paraguay　tea　and　the　like…　and；〃　pointing　forward；　〃that　parcel　of　Negroes；　now　not　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty；　as　you　see；　but　then　numbering　over　three　hundred　souls。　Off　Cape　Horn　we　had　heavy　gales。　In　one　moment；　by　night；　three　of　my　best　officers；　with　fifteen　sailors；　were　lost；　with　the　main…yard；　the　spar　snapping　under　them　in　the　slings；　as　they　sought；　with　heavers；　to　beat　down　the　icy　sail。　To　lighten　the　hull；　the　heavier　sacks　of　mata　were　thrown　into　the　sea；　with　most　of　the　water…pipes　lashed　on　deck　at　the　time。　And　this　last　necessity　it　was；　combined　with　the　prolonged　detentions　afterwards　experienced；　which　eventually　brought　about　our　chief　causes　of　suffering。　When…〃　　　　　Here　there　was　a　sudden　fainting　attack　of　his　cough；　brought　on；　no　doubt；　by　his　mental　distress。　His　servant　sustained　him；　and　drawing　a　cordial　from　his　pocket　placed　it　to　his　lips。　He　a　little　revived。　But　unwilling　to　leave　him　unsupported　while　yet　imperfectly　restored；　the　black　with　one　arm　still　encircled　his　master；　at　the　same　time　keeping　his　eye　fixed　on　his　face；　as　if　to　watch　for　the　first　sign　of　complete　restoration；　or　relapse；　as　the　event　might　prove。　　　　　The　Spaniard　proceeded；　but　brokenly　and　obscurely；　as　one　in　a　dream。　　　　　…〃Oh；　my　God！　rather　than　pass　through　what　I　have；　with　joy　I　would　have　hailed　the　most　terrible　gales；　but…〃　　　　　His　cough　returned　and　with　increased　violence；　this　subsiding；　with　reddened　lips　and　closed　eyes　he　fell　heavily　against　his　supporter。　　　　　〃His　mind　wanders。　He　was　thinking　of　the　plague　that　followed　the　gales；〃　plaintively　sighed　the　servant；　〃my　poor；　poor　master！〃　wringing　one　hand；　and　with　the　other　wiping　the　mouth。　〃But　be　patient；　Senor；〃　again　turning　to　Captain　Delano；　〃these　fits　do　not　last　long；　master　will　soon　be　himself。〃　　　　　Don　Benito　reviving；　went　on；　but　as　this　portion　of　the　story　was　very　brokenly　delivered；　the　substance　only　will　here　be　set　down。　　　　　It　appeared　that　after　the　ship　had　been　many　days　tossed　in　storms　off　the　Cape；　the　scurvy　broke　out；　carrying　off　numbers　of　the　whites　and　blacks。　When　at　last　they　had　worked　round　into　the　Pacific；　their　spars　and　sails　were　so　damaged；　and　so　inadequately　handled　by　the　surviving　mariners；　most　of　whom　were　become　invalids；　that；　unable　to　lay　her　northerly　course　by　the　wind；　which　was　powerful；　the　unmanageable　ship　for　successive　days　and　nights　was　blown　northwestward；　where　the　breeze　suddenly　deserted　her；　in　unknown　waters；　to　sultry　calms。　The　absence　of　the　water…pipes　now　proved　as　fatal　to　life　as　before　their　presence　had　menaced　it。　Induced；　or　at　least　aggravated；　by　the　more　than　scanty　allowance　of　water；　a　malignant　fever　followed　the　scurvy；　with　the　excessive　heat　of　the　lengthened　calm；　making　such　short　work　of　it　as　to　sweep　away；　as　by　billows；　whole　families　of　the　Africans；　and　a　yet　larger　number；　proportionally；　of　the　Spaniards；　including；　by　a　luckless　fatality；　every　officer　on　board。　Consequently；　in　the　smart　west　winds　eventually　following　the　calm；　the　already　rent　sails　having　to　be　simply　dropped；　not　furled；　at　need；　had　been　gradually　reduced　to　the　beggar's　rags　they　were　now。　To　procure　substitutes　for　his　lost　sailors；　as　well　as　supplies　of　water　and　sails；　the　captain　at　the　earliest　opportunity　had　made　for　Baldivia；　the　southermost　civilized　port　of　Chili　and　South　America；　but　upon　nearing　the　coast　the　thick　weather　had　prevented　him　from　so　much　as　sighting　that　harbour。　Since　which　period；　almost　without　a　crew；　and　almost　without　canvas　and　almost　without　water；　and　at　intervals　giving　its　added　dead　to　the　sea；　the　San　Dominick　had　been　battle…dored　about　b