OCTOBER 14.—At last we are free from the sea of vegetation, the boisterous¹ gale² has moderated into a steady breeze, the sun is shining brightly, the weather is warm and genial³, and thus, two reefs in her top-sails, briskly and merrily sails the Chancellor⁴.  
Under conditions so favorable, we have been able to take the ship's bearings: our latitude⁵, we find, is 21 deg. 33' N., our longitude⁶, 50 deg. 17' W.
 
Incomprehensible altogether is the conduct of Captain Huntly. Here we are, already more than ten degrees south of the point from which we started, and yet still we are persistently⁷ following a southeasterly course! I cannot bring myself to the conclusion that the man is mad. I have had various conversations with him: he has always spoken rationally and sensibly. He shows no tokens of insanity⁹. Perhaps his case is one of those in which insanity is partial, and where the mania¹⁰ is of a character which extends only to the matters connected with his profession. Yet it is unaccountable.
 
I can get nothing out of Curtis; he listens coldly whenever I allude¹² to the subject, and only repeats what he has said before, that nothing short of an overt¹⁴ act of madness on the part of the captain could induce him to supersede¹⁵ the captain's authority, and that the imminent¹⁶ peril¹⁷ of the ship could alone justify¹⁸ him in taking so decided¹⁹ a measure.
 
Last evening I went to my cabin about eight o'clock, and after an hour's reading by the light of my cabin-lamp, I retired²⁰ to my berth²¹ and was soon asleep. Some hours later I was aroused by an unaccustomed noise on deck. There were heavy footsteps hurrying to and fro, and the voices of the men were loud and eager, as if the crew were agitated²² by some strange disturbance²³. My first impression was, that some tacking²⁴ had been ordered which rendered it needful to fathom²⁶ the yards; but the vessel²⁷ continuing to lie to starboard convinced me that this was not the origin of the commotion²⁸. I was curious to know the truth, and made all haste I could to go on deck; but before I was ready, the noise had ceased. I heard Captain Huntly return to his cabin, and accordingly I retired again to my own berth. Whatever may have been the meaning of the maneuver²⁹, I cannot tell; it did not seem to result in any improvement in the ship's pace; still it must be owned there was not much wind to speed us along.
 
At six o'clock this morning I mounted the poop and made as keen a scrutiny³⁰ as I could of everything on board. Everything appeared as usual. The Chancellor was running on the larboard tack²⁵, and carried low-sails, top-sails, and gallant-sails. Well braced³¹ she was; and under a fresh, but not uneasy breeze, was making no less than eleven knots an hour.
&nbs............