{"id":"01KG8AKT60CAG2KNPV8FAS1K3X","cid":"bafkreiagwi6itaawybmcr3zkedcnmzo4f3fiqprb76q6prmweqrpgc25bi","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":1251,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:15.149Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 4","source_file":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","start_line":1189,"text":"three more added to their number—the air of the island having disagreed\r\nwith the constitutions of several of the runaways. To crown all, the\r\ncaptain again relapsed, and became quite ill.\r\n\r\nThe men fit for duty were divided into two small watches, headed\r\nrespectively by the mate and the Mowree; the latter by virtue of his\r\nbeing a harpooner, succeeding to the place of the second mate, who had\r\nabsconded.\r\n\r\nIn this state of things whaling was out of the question; but in the\r\nface of everything, Jermin maintained that the invalids would soon be\r\nwell. However that might be, with the same pale Hue sky overhead, we\r\nkept running steadily to the westward. Forever advancing, we seemed\r\nalways in the same place, and every day was the former lived over\r\nagain. We saw no ships, expected to see none. No sign of life was\r\nperceptible but the porpoises and other fish sporting under the bows\r\nlike pups ashore. But, at intervals, the gray albatross, peculiar to\r\nthese seas, came flapping his immense wings over us, and then skimmed\r\naway silently as if from a plague-ship. Or flights of the tropic bird,\r\nknown among seamen as the “boatswain,” wheeled round and round us,\r\nwhistling shrilly as they flew.\r\n\r\nThe uncertainty hanging over our destination at this time, and the fact\r\nthat we were abroad upon waters comparatively little traversed, lent an\r\ninterest to this portion of the cruise which I shall never forget.\r\n\r\nFrom obvious prudential considerations the Pacific has been principally\r\nsailed over in known tracts, and this is the reason why new islands are\r\nstill occasionally discovered by exploring ships and adventurous\r\nwhalers notwithstanding the great number of vessels of all kinds of\r\nlate navigating this vast ocean. Indeed, considerable portions still\r\nremain wholly unexplored; and there is doubt as to the actual existence\r\nof certain shoals, and reefs, and small clusters of islands vaguely\r\nlaid down in the charts. The mere circumstance, therefore, of a ship\r\nlike ours penetrating into these regions, was sufficient to cause any\r\nreflecting mind to feel at least a little uneasy. For my own part, the\r\nmany stories I had heard of ships striking at midnight upon unknown\r\nrocks, with all sail set, and a slumbering crew, often recurred to me,\r\nespecially, as from the absence of discipline, and our being so\r\nshorthanded, the watches at night were careless in the extreme.\r\n\r\nBut no thoughts like these were entertained by my reckless shipmates;\r\nand along we went, the sun every evening setting right ahead of our jib\r\nboom.\r\n\r\nFor what reason the mate was so reserved with regard to our precise\r\ndestination was never made known. The stories he told us, I, for one,\r\ndid not believe; deeming them all a mere device to lull the crew.\r\n\r\nHe said we were bound to a fine cruising ground, scarcely known to\r\nother whalemen, which he had himself discovered when commanding a small\r\nbrig upon a former voyage. Here, the sea was alive with large whales,\r\nso tame that all you had to do was to go up and kill them: they were\r\ntoo frightened to resist. A little to leeward of this was a small\r\ncluster of islands, where we were going to refit, abounding with\r\ndelicious fruits, and peopled by a race almost wholly unsophisticated\r\nby intercourse with strangers.\r\n\r\nIn order, perhaps, to guard against the possibility of anyone finding\r\nout the precise latitude and longitude of the spot we were going to,\r\nJermin never revealed to us the ship’s place at noon, though such is\r\nthe custom aboard of most vessels.\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 4"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJG7BF5TQY7F5YHS0Y1DK","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1H7Y803CZ7X80F0QFHZ","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKSKQ57X40Z9TPEJV882M","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AKT60E8GDZBS50AKB36HS","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:16.576Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:23.951Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}