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- 3932
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:18.535Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 3875
- text
- a loss to account for this heedlessness in my comrades. But it seemed
as if the mere sense of our situation, should have been sufficient to
prevent the like conduct in all on board our craft.
Samoa’s aspect, sleeping at the tiller, was almost appalling. His large
opal eyes were half open; and turned toward the light of the binnacle,
gleamed between the lids like bars of flame. And added to all, was his
giant stature and savage lineaments.
It was in vain, that I remonstrated, begged, or threatened: the
occasional drowsiness of my fellow-voyagers proved incurable. To no
purpose, I reminded my Viking that sleeping in the night-watch in a
craft like ours, was far different from similar heedlessness on board
the Arcturion. For there, our place upon the ocean was always known,
and our distance from land; so that when by night the seamen were
permitted to be drowsy, it was mostly, because the captain well knew
that strict watchfulness could be dispensed with.
Though in all else, the Skyeman proved a most faithful ally, in this
one thing he was either perversely obtuse, or infatuated. Or, perhaps,
finding himself once more in a double-decked craft, which rocked him as
of yore, he was lulled into a deceitful security.
For Samoa, his drowsiness was the drowsiness of one beat on sleep, come
dreams or death. He seemed insensible to the peril we ran. Often I sent
the sleepy savage below, sad, steered myself till morning. At last I
made a point of slumbering much by day, the better to stand watch by
night; though I made Samoa and Jarl regularly go through with their
allotted four hours each.
It has been mentioned, that Annatoo took her turn at the helm; but it
was only by day. And in justice to the lady, I must affirm, that upon
the whole she acquitted herself well. For notwithstanding the syren
face in the binnacle, which dimly allured her glances, Annatoo after
all was tolerably heedful of her steering. Indeed she took much pride
therein; always ready for her turn; with marvelous exactitude
calculating the approaching hour, as it came on in regular rotation.
Her time-piece was ours, the sun. By night it must have been her
guardian star; for frequently she gazed up at a particular section of
the heavens, like one regarding the dial in a tower.
By some odd reasoning or other, she had cajoled herself into the
notion, that whoever steered the brigantine, for that period was
captain. Wherefore, she gave herself mighty airs at the tiller; with
extravagant gestures issuing unintelligible orders about trimming the
sails, or pitching overboard something to see how fast we were going.
All this much diverted my Viking, who several times was delivered of a
laugh; a loud and healthy one to boot: a phenomenon worthy the
chronicling.
And thus much for Annatoo, preliminary to what is further to be said.
Seeing the drowsiness of Jarl and Samoa, which so often kept me from my
hammock at night, forcing me to repose by day, when I far preferred
being broad awake, I decided to let Annatoo take her turn at the night
watches; which several times she had solicited me to do; railing at the
sleepiness of her spouse; though abstaining from all reflections upon
Jarl, toward whom she had of late grown exceedingly friendly.
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