There is no reason for any of this to be secret. Therefore I am allowed to use the information. This is the information, although I have left out the technical details. It almost seems as though the captain had been going slowly mad - a madness which began even before the ship was very far out to sea. His madness became steadily worse during the voyage.

I must warn you though, that I have not read the log book myself. A clerk of the Russian consul is dictating to me. He has been kind enough to translate the log book, because there is not much time.

LOG OF THE DEMETER.
From Varna to Whitby.
Written 18 July. Strange things are happening. I shall keep accurate records until we land. On 6 July we finished loading the ship with silver sand and boxes of earth. At noon we set sail. East wind, fresh. On the ship are five sailors, two mates, a cook, and myself (the captain).