The sudden storm is passing and already it is less fierce. The crowds are scattering homeward, and the sky is becoming red over the Yorkshire hills. In time for your next issue of the newspaper, I shall send further details of the ship which came so miraculously into harbour in the storm.

August. The sequel to the strange arrival of the ship in the storm last night is almost more startling than the event itself. We have discovered that the ship is from the Russian port of Varna. It is called the Demeter. She is almost entirely in ballast of silver sand, with only a small amount of cargo - a number of large wooden boxes full of mould.

The Russian consul took possession of the ship, and paid all the harbour taxes. There was a good deal of interest in the dog which landed when the ship struck. Several members of the SPCA, which is very strong in Whitby, have tried to befriend the animal. There was much disappointment when it was not found. It seems to have disappeared entirely from the town.

Vocabulary:

Scatter: To break up into different directions
Issue: The newspaper for a particular day or week
Sequel: The nest part of a story
Startling: Surprising
In ballast: Weight used to balance an otherwise empty ship
Cargo: Things transported on a vehicle
Mould: The stuff that grows on rotten fruit and vegetables
Consul: Someone who represents his country diplomatically
Possession: Ownership
SPCA: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Befriend: Make friends with

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