
Searching the Ship
Later that day I called the whole crew together. Because they evidently thought there was someone on the ship, I told them we would search it from end to end. The first mate was angry. He said it was silly to yield to such foolish ideas. It would just make the men depressed and unhappy. He said he would keep them out of trouble with the handspike.
I let him take the helm, while everyone else began a thorough search. Everyone walked side-by-side and carried lanterns. We searched everywhere. As there were only the big wooden boxes on the ship, there were no places where a man could hide. The men were very relieved when the search was over, and went back to work cheerfully. The first mate looked angry, but he said nothing.