A real sage!" The name of Ulysses always made them stammer.

They believed it a nickname, and not wishing to show any lack of respect, they had finally transformed it into "Don Luis." For some of them, Ferragut's only defect was his good luck.

So far not a single boat of which he had had command had been lost.

And every sailor constantly on the sea ought to have at least one of these misfortunes in his history in order to be a real captain.

Only landlubbers never lose their boats.
When his mother died, Ulysses was very undecided about the future, not knowing whether to continue his sea life, or undertake something entirely different.