And, notwithstanding, a singular thing, which struck the novice, nothing in the condition of the sea indicated that change.

The ship headed the same way all the time, but the wind and the waves, instead of taking her directly aft, now struck her by the larboard quarter--a very dangerous situation, which exposes a ship to receive bad surges.

So Dick Sand was obliged to veer round four points to continue to scud before the tempest.
But, on the other hand, his attention was awakened more than ever.

He asked himself if there was not some connection between Negoro's fall and the breaking of the first compass.

What did the head cook intend to do there?
Had he some interest in putting the second compass out of service also?
What could that interest be?
There was no explanation of that.