We also now observed that the hulk lay more along than ever, so that we could not stand an instant without lashing ourselves.

On this account we passed a gloomy and uncomfortable day.

At noon the sun appeared to be nearly vertical, and we had no doubt that we had been driven down by the long succession of northward and northwesterly winds into the near vicinity of the equator.
Toward evening we saw several sharks, and were somewhat alarmed by the audacious manner in which an enormously large one approached us.

At one time, a lurch throwing the deck very far beneath the water, the monster actually swam in upon us, floundering for some moments just over the companion-hatch, and striking Peters violently with his tail.

A heavy sea at length hurled him overboard, much to our relief.