Higgins, stood away into the North Pacific, where she cruised along
the land, in the direction of Behring's Straits, for several weeks. The
prospect not seeming to brighten much, Mr. Higgins thought he would try
an experiment in what he called "high latitudes," and to that end headed
the ship for the Auckland Islands. Now the crew had but little respect
for their new commander, and no confidence whatever in his skill as a
navigator.
After proceeding in this direction for ten days, one morning about four
o'clock the lookout called the attention of the officer of the watch to
strange sounds heard close ahead. It resembled the dull, sluggish sound
of breakers on shore during a calm. The sounds became louder and seemed
to be approaching the ship, but as her reckoning gave no land anywhere
near, the cause of the sounds began to excite great alarm. The captain
was called and the crew turned out, and an effort made to put the ship
on the other tack, but it was of no avail. An almost dead calm
prevailed, and the ship refused to obey her helm.
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