SHORTLYafterwardanincidentoccurredwhichIaminducedtolookuponasmoreintenselyproductiveofemotion，asfarmorerepletewiththeextremesfirstofdelightandthenofhorror，thanevenanyofthethousandchanceswhichafterwardbefellmeinninelongyears，crowdedwitheventsofthemoststartlingand，inmanycases，ofthemostunconceivedandunconceivablecharacter。Wewerelyingonthedecknearthecompanion-way，anddebatingthepossibilityofyetmakingourwayintothestoreroom，when，lookingtowardAugustus，wholayfrontingmyself，Iperceivedthathehadbecomeallatoncedeadlypale，andthathislipswerequiveringinthemostsingularandunaccountablemanner。Greatlyalarmed，Ispoketohim，buthemademenoreply，andIwasbeginningtothinkthathewassuddenlytakenill，whenItooknoticeofhiseyes，whichwereglaringapparentlyatsomeobjectbehindme。Iturnedmyhead，andshallneverforgettheecstaticjoywhichthrilledthrougheveryparticleofmyframe，whenIperceivedalargebrigbearingdownuponus，andnotmorethanacoupleofmilesoff。Isprungtomyfeetasifamusketbullethadsuddenlystruckmetotheheart；and，stretchingoutmyarmsinthedirectionofthevessel，stoodinthismanner，motionless，andunabletoarticulateasyllable。PetersandParkerwereequallyaffected，althoughindifferentways。Theformerdancedaboutthedecklikeamadman，utteringthemostextravagantrhodomontades，intermingledwithhowlsandimprecations，whilethelatterburstintotears，andcontinuedformanyminutesweepinglikeachild。
Thevesselinsightwasalargehermaphroditebrig，ofaDutchbuild，andpaintedblack，withatawdrygiltfigure-head。Shehadevidentlyseenagooddealofroughweather，and，wesupposed，hadsufferedmuchinthegalewhichhadprovedsodisastroustoourselves；forherforetopmastwasgone，andsomeofherstarboardbulwarks。Whenwefirstsawher，shewas，asIhavealreadysaid，abouttwomilesoffandtowindward，bearingdownuponus。Thebreezewasverygentle，andwhatastonisheduschieflywas，thatshehadnoothersailssetthanherforemastandmainsail，withaflyingjib
ofcourseshecamedownbutslowly，andourimpatienceamountednearlytophrensy。Theawkwardmannerinwhichshesteered，too，wasremarkedbyallofus，evenexcitedaswewere。Sheyawedaboutsoconsiderably，thatonceortwicewethoughtitimpossibleshecouldseeus，orimaginedthat，havingseenus，anddiscoverednopersononboard，shewasabouttotackandmakeoffinanotherdirection。Uponeachoftheseoccasionswescreamedandshoutedatthetopofourvoices，whenthestrangerwouldappeartochangeforamomentherintention，andagainholdontowardusthissingularconductbeingrepeatedtwoorthreetimes，sothatatlastwecouldthinkofnoothermannerofaccountingforitthanbysupposingthehelmsmantobeinliquor。
Nopersonwasseenuponherdecksuntilshearrivedwithinaboutaquarterofamileofus。Wethensawthreeseamen，whombytheirdresswetooktobeHollanders。Twoofthesewerelyingonsomeoldsailsneartheforecastle，andthethird，whoappearedtobelookingatuswithgreatcuriosity，wasleaningoverthestarboardbownearthebowsprit。Thislastwasastoutandtallman，withaverydarkskin。Heseemedbyhismannertobeencouragingustohavepatience，noddingtousinacheerfulalthoughratheroddway，andsmilingconstantly，soastodisplayasetofthemostbrilliantlywhiteteeth。Ashisvesseldrewnearer，wesawaredflannelcapwhichhehadonfallfromhisheadintothewater；butofthishetooklittleornonotice，continuinghisoddsmilesandgesticulations。Irelatethesethingsandcircumstancesminutely，andIrelatethem，itmustbeunderstood，preciselyasthey_appeared_tous。
Thebrigcameonslowly，andnowmoresteadilythanbefore，andIcannotspeakcalmlyofthiseventourheartsleapedupwildlywithinus，andwepouredoutourwholesoulsinshoutsandthanksgivingtoGodforthecomplete，unexpected，andgloriousdeliverancethatwassopalpablyathand。Ofasudden，andallatonce，therecamewaftedovertheoceanfromthestrangevesselwhichwasnowcloseuponusasmell，astench，suchasthewholeworldhasnonamefornoconceptionofhellishutterlysuffocating