But how did it get on
board?' said he, sinking his voice in awe. 'There's no land for
hundreds of leagues. Is it some sort of human sea-monster, some merman
whose looks blind you with their ugliness, which this ship's been
doomed to discover, and perhaps carry home?'
"It was not long before day whitened the east. In those climates the
morning is a quick revelation, and hardly had the dawn broke when sea
and sky were lighted up. And then, and even then, what was it? There
it sat up in the cross-trees, a hairy, sulky bulk of man or beast,
black, and the creature looked hard down whilst all hands were staring
hard up.
"Seized if it isn't a gorilla!" said the mate.
"'No.' said the captain, letting fall his binocular, 'look for
yourself. Yet, it's not a man, either.' He burst into a laugh as
though for relief. 'It's a huge, hairy baboon, one of the biggest I
ever saw in my life. He'll be as fierce as a mutinous crew, and strong
as a frigate's complement. What's to be done with him?'
"'How in Egypt did he come on board?' said the mate, viewing the beast
through the glass.
"'By that, maybe, sir,' exclaimed the second mate, pointing to some
object floating flat and yellow, faint and far out upon the starboard
quarter.
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