The interior of the mouth
and throat was of a livid white, and the tongue was quite small
for so large an animal. It was almost incapable of movement,
being somewhat like a fowl's. Certainly it could not have been
protruded even from the angle of the mouth, much less have
extended along the parapet of that lower mandible, which reminded
one of the beak of some mighty albatross or stork.
*
CHAPTER VII
GETTING SOUTHWARD
Whether our recent experience had altered the captain's plans or
not I do not know, but much to the dismay of the Portuguese
portion of the crew, we did but sight, dimly and afar off, the
outline of the Cape Verde Islands before our course was altered,
and we bore away for the southward like any other outward-
bounder. That is, as far as our course went; but as to the speed,
we still retained the leisurely tactics hitherto pursued,
shortening sail every night, and, if the weather was very fine,
setting it all again at daybreak.
The morose and sullen temper of the captain had been, if
anything, made worse by recent events, and we were worked as hard
as if the success of the voyage depended upon our ceaseless toil
of scrubbing, scraping, and polishing.
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