We have just cause for rejoicing, too, for the ship has come up two whole points since midnight, and we are now steering east-northeast by compass; two more points to the northward and we can fetch to windward of the Farallones. The captain seems wonderfully positive that we will fetch in all right, and when he expresses himself so surely, which he seldom does, we always feel pretty certain of the chances being in our favor. I haven’t mentioned Mr. Rarx for some time. He has not been doing at all well, eats hardly six ounces of food a day, and he has withered away to a wraith of his former self; an idea of this may be gained from the captain’s estimate that he has lost at least forty pounds. The impression grows that Louis will be cleared in court, this opinion being held even by the skipper, for the men say that the second mate knocked Karl down with a maul besides the block, and there are three others who can bring damaging evidence against Mr. Rarx. But I am very much afraid that the mellifluous voices of the crimps when they swarm aboard in San Francisco harbor will exercise a somewhat different influence upon their opinions. I should like to see a ship-master with the courage to prevent the entrance of these crimps into his vessel; but if he did so and had them all kicked over the side into the harbor, as they ought to be, what a time this ship-master would have getting a crew together when he was next ready for sea! For not a boarding-master in the city would let him have a man. If sailors would only hold together when they get ashore and testify against the bad treatment that they get at sea, nine-tenths of the villains who officer our deep-water-men would now be contemplating existence behind grated windows. If we had any doubts as to this particular ship’s being worse in its treatment of the men than the average Yankee, they were further dispelled by a remark of Jack Nickalls, an unobtrusive little sailor, and a good one: “This ship’s a peach compared to them wot I’ve been in.” Louis is fairly cheerful and conducts himself remarkably well. Latitude 36° 1′ north; longitude, 128° 20′ west. +September 16+