There were four in the crew, Dudley was the captain, Stevens was the first mate, Brooks was a sailor, all men of excellent character or so the newspaper account tells us.
Hearts were pounding hideously, gearing up for futures full of incurable aneurysms. The entire crew suffered from a nervous excitement that it's beyond me to describe.
Roosting in the shrouds, the crew examined the horizon, which shrank and darkened little by little. Officers were probing the increasing gloom with their night glasses.