Entry 3: June 23, 1830 Summary

Forty-one days after the ship leaves New Orleans it finally reaches Africa and Cringle gives Rutherford a brief history of the trading post. Rutherford finds himself glad to be back on land; he has found the ship to be uncomfortable and felt claustrophobic on board. The sudden loss the ability to denote the difference between up, down, left and right has rattled him to the point where he wakes with a scream some nights, choking on the rank stench of the sleeping quarters. Cringle has yelled at him constantly for being slow while on watch and he has longed for dry pants, floorboards that stay still, and sometimes he found himself longing for Isadora. He has also come down with a light cold and the constant coughing gives him headaches.

After the anchor is lowered however, Rutherford is unable to celebrate...