Demeter
The Russian schooner carries fifty earth-boxes from Varna to Whitby while an unseen passenger removes her crew one man at a time.
Story so far
The Demeter sails from Varna for Whitby with a Russian crew and a cargo of fifty great wooden boxes invoiced as clay. A tall, thin, ghastly pale presence appears aboard; sailors vanish until the maddened mate attacks an empty-seeming figure, searches the boxes, and throws himself into the sea.
The Captain of the Demeter, alone at last, lashes himself to the wheel with a crucifix in his hands. Under full sail and guided by no living helmsman, the ship runs through a violent storm into Whitby harbor and grounds safely. An immense dog leaps from the hold at impact, while the earth cargo passes into the custody of the Whitby solicitor Samuel F. Billington.
Appearance
A Russian schooner with full sails, a battered deck, and a hold containing fifty large wooden boxes; she reaches harbor storm-tossed and derelict with her dead captain tied to the wheel.
Role
The Demeter transports the Transylvanian threat to England and preserves in her log the only account of what happened during the crossing.
Relationships
Sources — 1 recorded facts, by chapter
- The Russian schooner carries fifty earth-boxes from Varna to Whitby while an unseen passenger removes her crew one man at a time.