Captain's Log, 18.5.19, Western Sea:
"July 11th. At 4 a.m. the Dying Dutchman crossed our bows. A strange light as of a phantom ship all aglow, in the midst of which light the masts, spars and sails of a schooner 200 yards distant stood out in strong relief as she came up on the port bow, where also the officer of the watch from the bridge clearly saw her, as did the quarterdeck midshipman, who was sent forward at once to the forecastle; but on arriving there was no vestige nor any sign whatever of any material ship was to be seen either near or right away to the horizon, the night being clear and the sea calm. Thirteen persons altogether saw her ... At 10.45 a.m. the ordinary seaman who had this morning reported the Dying Dutchman fell from the foretopmast crosstrees on to the topgallant forecastle and was smashed to atoms. The crew took this to be an omen, the Brown Pearl shall visit us tonight."

The Dying Dutchman is said to be the spirit of the first victim of the Brown Pearl. The vessel, a sugar-laden schooner inbound to Krakabola Harbour from Maywar Docks, disappeared into the waves during a winter's night in 1766, last seen ablaze on the horizon by a Krakabolan clipper. The sightings began just months later and are said to herald the arrival of the Brown Pearl. All that have survived say that they saw the Dutchman's long-perished captain at the wheel, and that the ship passed theirs at a most colossal speed. Most of reported sightings were followed by that ship's destruction at the hands of the Brown Pearl, the ghostly dreaded arsenal ship.