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G3*?' 8 B 0k0laf^ttt nnibttiiitp ILihxatf from ■ ■at ia. r> \M4y /O THE CRUISE OF THE CACHALOT 4* w. FRANK T. BULLEN f i THE F. M. LUPTON PlIRLlSHINr. COMPANY JISL !*??«:<««is*^«ii.fv8*,i««*" as?!? MISS EMILY HENSLEY m GRATEFUL KBMBMBRANCB or THIRTY YBARS» CONSTANT PRIBNDSHIP AND PRACTICAL HBLP THIS WORK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY HBR HUMBLB PUPIU jiK4,.»-'j». Al»1*- LETTER received by the Author from Mr, RUD- ] 'ARD KIPLING, as the book was passing through the Press, Dear Mr. Bullen,— It is immense — there is no other word. I've never read anything that equals it in its deep-sea wonder and mystery; nor do I think that any book before has so completely covered the whole business of whale-fishing, and at the same time given such real and new sea pictures. You have thrown away material enough to make five books, and I congratulate you most heartily. It's a new world that you've opened the door to. Very sincerely, RUDYARD KIPLING. ROTTINGDEAN, Nov^ 22, 1898. 7>- rer nd so 'g. ea to y- -^ua.^ ^^^t^ OAircJ ni^:>f*mmWYfr0^^i^, f I Id 1^ ^-(• such matter as is easily obtainable elsewhere — matters of common knowledge and ** padding " of any sort — the object not being simply the making of a book, but the record of little-known facts. Great care has been taken to use no names either of ships or persons, which could, by being identified, give annoyance or pain to any one, as in many cases strong language has been necessary for the expression of opinions. Finally, the author hopes that, although in no sense exclusively a book for boys, the coming generation may find this volume readable and interesting ; and with that desire he offers it confidently, though in all humility, to that great impartial jury, the public. s* X* B* DuLWiCH, July^ 1897. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. OUTWARD BOUND. FAGS Adrift in New Bedford— I get a ship — A motley crowd— *' Built by the mile, and cut off as you want 'em "— Mistah Jones— Greenies — Off to sea 17 CHAPTER II. PREPARING FOR ACTION. Primitive steering-gear— Strange drill — Misery below — Short commons — Goliath rigs the "crow's-nest" — Useful information — Preparing for war— Strange ^ weapons — A boat-load 22 CHAPTER III. FISHING BEGINS. The cleanliness of a whale-ship — No skulking — Porpoise- fishing — Cannibals — Cooking operations — Boat-drill — A good lookout — " Black-fishing " — Roguery in all trades — Plenty of fresh beef — The nursery of Ameri- can whalemen 29 .-^!*^*>s* "'' CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. BAD WEATHER. PAG8 Nautical routine — The first gale — Comfort versus speed — A grand sea-boat — The Sargasso Sea — Natural history pursuits — Dolphin — Unconventional fishing — Rumors of a visit to the Cape Verdes — Babel below — No allowance, but not "full and plenty" — Queer washing — Method of sharing rations— The "slop- shop " opened — Our prospects 39 CHAPTER V. ACTUAL WARFARE. OUR FIRST WHALE. Premonitions — Discussion on whaling from unknown premises— I wake in a fright — Sperm whales at last — The war begins — Warning — We get fast — And get loose — In trouble — An uncomfortable situation — No pity — Only one whale — Rigging the " cutting-stage " — Securing the whale alongside 47 CHAPTER VI. »> "dirty work for clean money. Goliath in trouble — Commence " cutting in " — A heavy head — A tank of spermaceti — Decks running with oil — A " patent " mincing-machine — Extensive cook- ing — Dangerous work — Three tuns of oil — A horrible mess — A thin-skinned monster — A fine mouth of teeth CHAPTER VII. GETTING SOUTHWARD. S7 Captain Slocum's amenities — Expensive beer — St. Paul's Rocks—" Bonito "— " Showery " weather— Water- spouts — Calms — A friendly finback — A disquisition on whales by Mistah Jones — Flying-fishing 66 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VIII. abner's whale. PAOB Abner in luck — A big " fish " at last — A feat of endur- ance — A fighting whale— The sperm whale's food- Ambergris — A good reception — Hard labor — Abner's reward — " Scrimshaw." 78 CHAPTER IX. OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE. A forced march — Tristan d'Acunha — Visitors — Fresh provisions — A warm welcome — Goliath's turn — A feathered host — Good gear— A rough time — Creep- ing north — Uncertainty — "Rule of thumb" naviga- tion — ^The Mozambique Channel 94 CHAPTER X. A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. Tropical thunderstorms — A "record" day's fishing- Cetacean frivolities — Mistah Jones moralizes — A snug harbor — Wooding and watering — Catching a turtle — Catching a "Tartar" — A violent death — A crooked jaw — Aldabra Island — Primeval inhabitants — A strange steed — " Pirate " birds — Good eggs — Green cocoa-nuts — More turtle — A school of " kogia." m CHAPTER XI. ROUND THE COCOS AND SEYCHELLES. We encounter a "cyclone" — A tremendous gust — A foundering ship — To anchor for repairs — The Cocos . — Repairing damages — Around the Seychelles — A " milk " sea — A derelict prahu — A ghastly freight— A stagnant sea 135 8 CONTENTS, CHAPTER XII. WHICH TREATS OF THE KRAKEN. PAOC ** Eyes and no eyes " at sea — Of big mollusca — The origin of sea serpent stories — Rediscovery of the " Kraken " —A conflict of monsters — "The insatiable night* mares of the sea " — Spermaceti running to waste — The East Indian maze 145 CHAPTER XIII. OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS. A whale off Hong Kong— The skipper and his " bomb- gun " — Injury to the captain — Unwelcome visitors — The heathen Chinee — We get safe off — " Death of Portagee Jim " — The Funeral — The Coast of Japan ^Port Lloyd — Meeting of whale-ships 1 54 CHAPTER XIV. LIBERTY DAY — ^AND AFTER. liberty day I foregather with a "beach-comber" — A big fight— Goliath on the war-path— A court-martial —Wholesale flogging— A miserable crowd— Quite a fleet of whale-ships— I "raise" a sperm whale- Severe competition— An unfortunate stroke— The skipper distinguishes hunself 166 CHAPTER XV. WHICH COMES UNCOMFORTABLY NEAR- BEING THE LAST. I come to grief— Emulating Jonah— Sharing a flurry— A long spell of sick-leave— The whale's " sucth sense "— Off to the Kuriles— Prepare for" bowhead" fishing —The Sea of Okhotsk— Abundant salmon— The ** daintiness " of seamen '80 COl^TENTS. CHAPTER XVI. **bowhead" fishing. PAOB Difference between whales — Popular ideas exploded — The gentle mysticetus — Very tame work — Fond of tongue — Goliath confides in me — An awful affair — Captain Slocum's death — " Not Amurath an Amurath succeeds "—I am promoted i^ CHAPTER XVIL VISIT TO HONOLULU. Towards Honolulu — Missionaries and their critics — The happy Kanaka — Honolulu — A pleasant holiday 208 CHAPTER XVIII. ON THE "line" grounds. I get my opportunity— A new harpooner — Feats under the skipper's eye — Two whales on one line — Compli- ments — Heavy towage^A grand haul 215 CHAPTER XIX. EDGING SOUTHWARD. Monotony — A school of blackfish — A boat ripped in half — A multitude of sharks — A curious backbone — Christmas day — A novel Christmas dinner — A find of ambergris 226 CHAPTER XX. M n HUMPBACKING" AT VAU VAU. ** Gamming" again — A Whitechapel rover— Arrive at Vau Vau — Valuable friends — A Sunday ashore — " Hollingside " — The natives at church — Full-dress ^Very " mishnally " — Idyllic cruising — Wonderful mother-love — A mighty feast 242 lO CONTENTS, CHAPTER XXL »» PROGRESS OF THE "HUMPBACK" SEASON. PAOtf A fruitless chase — Placid times — A stirring adventure — A vast cave — Unforeseen company — A night of terror — We provide a feast for the sharks — The death of Abner — An impressive ceremony — An invitation to dinner — Kanaka cookery 259 CHAPTER XXII. FAREWELL TO VAU VAU. Ignorance of the habits of whales — A terrific encounter-* Va Victis ! — Rewarding our " flems " — We leave Vau Vau — The outward bounder — Sailors' " homes " — A night of horror — Sudden death — Futuna 275 CHAPTER XXIII. AT FUTUNA, RECRUITING. A fleet of nondescripts — " Tui Tongoa," otherwise Sam — Eager recruits — Devout Catholics — A visit to Sun- day Island— A Crusoe family — Their eviction — Maori cabbage — Fine fishing-^Away for New Zea- land—Sight the "Three Kings" — The Bay cf Islands 20 CHAPTER XXIV. THE BAY OF ISLANDS AND NEW ZEALAND COAST. . Sleepy hollow — Wood and water — Liberty day — A plea for the sailors' recreation — Our picnic — A whiff of "May" — A delightful excursion — To the southward ajpain— Wintry weather — Enter Foveaux Straits 309 CONTENTS, CHAPTER XXV. ON THE SOLANDER GROUNDS. II PAOB First-fruits of the Solander— An easy catch — Delights of the Solander— Port William — The old Chance— " Paddy Gilroy "—Barbarians from the East End— Barracouta-fishing — Wind-bound — An enormous school of cachalots —Misfortune — A bursting whale — Back on the Solander again — Cutting in at Port William — Studying anatomy — Badly-battered Yan- kees — Paddy in luck again 322 CHAPTER XXVI. paddy's latest exploit. We try Preservation Inlet — An astounding feat of Paddy Gilroy^s 346 CHAPTER XXVII. PORT PEGASUS. Port Pegasus — Among old acquaintances — " Mutton birds " — Skilled auxiliaries — A gratifying catch- Leave port again — Back to the Solander — A grim escape — Our last whales — Into Port William again — Paddy's assistance — We part with our Kanakas — Sam's plans of conquest 356 CHAPTER XXVIII. TO THE BLUFF, AND HOME. , And last — In high-toned company — Another picnic— De- part from the Bluff— Hey for the Horn ! — Among the icebergs — " Scudding " — Favoring trades — A narrow escape from collision — Home at last 369 INTRODUCTION. Without attempting the ambitious task of present- ing a comprehensive sketch of the origin, rise, and fall of whale-fishing as a whole, it seems necessary to give a brief outline of that portion of the subject bearing upon the theme of the present book before plunging into the first chapter. This preliminary is the more needed for the reason alluded to in the Preface — the want of knowledge of th: subject that is apparent everywhere. The Green- land whale fishery has been so popularized that most people know something about it ; the sperm whale fishery still awaits its Scoresby and a like train of im- itators and borrowers. Cachalots, or sperm whales, must have been cap- tured on the coasts of Europe in a desultory way from a very early date, by the incidental allusions to the prime products spermaceti and ambergris which are found in so many ancient writers. Shakespeare's ref- erence — "The sovereign'st thing on earth was par- maceti for an inward bruise " — will be familiar to most people, as well as Milton's mention of the delicacies at Satan's feast — "Grisamber steamed " — not to carry quotation any further. But in the year 1690 the brave and hardy fishermen of the northeast coasts of North America established that systematic pursuit of the cachalot which has thnven so wonderfully ever since, although it must 9 10 INTRODUCTION^, \ I be confessed that the last few years have witnessed a serious decline in this great branch of trade. For many years the American colonists completely engrossed this branch of the whale fishery, contentedly leaving to Great Britain and the continental nations the monopoly of the northern or Arctic fisheries, while they cruised the stormy, if milder, seas around their own shores. For the resultant products, their best customer was the mother country, and a lucrative commerce steadily grew up between the two countries. But when the march of events brought the unfortunate and wholly unnecessary War of Independence, this flourishing trade was the first to suffer, and many of the daring fishermen became our fiercest foes on board their own men-of-war. The total stoppage of the importation of sperm oil and spermaceti was naturally severely felt in England, for time had not permitted the invention of substi- tutes. In consequence of this, ten ships were equipped and sent out to the sperm whale fishery ^rom England in 1775, most of them owned by one Ix)ndon firm, the Messrs. Enderby. The next year, in order to en- courage the infant enterprise, a Government bounty, graduated from;^5oo to ;^ioob per ship, was granted. Under this fostering care the number of ships engaged in the sperm whale fishery progressively increased until 1 79 1, when it attained its maximum. This method of whaling being quite new to our whalemen, it was necessary, at great cost, to hire American officers and harpooners to instruct them in the ways of dealing with these highly active and dangerous cetacea. Naturally, it was by-and-by found possible to dispense with the services of these auxil- iaries ; but it must be confessed that the business never INTRODUCTION. II da seems to have found such 1 vor, or lo have been prose- cuted with such smartness^ among our whalemen as it has by the Americans. Something of an exotic the trade always was among us, although it did attain considerable proportions ?t one time. At first the fishing was confined to thv Atlantic Ocean ; nor for many years was it necessary to go farther afield, as abundance of whales could easily be found. As, however, the number of ships engaged increased, it was inevitable that the known grounds should be- come exhausted, and in 1788 Messrs. Enderby's ship, the Eniiliay first ventured lound Cape Horn, as the pioneer of a greater trade than ever. The way once pointed out, other ships were not slow to follow, until, in 1 819, the British whale-ship Syren opened up the till then unexplored tract of ocean in the western part of the North Pacific, afterwards familiarly known as the " Coast of Japan." From these teeming waters alone, for many years an average annual catch of 40,000 barrels of oil was taken, which, at the average price of £,Z per barrel, will give some idea of the value cf the trade generally. The Australian colonists, early in their career, found the sperm whale fishery easy of access from all their coasts, and especially lucrative. At one time they bade fair to establish a whale fishery that should rival the splendid trade of the Americans ; but, like the mother country, they permitted the fishery to decline, so that even bounties could not keep it alive. Meanwhile, the Americans added to their fleet continually, prospering amazingly. But suddenly the advent of the civil war let loose among those peace- able cruisers the devastating Alabama^ whose course was marked in some parts of the world by the fires :'^:^**fei If!. INTRODUCTION, of blazing whale-ships. A great part of the Geneva award was on this account, although it must be ac- knowledged that many pseudo-owners were enriched who never owned aught but brazen impudence and influential friends to push their fictitious claims. The real sufferers, seamen especially, in most cases never received any redress whatever. From this crushing blow the American sperm whale fishery has never fully recovered. When the writer was in the trade, some twenty-two years ago, it was credited with a fleet of between three and four hun- dred sail ; now it may be doubted whether the num- bers reach an eighth of that amount. A rigid con- servatism of method hinders any revival of the industry, which is practically conducted to-day as it was fifty, or even a hundred years ago ; and it is probable that another decade will witness the final extinction of what was once one of the most important maritime industries in the woild. I' 1 ■:V-3^ftiJit5i Geneva St be ac- enriched nee and IS. The es never m whale le writer it was )ur hun- he num- ?id con- ndustry, ^as fifty, l)le that :tion of laritime THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT." CHAPTER L OUTWARD BOUND. At the age of eighteen, after a sea-experience of mx years from the time when I dodged about London streets, a ragged Arab, with wits sharpened by the constant fight for food, I found myself roaming the streets of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Honv I came to be there, of all places in the world, does not con- cern this story at all, so I am not going to trouble my readers with it ; enough to say that I 7vas there, and mighty anxious to get away. Sailor Jack is always hankering for shore when he is at sea, but when he is " outward bound " —that is, when his money is all gone — he is like a cat in the rain there. So as my money was all gone, i was hungr}' for a ship ; and when a long, keen-looking man with a goat- like beard, and mouth stained with dry tobacco-juice, hailed me one afternoon at the street corner, I answered very promptly, scenting a berth. " Lookin' £er a ship, stranger? '* said he. " Yes ; do you want a hand ? " said I, anxiously. He made a funny little sound something like a pony's whinny, then answered, ^ Wall, I should surmise that 1 want between fifty »7 >trm,>Nmum^-i^ ■■■^r^y^itiiek^ "'< I' i8 r//£ CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS WA III and sixty hands, ef yew kin lay me onto 'em ; but, kern along, every dreep's a drop, an' yew seem likely enough." With that he turned and led the way until we reached a building, around which were gathered one of the most nondescript crowds I had ever seen. There certainly did not appear to be a sailor among them. Not so much by their rig, though that is not a great deal to go by, but by their actions and speech. One thhig they all had in common, tobacco chewing ; but as nearly every male I met with in America did that, it was not much to be noticed. I had hardly done reckoning them up when two or three bustling men came out and shepherded us all energetically into a long, low room, where some form of agreement was read out to us. Sailors are natu- rally and usually careless about the nature of the " articles " they sign, their chief anxiety being to get to sea, and under somebody's charge. But had I been ever so anxious to know what I was going to sign this time, I could not, for the language might as well have been Chinese for all I understood of it. However I signed and passed on, engaged to go I knew no where, in some ship I did not know even the nan of, in which I was to receive I did not know how much, or how little, for my labor, nor how long I was going to be away. " What a young fool ! " T hear somebody say. I quite agree, but there were a good many more in that ship, as in most ships that I have ever sailed in. From the time we signed the articles, we were never left to ourselves. Truculent-looking men ac- companied us to our several boarding-houses, paid our debts for us, finally bringing^ us ])y boat to a ship lying out in the bay. As we passed under hei stem, I read the name CachahL of New Bedford ; but as OUTWARD BOUND, 19 soon as we ranged alongside, 1 realized that I was booked for the sailor's horror — a cruise in a whaler. Badly as I wanted to get to sea, I had not bargained for this, and would have run some risks to get ashore again ; but they took no chances, so we were all soon aboard. Before going forward, I took a comprehen- sive glance around, and saw that I was on board of a vessel belonging to a type which has almost dis- appeared off the face of the waters. A more perfect contrast to the trim-built English clipper-ships that 1 had been accustomed to I could hardly imagine. She was one of a class characterized by sailors as " built by the mile, and cut off in lengths as you want *em," bow and stern almost alike, masts standing straight as broomsticks, and bowsprit soaring upwards at an angle of about forty-five degrees. She was as old-fashioned in her rig as in her hull ; but I must not go into the technical differences between rigs, for fear of making myself tedious. Right in the center of the deck, occupying a space of about ten feet by eight, was a square erection of brickwork, upon which my wondering gaze rested longest, for I had not the slightest idea what it could be. But I was rudely roused from my meditations by the harsh voice of one of the officers, who shouted, " Naow then, git below an* stow yer dunnage, 'n look lively up agin." I took the broad hint, and shouldering my traps, hurried for- ward to the fo'lk'sle, which was below deck. Tum- bling down the steep ladder, I entered the gloomy k\^.\\ which was to be for so long my home, finding it fairly packed with my shipmates. A motley crowd they were. I had been used in English ships to consider- able variety of nationality; but here were gathered, not only the representatives of five or six nations, but *long-shoremen of all kinds, half of whom had hc.idly ■*• :«V. rvi^vV- '-'"'^V^^ftiBfk^ 20 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:' eve» set eyes on a ship, before ! The whole space was undivided by partition, but I saw at once that black men and white had separated themselves, the blacks taking the port side and the whites the star- board. Finding a vacant bunk by the dim glimmer of the ancient teapot lamp that hung amidships, giving out as much smoke as light, I hurriedly shifted my coat for a "jumper" or blouse, put on an old cap, and climbed into the fresh air again. For a double reason, even my seasoned head was feeling bad with the villainous reek of the place, and I did not want any of those hard-featured officers on deck to have any cause to complain of my " hanging back." On board ship, especially American ships, the first requisite for a sailor who wants to be treated properly is to " show willing," any suspicion of slackness being noted immediately, and the backward one marked ac- cordingly, I had hardly reached the deck when I was confronted by a negro, the biggest I ever saw in my life. He looked me up and down for a moment, then opening his ebony features in a wide smile, he said : " Great snakes ! why, here's a sailor man for sure! Guess thet's so, ain't it, Johnny?" I said " yes " very curtly, for I hardly liked his patronizing air ; but he snapped me up short with " yes, sir, when yew speak to me, yew blank limejuicer. I'se de fourf mate ob dis yar ship, en my name's Mistah Jones, 'n yew jest freeze on to dat ar, ef yew want ter lib long 'n die happy. See, sonny." I saw^ and answered promptly, " I beg your pardon, sir, I didn't know." " Ob cawse yew didn't know, dat's all right, little Britisher ; naow jest skip aloft 'n loose dat fore-taupsle." " Aye, aye, sir," I answered cheerily, springing at once into the fore-rigging and up the ratlines like a monkey, but not too fast to hear him chuckle, "Pat's a smart OUTWARD BOUND. 31 kiddy, I bet." I had the big sail loose in double quick time, and sung out " All gone, the four-taupsle," before any of the other sailB were adrift. "Loose the to-gantsle and staysles " came up from below in a voice like thunder, and I bounded up higher to my task. On deck I could see a crowd at the windlass heaving up anchor. I said to myself, " They don't waste any time getting this packet away." Evidently they were not anxious to test any of the crew's swim- ming powers. They were wise, for had she remained at anchor that night I verily believe some of the poor wretches would have tried to escape. The anchor came aweigh, the sails were sheeted home, and I returned on deck to find the ship gather- ing way for the heads, fairly started on her long voyage. What a bear-garden the deck was, to be sure ! The black portion of the crew — Portuguese natives from the Western and Canary Islands — ^were doing their work all right in a clumsy fashion ; but the farmers, and bakers, and draymen were being driven about mercilessly amid a perfect hurricane of profanity and blows. And right here I must say that, accustomed as I had always been to bad language all my life, what I now heard was a revelation to me. I would not, if I could, attempt to give a sample of it, but it must be understood that it was incessant throughout the voy- age. No order could be given without it, under the impression, apparently, that the more curses the more speed. Before nightfall we were fairly out to sea, and the ceremony of dividing the crew into watches was gone through. I found myself in the chief mate's or " port " watch (they called it " larboard," a term I had never heard used before, it having long been obsolete ia (iflwM'Ww'''^'*^ ' •-v^^smiak^ 22 T//E CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT." merchant ships), though the huge negro fourth mate seemed none loo well pleased that I was not under his command, his being the starboard watch under the second mate. As night fell, the condition of the " greenies," or non sailor portion of the crew, was pitiable. Helpless from sea-sickness, not knowing where to go or what to do, bullied relentlessly by the ruthless petty officers — well, 1 never felt so sorry for a lot of men in my life. Glad enough I was to get below into the fo'lk'sle for supper, and a brief rest and respite from that cruelty on deck. A bit of salt junk and a piece of bread, i.e. biscuit, flinty as a pantile, with a pot of something sweetened with " longlick " (molasses;, made an apology for a meal, and I turned in. In a very few minutes oblivion came, making me as happy as any man can be in this world. CHAPTER II. PREPARING FOR AC) ION. The hideous noise always considered necessary in those ships when calling the watch, roused me effect- ivelv at midnight, "eight bells." I hurried on deck, fully awarp that no leisurely ten minutes would 1-5 allowed here. • Lay aft the watch," saluted me as I emerged into .le :v en, strong air, quickening my pace accordingly to where the mate stood waiting to muster his men. As soon as he saw me, he said, " Can you steer?" in a mocking tone : but when I quietly an- swered, "Yes, sir," his look of astonishment was PREPARING FOR ACTION, «3 delightful to see. He choked it down, however, and merely telling me to take the wheel, turned fonard roaring frantically for his watch. I had no time to chuckle over what I knew was in store for him, getting those poor greenies collected from their several holes and corners, for on taking the wheel I found a machine under my hands such as 1 never even heard of before. The wheel was fixed upon the tiller in such a manner that the whole concern traveled backwards and for- wards across the deck in the maddest kind of way. For the first quarter of an hour, in spite of the Sep- tember chill, the sweat poured off me in streams. And the course — well, it was not steering, it was scull- ing ; the old bum-boat was wobbling all around like a drunken tailor with two left legs. I fairly shook with apprehension lest the mate should come and look in the compass. I had been accustomed to hard words if I did not steer within half a point each way ; but here was a " gadget " that worked me to death, the result being a wake like a letter S. Gradually I -^ot the hang of the thing, becoming easier in my ::und on my own account. Even that was not an unmixod blessing, for I had now some leioure to Hsten to the goings-on around the deck. Such brutality I never witnessed before. On board of English ships (except men-of-war) there is practi- cally no discipline, which is bad, but this sort of thing was maddening. I knew how desperately ill all those poor wretches were, how helpless and awkward they would be if quite hale and hearty ; but there was abso- lutely no pity foi them, the ofificers seemed to be in- capable of any feelings of compassion whatever. My heart sank within me as I thought of what lay before - me, although 1 did not fear that their treatment would also be mine, since I was at least able to do my duty. i m n win> i » » i .ii w*i f^^t.-* ■•-•>>:<»«»** '"- 24 riTE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT,"* and willing to work hard to keep out of trouble. Then I began to wonder what sort of voyage I was in for, how long it would last, and what my earnings were likely to be, none of which things I had the faintest idea of. Fortunately, I was alone in the world. No one, as far as I knew, cared a straw what became of me ; so that I was spared any worry on that head. And I had also a very definite and well-established trust in God, which I can now look back and see was as fully justified as I then believed it to be. So, as I could not shut my ears to the cruelties being carried on, nor banish thought by hard work, I looked up to the stately stars, thinking of things not to be talked about without being suspected of cant. So swiftly passed the time that when four bells struck (two o'clock) I could hardly believe my ears. I was relieved by one of the Portuguese, and went forward to witness a curious scene. Seven stalwart men were being compelled to march up and down on that tumbling deck, men who had never before trodden anything less solid than the earth. The third mate, a waspish, spiteful little Yankee with a face like an angry cat, strolled about among them, a strand of rope-yarns in his hand, which he wielded constantly, regardless where he struck a man. They fell about, sometimes four or five at once, and his blows flew thick and fast, yet he never seemed to weary of his ill-doing. It made me quite sick, and I longed to be aft at the wheel again. Catching sight of me standing irresolute as to vvhat I had better do, he ordered me on the "lookout," a tiny platfonn between the "knight heads," just where the bowsprit joins the ship. Gladly I obeyed him, and perched up there looking over the wide sea, the time passed PREPARING FOR ACTION »5 juickly away until eight bells (four o'clock) terminated ly watch. I must pass rapidly over the condition of [things in the fo'lk'sle, where all the greenies that Iwere allowed below, were groaning in misery from the Istifling atmosphere which made their sickness so much Iworse, while even that dreadful place was preferable Ito what awaited them on deck. There was a rainbow- Icolored halo round the flame of the lamp, showing how very bad the air was ; but in spite of that I turned in and slept soundly till seven bells (7.20 a.m.) roused I us to breakfast. Atnerican ships generally have an excellent name for I the way they feed their crews, but the whalers are a notable exception to that good rule. The food was I really worse than that on board any English ship I have ever sailed in, so scanty also in quantity that it I kept all the foremast hands at starvation point. But grumbling was dangerous, so I gulped down the dirty mixture mis-named coffee, ate a few fragments of biscuit, and filled up ( ?) with a smoke, as many better men are doing this morning. As the bell struck I hurried on deck — not one moment too soon — ^for as I stepped out of the scuttle I saw the third mate coming forward with a glitter in his eye that boded no good to laggards. Before going any farther I must apologize for using so many capital Fs, but up till the present I had been the only available white member of the crew forrard. The decks were scrubbed spotlessly clean, and everything was neat and tidy as on board a man-of- war, contrary to all usual notions of the condition of a whaler. The mate was in a state of high activity, so I soon lound myself very busily engaged in getting up whale -lines, harpoons, and all the varied equip- ■ ■ lU uA ■v-=-l3Mfei 36 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* ment for the pursuit of whales. The number of officers carried would have been a good crew for the ship, the complete afterguard comprising captain, four mates, four harpooners or boat-stuerers, carpenter, cooper, steward and cook. All these worthies were on deck and working with might and main at the preparations, so that the incompetence of the crowd forrard was little hindrance. I was pounced upon by *' Mistah " Jones, the fourth mate, whom 1 heard addressed famiHarly as " Goliath " and " Anak " by his brother officers, and ordered to assist him in rag- ging the " crow's-nest " at the main royal-mast he?.d. It was a simple affair. There were a pair of cross- trees fitted to the mast, upon which was secured a tiny platform about a foot wide on each side of the mast, while above this foothold a couple of padded hoops like a pair of giant spectacles were secired at a little higher than a man's waist. When all was fast one could creep up on the platform, through the hoop, and resting his arms upon the latter, stand comfort- ably and gaze around, no matter how vigorously the old barky plunged and kicked beneath him. From that lofty aerie I had a comprehensive view of the vessel. She was about 350 tons and full ship-rigged, that is to say, she carried square sails on all three masts. Her deck was flush fore and aft, the only obstructions being the brick-built " try-works " in the waist, the galley, and cabin skylight right aft by the taffrail. Her bulwarks were set thickly round with clumsy-looking wooden cranes, from which depended five boats. Two more boats were secured bottom up upon a gallows aft, so she seemed to be well supplied in that direction. Mistah Jones, finding I did not presume upon his condescension, gradually unbent and furnished me with many interesting facts about i'REPARJNG FOR ACTION, n the officers. Captain Slocum, he said, was " de debbil hisself, so jess yew keep yer lamps trim' fei him, sonny, taint helthy ter lile him." The first officer, or the mate as he is always called par excellence^ was an older man than the captain, but a good seaman, a good whaleman, ««^ a gentleman. VVhich combina- tion 1 found to be a fact, although hard to believe possible at the time. The second mate was a Portu- guese about forty years of age, with a face like one of Vandyke's cavaliers, but as 1 now learned, a perfect fiend when angered. He also was a first-class whale- man, but an indifferent seaman. The third male was nothing much but bad temper — not much sailor, nor much whaler, generally in hot water with the skipper, who hated him because he was an " owner's man." " And de fourf mate," wound up the narrator, straightening his huge bulk, " am de bes* man in de ship, and de bigges*. Dey ain't no whalemen in Nob Bedford caynt teach me noiifin, en ef it comes ter man-handlin' ; w'y I jes' pick em two't a time 'n crack 'em togerrer like so, see ! " and he smote the palms of his great paws against each other, while 1 nodded complete assent. The weather being fine, with a steady N.E. wind blowing, so that the sails required no attention, work proceeded steadily all the morning. The oars were sorted, examined for flaws, and placed in the boats ; the whale-line, manilla rope like yellow silk, i^ inch round, was brought on deck, stretched and coiled down with the greatest care into tubs, holding, some 200 fathoms, and others too fathoms each. New harpoons were fitted to poles of rough but heavy wood, without any attempt at neatness, but every attention to strength. The shape oi" these weapons was not, as is generally thought, that of an arrow, but rather like ^^Ms!;, flS THE CRUiSR OP THE '"CACHAlOtT an arrow with one huge barb, the upper part of which curved out from the shaft. The whole of the barb turned on a stout pivot of steel, but was kept in line with the shaft by a tiny wooden peg which passed through barb and shaft, being then cut off smoothly \ on both sides. The point of the harpoon had at one side a wedge-shaped edge, ground to razor keenness, the other side was flat. The shaft, about thirty inches long, was of the best malleable iron, so soft that it would tie into a knot and straighten out again with- out fracture. Three harpoons, or " irons " as they were always called, were placed in each boat, fitted one above the other in the starboard bow, the first for use being always one unused before. Opposite to them in the boat were fitted three lances for the pur- pose of kiiting whales, the harpoons being only the means by which the boat was attached to a fish, and quite useless to inflict a fatal wound. These lances were slender spears of malleable iron about four feet long, with oval or heart- shaped points of fine steel about two inches broad, their edges kept keen as a surgeon's lancet. By means of a socket at the other end they were attached to neat handles, or " lance- poles," about as long again, the whole weapon being thus about eight feet in length, and furnished with a light line, or " lance-warp," for the purpose of draw- ing it back again when it had been darted at a whale. Each boat was fitted with a center-board, or slid- ing keel, which was drawn up, when not in use, into a case standing in the boat's middle, very much in the way. But the American whalemen regard these clumsy contrivances as indispensable, so there's an end on't. The other furniture of a boat comprised five oars of varying lengths from sixteen to nine feet, one great steering oar of nineteen feet, a mast and FISHING BEGINS. 29 two sails of great area for so small a craft, spritsail shape ; two tubs of whale- line containing together 1800 feet, a keg of drinking water, and another long narrow one with a few biscuits, a lantern, candles and matches therein ; a bucket and " piggin " for baling, a small spade, a flag or ** wheft," a shoulder bomb- gun and ammunition, two knives and two small axes. A rudder hung outside by the stern. With all this gear, although snugly stowed, a boat looked so loaded that I could not help wondering how six men would be able to work in her ; but, like most " deep-water " sailors, I knew very little about boating. I was going to learn. All this work and bustle of preparation was so rapidly carried on, and so interesting, that before supper time everything v/as in readiness to commence operations, the time having gone so swiftly that I could hardly believe the bell when it sounded four times, six o'clock. CHAPTER III. FISHING BEGINS. During all the bustle of warlike preparation that had been going on, the greenhorns had not suffered from inattention on the part of those appointed to look after them. Happily for them, the wind blew steadily, and the weather, thanks to the balmy influence of the Gulf Stream, was quite mild and genial. The ship was undoubtedly lively, as all good sea-boats are, but her motions were by no means so detestable to a sea- ■'^^'^limml' 30 r//£: CRUISE OF THE « CACHALOT, i« % u 1:1 sick man as those of a driving steamer. So, in spite of their treatment, perhaps because of it, some of the poor fellows were beginning to take hold of things " man-fashion," although of course sea legs they had none, their getting about being indeed a pilgrimage of pain. Some of them were beginning to try the dreadful "grub " (I cannot hbel " food " by using it in such a connection), thereby showing that their interest in life, even such a life as was now before them, was returning. They had all been allotted places in the various ^oats, intermixed with the seasoned Portuguese in such a way that the officer and harpooner in charge would not be dependant upon them entirely in case of a sudden emergency. Every endeavor was undoubtedly made to instruct them in their duties, albeit the teachers were all too apt to beat their information in with anything that came to hand, and persuasion found no place in their methods. The reports I had always heard of the laziness pre- vailing on board whale-ships were now abundantly falsified. From dawn to dark work went on without cessation. Everything was rubbed and scrubbed and scoured until no speck or soil could be found ; indeed, no gentleman's yacht or man-of-war is kept more spotlessly clean than was the Cachalot A regular and severe routine of labor was kept up ; and what was most galling to me, instead of a regular four hours' watch on and off, night and day, all hands were kept on deck the whole day long, doing quite unnecessary tasks, apparently with the object of preventing too much leisure and consequent brooding over their unhappy lot. One result of this continual drive and tear was that ail these landsmen became rapidly imbued with the virtues of cleanliness. FISHING BEGINS. 31 rhich was extended to the A^w in which we lived, )r I verily believe sickness would have soon thinned IS out. On the fourth day after leaving port we were all )usy as usual except the four men in the " crcw's- lests," when a sudden cry of ** Porps ! porps ! " )rought everything to a standstill. A large school of )orpoises had just joined us, in their usual clownish fashion, roUing and tumbling around the bows as the )ld barky wallowed along, surrrounded by a wide ellipse of snowy foam. All work was instantly sus- )ended, and active preparations made for securing a tew of these frolicsome fellows. A " block," or pulley, t^as hung out at the bowsprit end, a w^hale-line )assed through it and " bent " (fastened) on to a irpoon. Another line with a running "bowline," or slip-noose, was also jxiissed out to the bowsprit end, )eing held there by one man in readiness. I'hen one )f the harpooners ran out along the backropes, which :eep the jib-boom down, taking his stand beneath the )Owsprit with the harpoon ready. Presently he raised his iron and followed the track of a rising por- Ipoise with its point until the creature broke water. [At the same instant the weapon left his grasp, appar- lently without any force behind it \ but we on deck, holding the line, soon found that our excited hauling lifted a big vibrating body clean out of the smother [beneath. "Vast hauHng ! " shouted the mate, while as the porpoise hung dangling, the harpooner slipped the ready bowline over his body, gently closing its ^cjrip round the " small " by the broad tail. Then we •uled on the noose-line, slacking away the harpoon, /fd in a minute had our prize on deck. He was [dragged away at once and the operation repeated. jain and again we hauled them in, until the fore 33 THE CRUISE OF THE « CACHALOTr part of the deck was alive with the kicking, writhing sea-pigs, at least twenty of them. I had seen an occasional porpoise caught at sea before, but never more than one at a time. Here, however, was a wholesale catch. At last one of the harpooned ones plunged so furiously while being hauled up that he literally tore himself off the iron, falling, streaming with blood, back into the sea. Away went all the school after him, tearing at him with their long well-toothed jaws, some of them leap- ing high in the air in their eagerness to get their diife share of the cannibal feast. Our fishing was over for that time. Meanwhile one of the harpooners had brought out a number of knives, with which all hands were soon busy skinning the blubber from the bodies. Porpoises have no skin, that is hide, the blubber or coating of lard which encases them being covered by a black substance as thin as tissue paper. The por- poise hide of the boot-maker is really leather, made from the skin of the Beiugay or " white whale," which is found only in the far north. The cover was removed from the " try-works " amidships, revealing two gigantic pots set in a frame of brickwork side by side, capable of holding 200 gallons each. Such a cooking apparatus as might have graced a Brobding- nagian kitchen. Beneath the pots was the very .simplest of furnaces, hardly as elaborate as ih6 familiar copper- hole sacred to washing-day. Square funnels of sheet-iron were loosely fitted to the flues, more as a protection against the oil boiling over into the fire than to carry away the smoke, of which from the peculiar nature of the fuel there was very littli^ At one side of the try-works was a large woode"^^ vessel, or " hopper," to contain the raw blubber ; at ti>i, other, a cop|*^r cistern or cooler of about 300 gallons FISHING BEGINS, 33 rapacity, into which the prepared oil was baled to :ool off, preliminary to its being poured into the :asks. Beneath the furnaces was a space as large as the whole area of the try-works, about a foot deep, irhich, when the fires were lighted, was filled with ;ater to prevent- the deck from burning. It may be imagined that the blubber from our ^wenty porpoises made but a poor show in one of the )ots ; nevertheless, we got a barrel of very excellent )il from them. The fires were fed with "scrap," or )ieces of blubber from which the oil had been boiled, some of which had been reserved from the previous royage. They burnt with a fierce and steady blaze, leaving but a trace of ash. I was then informed by )ne of the harpooners that no other fuel was ever [used for boiling blubber at any time, there being [always amply sufficient for the purpose. The most interesting part of the whole business, jthough, to us poor half-starved wretches, was the plen- Itiful supply of fresh meat. Porpoise beef is, when [decently cooked, fairly good eating to a landsman ; [judge, then, what it must have been to us. Of course the tit-bits, such as the liver, kidneys, brains, etc., I could not possibly fall to our lot ; but we did not com- plain, we were too thankful to get something eatable, aiy^ enough of it. Moreover, although few sailors in *Cnglish ships know it, porpqise beef impioves vastly by keeping, getting tenderer every day the longer it Jiangs, until at last it becomes as tasty a viand as one §ould wish to dine upon. It was a good job- for us '^•lat this was the case, for while the porpoises lasted f^e •' harness casks," or salt beef receptacles, were kept Bjyjeteked ; so if any man had felt unable to eat porpoise 1 ^rf— well, there was no compulsion, he could go hungry. We were now in the haunts of the Sperm Whale, oi '! '>l 34 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTS " Cachalot," a brilliant look-out being continually kept for any signs of their appearing. One o^cer and a foremast hand were continually on watch during the day in the main crow's-nest, one harpooner and a seaman in the fore one. A bounty of ten pounds of tobacco was offered to whoever should first report a whale, should it be secured, consequently there were no sleepy eyes up there. Of course none of those who were inexperienced stood much chance against the eagle-eyed Portuguese ; but all tried their best, in the hope of perhaps winning some little favor from their hard taskmasters. Every evening at sunset it was "all hands shorten sail," the constant drill rapidly teaching even these clumsy landsmen how to find their way aloft, and do something else besides hold on to anything like grim death when they got there. At last, one beautiful day, the boats were lowered and manned, and away went the greenies on their first practical lesson in the business of the voyage. As before noticed, there were tv/o greenies in each boat, they being so arranged that whenever one of them *' caught a crab," which of course was about every other stroke, his failure made little difference to the boat's progress. They learned very fast under the terrible imprecations and storm of blows from the iron-fisted and iron-hearted officers, so that before the day was out the skipper was satisfied of our ability to deal with a " fish " should he be lucky enough to " raise " one. I was, in virtue of my e:?f perience, placed at the after-oar in the mate's boat, where it was my duty to attend to the '* main sheet " when the sail was set, where also I had the benefit of the lightest oar except the small one used by the harpooner in the bov/. The very next day after our first exhaustive boat drill, a school of " Black Fish " was reported from FISHING BEGINS. 35 aloft, and with great glee the officers prepared for what they considered a ratthng day's fun. The Black Fish {Phoccena Sp,) is a small toothed whale, not at all unlike a miniature cachalot, except that its head is rounded at the front, while its jaw is not long and straight, but bowed. It is as frolicsome as the porpoise, gamboling about in schools oi from twenty to fifty or more, as if really delighted to be alive. Its average size is from ten to twenty feet long, and seven or eight feet in girth, weight from one to three tons. Blubber about three inches thick, while the head is almost all oil, so that a good rich speci- men will make between one and two barrels of oil of medium quality. The school we were now insight of was of middling size and about average weight of individuals, and the officers esteemed it a fortunate circumstance that we should happen across them as a sort of preliminaiy to our tacklmg the monarchs of the deep. All the new harpoons were unshipped from the boats, and a couple of extra ** second " irons, as those that have been used are called, were put into each boat for use if wanted. The sails were also left on board. We lowered and left the ship, pulling right towards, the schv:>ol, the noise they were making in their fun effect- ual ly preventing them from hearing our approach. It isi etiquette to allow the mate's boat first place, un- less ms crew is so weak as to be unable to hold their own ; but as the mate always has first pick of the men this seldom happens. So, as usual, we were first, and I soo:i 1 heard the order given, '* Stand up, Louey, and let 'em have it I " Sure enough, here we were right among them. Louis let drive, " fastening," a whopper about twenty feet long. The injured animal plunged jmadly forward, accompanied by his feUowSi while i 36 THE CRUISE OP THE *^ CACHALOT,"* liOuis calmly bent another iron to a " short warp," or piece of whale-line, the loose end of which he made a bowline with round the main line which was fast to the "fish." Then he fastened another "fish,*' and the queer sight was seen of these two monsters each trying to flee in opposite directions, while the second one ranged about alarmingly as his " bridle " ran along the main line. Another one was secu/ed in the same way, then the game was indeed great. The school had by this time taken the alarm and cleared out, but the other boats were all fast to fish, so that didn't matter. Now, at the rate our " game ** were going, it would evidently be a long while before they died, although, being so much smaller than a whale proper, a harpoon will often kill them at a stroke. Yst they were now so tangled or " snarled erp," as the mate said, that it was no easy matter ^.o lance them without great danger of cutting the line. However, we hauled up as close to them as we dared, and the harpoonei got a good blow in, which gave the biggest of the three " Jesse," as he said, though why " Jesse ** was a stumper. Anyhow, it killed him promptly, while almost directly after another one saved further trouble by passing in his own checks. But he sank at the same time, drawing the first one down with him, so that we were in considerable danger of having to cut them adrift or be swamped. The " whef t " was waved thrice as an urgent signal to the ship to come to our as- sistance with all speed, but in the meantime our interest lay in the surviving Black Fish keeping alivCc Should he die, and, as was most probable, sink, we should certainly have to cut and lose the lot, tools included. We waited in grim silence while the ship came up, SO slowly, apparently, that she hardly seemed to move, bat really at a ^ood pace of about four knots an houti FISHING BEGINS, 31 which for her was not at all bad. She got alongside of us at last, and we passed up the bight of our line, our fish all safe, very much pleased with ourselves, especially when we found that the other boats had only five between the three of them. The fish secured to the ship, all the boats were hoisted except one, which remained alongside to sling the bodies. During our absence the ship-keepers* had been busy rigging one of the cutting falls, an im- mense fourfold tackle from the main lowermast-head, of four-inch rope through great double blocks, large as those used at dockyards for lifting ships' masts and boilers. Chain-slings were passed around the carcasses, which gripped the animal at the " small," being prevented from slipping off by the broad spread of the tail. The end of the " fall," or tackle-rope, was then taken to the windlass, and we hove away cheerily, lifting the monsters right on deck. A moun- tainous pile they made. A short spell was allowed, when the whole eight were on board, for dinner ; then all hands turned to again to " flench " the blubber, and prepare for trying-out. This was a heavy job, keeping all hands busy until it was quite dark, the latter part of the work being carried on by the light of a " cresset," the flames of which were fed with "scrap " which blazed brilliantly, throwing a big glare over all the ship. The last of the carcasses was launched overboard by about eight o'clock that eve- ning, but not before some vast junks of beef had been cut off and hung up in the rigging for our food supply. The tiy-works were started again, "trying-out" going on busily all night, watch and watch taking their turn at keeping the pots supplied with minced blubber. The work was heavy, while the energetic way in which f-' la /. I '■•■ t"'a .W - 3« THE CRUISE OF THE '' CACHALOT* it was carried on made us all glad to take what rest was allowed us, which was scanty enough, as usual. By nightfall the next day the ship had resumed her normal appearance, and we were a tun and a quarter of oil to the good. Black Fish oil is of medium quality, l)ut I learned that, according to the rule of " roguery ill all trades," it was the custom to mix quantities such as we had just obtained with better class whale oil, and thus get a much higher price than it was really worth. Up till this time we had no sort of an idea as to where our first objective might be, but from scraps of conversation I had overheard among the harpooners, I gathered that we were making for the Cape Verde Islands or the Azores, in the vicinity of which a good number of moderate sized sperm whales are often to be found. In fact, these islands have long been a nursery for whale-fishers, because the cachalot loves their steep-to shores, and the hardy natives, whenever and wherever they can muster a boat and a little gear, are always ready to sally forth and attack the unwary whale that ventures within their ken. Consequently more than half of the total crews of the American whaling fleet are composed of these islanders. Many of them have risen to the position of captain, and still more are officers and harpooners; but, though un- doubtedly brave and enterprising, they are cruel and treacherous, and, in positions of authority over men of Teutonic or Anglo-Saxon origin, are apt to treat theii subordinates with great cruelty. I ! I i BAD WEATHER. 99 CHAPTER IV. BAD WEATHER. Nautical routine in its essential details is much the same in all ships, whether naval, merchant, or whaling vessels. But while in the ordinary merchantman there are decidedly " no more cats than can catch mice," hardly, indeed, sufficient for all the mousing that should be done, in men-of-war and whaleships the number of hands carried, being far more than are wanted for everyday work, must needs be kept at unnecessary duties in order that they may not grow lazy and dis- contented. For instance, in the Cachalot we carried a crew of thirty-seven all told, of which twenty-four were men before the mast, or common seamen, our tonnage be- ing under 400 tons. Many a splendid clipper-ship carrying an enormous spread of canvas on four masts, and not overloaded with 2500 tons of cargo on board, carries twenty-eight or thirty all told, or even less than that. As far as we were concerned, the result of this was that our landsmen got so thoroughly drilled, that within a week of leaving port they hardly knew them- selves for the clumsy clodhoppers they at first appeared to be. We had now been eight days out, and in our leisurely way were making fair progress across the Atlantic, having had nothing, so far, but steady breezes and fine weather. As it was late autumn — the first week in October — I rather wondered at this, for even in my brief experience I had learned to dread a " fall " voyage across the " Western Ocean." m m III s J,i m r 'I i ( ; 40 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* Hi Gradually the face of the sky changed, and the feel of the air, from balmy and genial, became raw and che( ricss. The little wave tops broke short off and Llew backwards, apparently against the wind, while the old vessel had an uneasy, unnatural motion, caused by a long, new swell rolling athwart the existing set of the sea. Then the wind became fitful and changeable, backing half round the compass, and veering forward again as much in an hour, until at last in one tremen- dous squall it settled in the N. W. for a business-like blow. Unlike the hurried merchantman who must needs " hang on " till the last minute, only shortening the sail when absolutely compelled to do so, and at the first sign of the gale's relenting, piling it on again, we were all snug long before the storm burst upon us, and now rode comfortably under the tiniest of storm staysails. We were evidently in for a fair specimen of Western Oceai> weather, but the clumsy-looking, old-fashioned Cachalot made no nore fuss over it than one of the long-winged sea-birds that floated around, intent only upon snapping up any stray scraps that might escape from us. Higher rose the wind, heavier rolled the sea, yet never a drop of water did we ship, nor did any- thing about the deck betoken what a heavy gale was blowing. During the worst of the weather, and just after the wind had shifted back into the N.E., making an uglier cross sea than ever got up, along comes an immense four-masted iron ship homeward bound. She was staggering under a veritable mountain of canvas, fairly burying her bows in the foam at every forward drive, and actually wetting the clews of the upper top- sails in the smothering masses of spray, that every few minutes almost hid her hull from sight. Jt was a splendid picture ; but — ^for the time — \ BAD WEATHER, 41 felt glad I was not on board of her. In a very few minutes she was out of our ken, followed by the admiration of all. Then came, from the other di rection, a huge steamship, taking no more notice oi the gale than as if it were calm. Straight throug)i the sea she rushed, dividing the mighty rollers to Uk: heart, and often bestriding three seas at once, tlic center one spreading its many tons of foaming water fore and aft, so that from every orifice spouted the seething brine. Compared with these greyhounds of the wave, we resembled nothing so much as some old lightship bobbing serenely around, as if part and parcel of the mid-Atlar/ic. Our gteenies were getting so well seasoned by this time that even this rough weather did not knock any of them over, and from that time forward they had no more trouble from seasickness. The gale gradually blew itself out, leaving behind only a long and very heavy swell to denote the deep- reaching disturbance that the ocean had endured. And now we were within the range of the Sargasso Weed, that mysterious fucus that makes the ocean look like some vast hayfield, and keeps the sea from rising, no matter how high the wind. It fell a dead calm, and the harpooners amused themselves by dredging up great masses of the weed, and turning out the many strange creatures abiding therein. What a world of wonderful life the weed is, to be sure ! In it the flying fish spawn and the tiny cuttle-fish breed, both of them preparing bounteous provision for the larger denizens of the deep that have no other food. Myriads of tiny crabs and innumerable specimens of less-known shell-fish, small fish of species as yet unclassified in any work on natural history, with jelly- fish of every conceivable and inconceivable shape. 'I ! i "I > /I 42 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT^ form part of this great and populous country in the sea. At one haul there was brought on board a mass of flying-fish spawn, about ten pounds in weight, look- ing like nothing so much as as a pile of ripe white currants, and clinging together in a very similar manner. Such masses of ova I had often seen cast up among the outlying rocks on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, when as a shipwrecked lad 1 wandered idly about unburying turtle eggs from their snug beds in the warm sand, and chasing the many-hued coral fish from one hiding place to another. While loitering in these smooth waters, waiting for the laggard wind, up came a shoal of dolphin, ready as at all times to attach themselves for awhile to the ship. Nothing is more singular than the manner in which deep-sea fish will accompany a vessel that is not going too fast — sometimes for days at a time. Most convenient too, and providing hungry Jack with many a fresh mess he would otherwise have missed. Of all these friendly fish, none is better known than the '* dolphin,** as from long usage sailors persist in calling them, and will doubtless do so until the end of the chapter. For the true dolphin {Delphinidce) is not a fish at all, but a mammal — a warm-blooded creature that suckles its young, and in its most familiar form is known to most people as the porpoise. The sailor's *' dolphin," on the other hand, is a veri- table fish, with vertical tail fin instead of the hori- zontal one which distinguishes all the whale family, scales and gills. It IS well known to literature, under its sea-name, for its marvelous brilliancy of color, and there are few objects more dazzling than a dolphin leaping out of a calm sea into the sunshine. The beauty of a dying BAD WEATHER, 43 dolphin, however, though sanctioned by many genera* tions of writers, is a delusion, all the glory of the fish departing as soon as he is withdrawn from his native element. But this habit of digression grows upon one, and I must do my best to check it, or I shall never get through my task. To resume then : when this school of dolphin (I can't for the life of me call them Coryphana hippuris) came alongside, a rush was made for the " granes " — a sort of five-pronged trident, if I may be allowed a baby bull. It was universally agreed among the fisher- men that trying a hook and line was only waste of time and provocative of profanity ! since every sailor knows that all the deep-water big fish require a living or apparently living bait. The fish, however, sheered off, and would not be tempted within reach of that deadly fork by any lure. Then did I cover myself with glory. For he who can fish cleverly and luckily may be sure of fairly good times in a whaler, although he may be no great things at any other work. I had a line of ,my own, and begging one of the small fish that had been hauled up in the Gulf weed, I got per- mission to go aft and fish over the taffrail. I'he little fish was carefully secured on the hook, the point of which just protruded near his tail. Then I lowered him into the calm blue waters beneath, and paid out line very gently, until my bait was a silvery spot jil out a hundred feet astern. Only a very short time, and my hopes rose as I saw one bright gleam after another glide past the keel, heading aft. Then came a gentle drawing at the line, which I suffered to slip slowly through my fingers until I judged it time to try whether I was right Qr wrong. A long hard pull, and my heart l>eat fast as 1 f«lt ti^e thrill along the line that fishei- t .; 1 i. "im 44 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT, I men love. None of your high art here, but haul in hand over hand, the line being strong enough to land a 250 pound fish. Up he came, the beauty, all silver and scarlet and blue, five feet long if an inch, and weighing 35 pounds. Well, such a lot of astonished men I never saw. They could hardly believe their eyes. That such a faring innovation should be suc- cessful was hardly to be believed, even with the vigor- ous evidence before them. Even grim Captain Slocum came to look, and turned upon me as I thought a less lowering brow than usual, while Mr. Count, the mate, fairly chuckled again at the thought of how the little Britisher had wiped the eyes of these veteran fisher- men. The captive was cut open, and two recent fly- ing fish found in his maw, which were utilized for new bait, with the result that there was a cheerful noise of hissing and spluttering in the galley soon after, and a mess of fish for all hands. Shortly afterwards a fresh breeze sprang up, which proved to be the beginning of the N.E. trades, and fairly guaranteed us against any very bad weather for some time to come. Somehow or other it had leaked out that we were to cruise the Cape Verd Islands for a spell before work- ing south, and the knowledge seemed to have quite an enlivening effect upon our Portuguese shipmates. Most of them belonged there, and although there was but the faintest prospect of their getting ashore upon any pretext whatever, the possibility of seeing their island homes again seemed to quite transform them. Hitherto they had been very moody and ex- clusive, never associating with us on the white side, or attempting to be at all familiar. A mutual atmos- phere of suspicion, in fact, seemed to pervade our quarters, making things already uncomfortable enough. BAD WEATHER. 45 Still more so. Now, however, they fraternized with us, and in a variety of uncouth ways made havoc of the English tongue, as they tried to impress us with the beauty, fertility and general incomparability of their beloved Cape Verds. Of the eleven white men besides myself in the forecastle, there were a middle- aged German baker, who had bolted from Buffalo ; two Hungarians, who looked like noblemen disguised — in dirt; two slab-sided Yankees of about 22 from farms in Vermont; a drayman from New York; a French Canadian from the neighborhood of Quebec ; two Italians from Genoa ; and two nondescripts that I never found out the origin of. Imagine, then, the babel of sound, and think — ^but no, it is impossible to think, what sort of a jargon was compounded of all these varying elements of language. One fortunate thing, there was peace below. In- deed, the spirit seemed completely taken out of all of them, and by some devilish ingenuity the afterguard had been able to sow distrust between them all, while treating them like dogs, so that the miseries of their life were never openly discussed. My position among them gave me at times some uneasiness. Though I tried to be helpful to all, and was full of sympathy for their undeserved sufferings, I could not but feel that they would have been more than human had they not envied me my immunity from the kicks and blows they all shared so impartially. However, there was no help for it, so I went on as cheerily as I could. A peculiarity of iiil these vessels, as I afterwards learned, was that no stated allowance of anything was made. Even the water was not served out to us, but was kept in a great scuttle-but by the cabin door, to which every one who needed a drink had to go, and fxom which none might be carried away. No water Ri .:fi t ii ',1 t 1 ) i iU 46 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT,'* was allowed for washing except from th sea ; and every one knows, or should know, that neither flesh nor clothes can be cleansed with that. But a cask with a perforated top was lashed by the bowsprit and kept filled with urine, which I was solemnly assured by Goliath was the finest dirt- extractor in the ^vorld for clothes. ITie officers did not avail themselves of its virtues though, but were content with ley, which was furnished in plenty by the ashes from the galley fire, where nothing but wood was used as fuel. Of course when rain fell we might have a good wash, if it was night and no other work was toward ; but we were not allowed to store any for washing purposes. Another curious but absolutely necessary custom pre- vailed in consequence of the short commons under which we lived. When the portion of meat was brought down in its wooden kid, or tub, at dinner- time, it was duly divided as fairly as possible into as many parts as there were mouths. Then one man turned his back upon the carver, who, holding up each portion, called out, " Who's this for? " Whatever name was mentioned by the arbitrator, that man owning it received the piece, and had perforce to be satisfied therewith. Thus justice was done to all in the only way possible, and without any friction what- ever. As some of us were without clothes • except what we stood upright in, when we joined, the " slop chest" was opened, and every applicant received from the steward what Captain Slocum thought fit to let him have, being debited with the cost against such wages as he might afterwards earn. The clothes were certainly of fairly good quality, if the price was high, and exactly suited to our ref^uirements. Soap, matches, and tobacco were likewise supplied on the ACTUAL WARFARE. OUR FIRST WHALE. 47 sime terms, but at higher prices than I had ever heard of before for these necessaries. After much careful inquiry I ascertained what, in the event of a successful voyage, we were likely to earn. Each of ns were on the two hundredth " lay " or share at %ioo per tun, which meant that for every two hundred barrels of oil taken on board, we were entitled to one, which we must sell to the ship at the rate of ;^40 per tun or ;£4 per barrel. Truly a magnificent outlook for young men bound to such a business for three or four years. CHAPTER V. ..LiwAL WARFARE. OUR FIRST WHALE. Simultaneous ideas occurring to several people, or thought transference, whatever one likes to call the phenomenon, is too frequent an occurrence in most of our experience to occasion much surprise. Yet on the occasion to which I am about to refer, the matter was so very marked that few of us who took part in the day's proceedings are ever likely to forget it. We were all gathered about the fo'lk'sle scuttle one e^^ening, a few' days after the gale referred to in the previous chapter, and the question of whale-fishing came up for discussion. Until that time, strange as it may seem, no word of this, the central idea of all our minds, had been mooted. Every man seemed to shun the subject, although we were in daily expecta- tion of being called upon to take an active part in whale-fighting. Once the ice was broken, nearly all had something to say about it, and very nearly as I'i m P. I'i \ ("Hi 48 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:* many addle-headed opinions were ventilated as a: a Colney Hatch debating society. For we none of us knew anything about it. I was appealed to contin- ually to support this or that theory, but as far as whaling went I could only, like the rest of them, draw upon my imagination for details. How did a whale act, what were the first steps taken, what chance was there of being saved if your boat got smashed, and so on unto infinity. At last, getting very tired of this " Portugee Parliament " of all talkers "and no listeners, I went aft to get a drink of water before turning in. The harpooners and other petty officers were grouped in the waist, earnestly discussing the pros and cons of attack upon whales. As I passed I heard the mate's harpooner say, " Feels like whale about. I bet a plug (of tobacco) we raise sperm whale to-morrow." Nobody took his bet, for it appeared that they were mostly of the same mind, and while I was drinking I heard the officers in dignified conclave talking over the same thing. It was Saturday evening, and while at home people were looking forward to a day's respite from work and care, I felt that the coming day, though never taken much notice of on board, was big with the probabilities of strife such as I at least had at present no idea of. So firmly was I possessed by the prevailing feeling. The night was very quiet. A gentle breeze was blowing, and the sky was of the usual " Trade " char- acter, that is, a dome of dark blue fringed at the horizon with peaceful cumulus clouds, almost motion- less. I turned in at four a. m. from the middle watch and, as usual, slept like a babe. Suddenly I started wide awake, a long mournful sound sending a thrill to my very heart. As I listened breathlessly other sounds of the same character but in different \ ACTUAL tVAHPARM. OVR FIRST WHALE. 49 tones joined in, human voices monotonously inton- ing in long drawn-out expirations the single word " bl-o-o-o-o-w." Then came a hurricane of noise overhead, and adjurations in no gentle language to the sleepers to " tumble up lively there, no skulking, sperm whales." At last, then, fulfilling all the pre- sentiments of yesterday, the long dreaded moment had arrived. Happily there was no time for hesita- tion, in less than two minutes we were all on deck, and hurrying to our respective boats. There was no flurry or confusion, and except that orders were given more quietly than usual, with a manifest air of sup- pressed excitement, there was nothing to show that we were not going for an ordinary course of boat drill. The skipper was in the main crow's-nest with his binoculars. Presently he shouted, " Naow then, Mr. Count, lower away soon's y'like. Small pod o'cows, an* one *r two bulls layin' off to west'ard of 'em." Down went the boats into the water quietly enough, we all scrambled in and shoved off. A stroke or two of the oars were given to get clear of the ship, and one another, then oars were shipped and up went the sails. As I took my allotted place at the main-sheet, and the beautiful craft started off like some big bird, Mr. Count leant forward, saying impressively to me, " Y'r a smart youngster, an' I've kinder took t*yer; but don't ye look ahead an' get gallied, *r 1*11 knock ye stiff wi' th' tiller; y'hear me? N* don't ye dare to make thet sheet fast, 'r ye'll die so sudden y' won't know whar y'r hurted." I said as cheerfully as I could, " All right, sir," trying to look unconcerned, telling myself not to be a coward, and all sorts of things ; but the cold truth is that I was scared almost to death because I didn't know what was coming. However^ I did the best thing under V \ i k 1 50 THE CRUISE OF THE **CACHALOT'* '.'■\\] I'M the circumstances, obeyed orders and looked steadily astern, or up into the bronzed impassive face of my chief, who towered above me, scanning with eagle eyes the sea ahead. The other boats were coming flying along behind us, spreading wider apart as they came, while in the bows of each stood the harpooner with his right hand on his first iron, which lay ready, pointing over the bow in a raised fork of wood called the " crutch." All of a sudden, at a motion of the chief's hand, the peak of our mainsail was dropped, and the boat swung up into the wind, laying " hove to," almost stationary. The center-board was lowered to stop her drifting to leeward, although I cannot say it made much differ- ence that ever I saw. Now what's the matter, I thought, when to my amazement the chief addressing me said, *' Wonder why we've hauled up, don't ye? " « Yes, sir, I do," said I. « Wall," said he, " the fish hev sounded, an' 'ef we run over 'em, we've seen the last ov 'em. So we wait awhile till they rise agin, 'n then we'll prob'ly git thar' 'r thareabouts before they sound agin." With this explanation I had to be con- tent, although if it be no clearer to my readers than it then was to rae, I shall have to explain myself more fully later on. Silently we lay, rocking lazily upon the gentle swell, no other word being spoken by any one. At last Louis, the harpooner, gently breathed " blo-o-o-w ; " and there, sure enough, not half a mile away on the lee beam, was a little bushy cloud of steam apparently rising from the sea. At almost the same time as we kept away all the other boats did likewise, and just then, catching sight of the' ship, the reason for this apparently concerted action was ex- plained. At the main-mast head of the ship was a square blue flag, and the ensign at the peak was being ACTUAL WARFARE. OUR FIRST WHALE, 51 dipped. These were signals well understood and promptly acted upon by those in charge of the boats, who were thus guided from a point of view at least one hundred feet above the sea. "Stand up, Louey," the mate murmured softly, I only just stopped myself in time from turning my head to see why the order w ■ g. - Suddenly tb '*^'» was a bump, at the same moi*ient ^.^e mate yelled, * ^ive't to him, Louey, give't to him ! " and to me, " Haul that main sheet, naow haul, why don't ye? " I hauled it flat aft, and the boat shot up into the wind, rubbing sides as she did so with what to my troubled sight seemed an enormous mass of black india-rubber float- ing. As we crawled up into the wind, the whale went into convulsions befitting his size and energy. He raised a gigantic tail on high, threshing the water with deafening blows, roiling at the same time from side to side until the surrounding sea was white with froth. I felt in an agony lest we should be crushed under one of those fearful strokes, for Mr. Count appeared to be oblivious of possible danger, although we seemed to be now drifting back on to the writhing leviathan. In the agitated condition of the sea, it was a task of no ordinary difficulty to unship the tall mast, which was of course the first thing to be done. After a desperate struggle, and a narrow escape from falling overboard of one of the men, we got the long "stick," with the sail bundled around it, down and " fleeted " aft, where it was secured by the simple means of sticking the " heel '* under the after thwart, two-thirds of the mast extending out over the stem. Meanwhile, we had certainly been in a position of the greatest danger, our immunity from damage being unquestionably due to anything but precaution taken to avoid it t a. f \ t i I f'fl - ' * 1 5« THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS hlir By the time the pars were handled, and the mate had exchanged places with the harpooner, our friend the enemy had *^ sounded/' that is, he had gone below for a change of scene, marveling no doubt what strange thing had befallen him. Agreeably to the accounts which I, like most boys, had read of the whale fishery, I looked for the rushing of the line round the loggerhead (a stout wooden post built into the boat aft), to raise a cloud of smoke with occasional bursts of flame ; so as it began to slowly surge round the post, I timidly asked the harpooner whether I should throw any water on it. " Wot for? " growled he, as he took a couple more turns with it. Not knowing " what for," and hardly liking to quote my authorities here, I said no more, but waited events. "Hold him up, Louey, hold him up, cain't ye?" shouted the mate, and to my horror, down went the nose of the boat almost under water, while at the mate's order everybody scrambled aft into the elevated stern sheets. The line sang quite a tune as it was grudgingly al- lowed to surge round the loggerhead, filling one with admiration at the strength shown by such a small rope. This sort of thing went on for about twenty minutes, in which time we quite emptied the large tub and be- gan on the small one. As .there was nothing whatever for us to do while this was going on, I had ample leisure for observing the little game that was being played about a quarter of a mile away. Mr. Cruce, the second mate, had got a whale and was doing his best to kill it ; but he was severely handicapped by his crew, or rather had been, for two of them were now temporarily incapable of either good or harm. They had gone quite " batchy " with fright, requiring a DOt too gentle application of the tiller to their heads ACTUAL WARFARE. OUR FIRST WHALE, 53 in order to keep them quiet. The remedy, if rough, was effectual, for " the subsequent proceedings inter- ested them no more." Consequently his maneuvers were not so well or rapidly executed as he, doubtless, could have wished, although his energy in lancing that whale was something to admire and remember. Hat- less, his shirt tail out of the waist of his trousers stream- ing behind him like a banner, he lunged and thrust at the whale alongside of him, as if possessed of a destroying devil, while his half articulate yells of rage and blasphemy were audible even to us. Suddenly our boat fell backward from her " slantin dicular " position with a jerk, and the mate immet i- ately shouted, " Haul line, there! look lively, now! you — so on, etcetera, etcetera " (he seemed to invent new epithets on every occasion). The line came in hand over hand, and was coiled in a wide heap in the stern sheets, for silky as it was, it could not be expected in its wet state to lie very close. As it came flying in the mate kept a close gaze upon the water immediately beneath us, apparently for the first glimpse of our antagonist. When the whale broke water, however, he was some distance off, and apparently as quiet as a lamb. Now, had Mr. Count been a prudent or less ambitious man, our task would doubtless have been an easy one, or comparatively so ; but, being a little over-grasping, he got us all into serious trouble. We were hauling up to our whale in order to lance it, and the mate was standing, lance in hand, only waiting to get near enough, when up comes a large whale right alongside of our boat, so close, indeed, that I might have poked my finger in his little eye, if I had chosen. The sight of that whale at liberty, and calmly taking stock of us like that, was too much for the mate. He lifted his lance and hurled it at the visitor, in whose ', t* r\ \i\ ! -1 t r m m !.*i I •'! ->, Li I '■lii. Sidr I ' 54 THE CRUISE OF THE « CACHALOT,"* broad flank it sank, like a knife into butter, right up to the pole-hitches. The recipient disappeared like a flash, but before one had time to think, there vviis an awful crash beneath us, and the mate shot up into the air like a bomb from a mortar. He came down in a sitting posture on the mast-thwart ; but as he fell, the whole framework of the boat collapsed like a derelict umbrella. Louis quietly chopped the line and severed our connection with the other whale, while in accord- ance with our instructions we drew each man his oar across the boat and lashed it firmly down with a piece of line spliced to each thwart for the purpose. This simple operation took but a minute, but before it was completed we were all up to our necks in the sea. Still in the boat, it is true, and therefore not in such danger of drowning as if we were quite adrift ; but, considering that the boat was reduced to a mere bundle of loose planks, I, at any rate, was none too comfortable. Now, had he known it, was the whale's golden opportunity; but he, poor wretch, had had quite enough of our company, and cleared off without any delay, wondering, no doubt, what fortunate ac- cident had rid him of our very unpleasant attentions. I was assured that we were all as safe as if we were on board the ship, to which I answered nothing ; but, like Jack's parrot, I did some powerful thinking. Every little wave that came along swept clean over our heads, sometimes coming so suddenly as to cut a breath in half. If the wind should increase — ^but no — I wouldn't face the possibility of such a disagree- able thing. I was cool enough now in a double sense, for although we were in the tropics, we soon got thoroughly chilled. By the position of the sun it must have been between ten a. m. and noon, and we, of the crew had ACTUAL WARFARE. OUR FIRST WHALE. 55 eaten nothing since the previous day at supper, when, as usual, the meal was very light. Therefore, I sup- pose we felt the chill sooner than the better-nour- ished mate and harpooner, who looked rather scorn- fully at our blue faces and chattering teeth. In spite of all assurances to the contrary, I have not the least doubt in my own mind that a very little longer would have relieved us of all our burdens finally. Because the heave of the sea had so loosened the shattered planks upon which we stood that they were on the verge of falling all asunder. Had they done so we must have drowned, for we were cramped and stiff with cold and our constrained position. However, unknown to us, a bright look-out upon our movements had been kept from the crow's-nest the whole time. We should have been relieved long before, but that the whale killed by the second mate was being secured, and another boat, the fourth mate's, being picked up, having a hole in her bilge you could put your head through. With all these hindrances, especially securing the whale, we were fortunate to be rescued as soon as we were, since it is well known that whales are of much higher com- mercial value than men. However, help came at last, and we were hauled alongside. I^ng exposure had weakened us to such an extent that it was necessary to hoist* us on board, especially the mate, whose " sudden stop," when he returned to us after his little aerial excursion, had shaken his sturdy frame considerably, a state of body which the subsequent soaking had by no means im- proved. In my innocence I imagined that we should be commiserated for our misfortunes by Captain Slocum and certainly be relieved from further duties until we were a little recovered from the rough treats ' * i-i \K \ f ri \ , t , ! • S6 THE CRUISE OF THE "^CACHALOT"* ment we had just undergone. But I never made a greater mistake. The skipper cursed us all (except the mate, whose sole fault the accident undoubtedly was) with a fluency and vigor that was, to put it mildly, discouraging. Moreover, we were informed that he ** wouldn't have no adjective skulking ; " we must " turn to " and do something after wasting the ship's time and property in such a blank manner. There was a limit, however, to our obedience, so although we could not move at all for awhile, his threats were not proceeded, with farther than theory. A couple of slings were passed around the boat, by means of which she was carefully hoisted on board, a mere dilapidated bundle of sticks and raffle of gear. She was at once removed aft out of the way, the busi- ness of cutting in the whale claiming precedence over everything else just then. The preliminary proceed- ings consisted of rigging the " cutting stage." This was composed of two stout planks a foot wide and ten feet long, the inner ends of which were suspended by strong ropes over the ship's side and about four ^eet from the water, while the outer extremities were upheld by tackles from the main rigging, and a small crane abreast the try- works. These planks were about thirty feet apart, their two outer ends being connected by a massive plank which was securely bolted to therh. A handrail about as high as a man's waist, supported by light iron stan- chions, ran the full length of this plank on the side nearest the ship, the whole fabric forming an admirable standing-place from whence the officers might, stand- ing in comparative comfort, cut and carve at the great mass below to their heart's content. So far the prize had been simply held alongside by the whale-line, which at death had been **rove" - DTRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEYS 57 through a hole cut in the solid gristle of the tail ; but low it became necessary to secure the carcass to the ship in some more permanent fashion. Therefore, a lassive chain like a small ship's cable was brought forward, and in a very ingenious way, by means of a Itiny buoy and a hand-lead, passed round the body, lone end brought through a ring in the other, and hauled upon until it fitted tight round the "small" or part of the whale next the broad spread of the lail. The free end of the fluke-chain was then passed in through a mooring-pipe forward, firmly secured to a I massive bitt at the heel of the bowsprit (the fluke- chain-bitt), and all was ready. But the subsequent proceedings were sufficiently complicated to demand a fresh chapter.. ii CHAPTER VL "DIKIY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEy." I; If in the preceding chapter too much stress V» as been laid upon the smashing of our own boat and coi; e juent sufferings, while little or no notice was taken of the kindred disaster to Mistah Jones* vessel, my excuse must be that the experience " filled me ^-ight up to the chin," as the mate concisely, if inelegantly, put it. Poor Goliath was indeed to be pitied, for his well-known luck and capacity as a whaleman seemed on this occa- sion to have quite deserted him. Not only had his boat been stove upon first getting on to the whale, but he hadn't even had a run for his money. It appeared that upon striking his whale, a sinall, lively coW; she S8 THE CRUISE OF THE ** CACHALOTS I .i'li! ! iiii' had at once "settled," allowing the boat to- run over her ; but just as they were passing, she rose, gently enough, her pointed hum^j piercing the thin skin of half-inch cedar as if it had been cardboard. She settled again immediately, leaving a hole behind her a foot long by six inches wide, which effectually put a stop to all further fishing operations on the part of Goliath and his nerry men for that day, at any rate. It was all so quiet, and so tame and so stupid, no wonder Mistah Jones felt savage. When Captain Slocum's fluent profanity flickered around him, including vehe- mently all he might be supposed to have any respect for, he did not even look as if he would like to talk back ; he only looked sick and tired of being him- self. The third mate, again, was of a different category altogether. He had distinguished himself by missing every opportunity of getting near a whale while there was a " loose " one about, and then " saving " the crew of Goliath's boat, who were really in no danger what- ever. His iniquity was too great to be dealt with by mere bad language. He crept about like a homeless dog — much, I am afraid, to my secret glee, for I couldn't help remembering his untiring cruelty to the green hands on first leaving port. In consequence of these little drawbacks we were not a very jovial crowd forrard or aft. Not that hi- larity was ever particularly noticeable among us, but just now there was a very decided sense of wrong- doing over us all, and a general fear that each of us was about to pay the penalty due to some other de- linquent. But fortunately there was work to be done. Oh, blessed work ! how many awkward situations you have extricated people from ! How many distracted brains have you soothed and restored^ by your steady *^ DIRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEYr 59 irresistiDle pressure of duty to be done and brooking of no delay ! The first thing to be done was to cut the whale's head off. This operation, involving the greatest amount of labor in the whole of the cutting in, was taken in hand by the first and second mates, who, armed with twelve-feet spades, took their station upon the stage, leaned over the handrail to steady them- selves, and plunged their weapons vigorously down through the massive neck of the animal — if neck it could be said to have — ^following a well-defined crease in the blubber. At the same time the other officers passed a heavy chain sling around the long, narrow lower jaw, hooking one of the big cutting tackles into it, the '* fall " of which was then taken to the windlass and hove tight, turning the whale on her back. A deep cut was then made on both sides of the rising jaw, the windlass was kept going, and gradually the whole of the throat was raised high enough for a hole to be cut through its mass, into which the strap of the second cutting tackle was inserted and secured by pass- ing a huge toggle of oak through its eye. The second tackle was then hove taut, and the jaw, with a large piece of blubber attached, was cut off from the body with a boarding-knife, a tool not unlike a cutlass blade set into a three-foot-long wooden handle. Upon being severed the whole piece swung easily inboard and ivas lowered on deck. The fast tackle was now hove upon while the third mate on the stage cut down diagonally into the blubber on the body, which the purchase ripped of? in a broad strip or "blanket" about five feet wide and a foot thick. Meanwhile the other two officers carved away vigorously at the head, varying their labors by cutting a hole right through the snout. This when completed re- ,., ^' J 1 1' ! I 60 THIS CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:* m \ ! mm ! I I ii|fl I ceived ?. heavy chain for the purpose of securing the head. When the blubber had been about half stripped Dif the body, a halt was called in order that the work of catting off the head might be finished, for it was a tfisk of incredible difficulty. It was accomplished at last, and the mass floated astern by a stout rope, after which the windlass pawls clattered merrily, the " blan- kets" rose in quick succession, and were cut off and lowered into the square of the main hatch or " blubber-room." A short time sufficed to strip off the whole of the body-blubber, and when at last the tail was reached, the backbone was cut through, the huge mass of flesh floating away to feed the innumer- able scavengers of the sea. No sooner was the last of the blubber lowered into the hole than the hatches were put on and the head hauled up alongside. Both tackles were secured to it and all hands took to the windlass levers. This was a small cow whale of about thirty barrels, that is, yielding that amount of oil, so it was just possible to lift the entire head on board ; but as it weighed as much as three full-grown elephants, it was indeed a heavy lift for even our united forces, trying our tackle to the utmost. The weather was very fine, and the ship rolled but little even then, the strain upon the mast was terrific and right glad was I when at last the immense cube of fat, flesh, and bone was eased inboard and gently lowered on deck. As soon as ;■ was secured the work of dividing it began. From the snout a triangular mass was cut, which was more than half pure spermaceti. This substance was contained in spongy cells held together by layers of dense white fiber, exceedingly tough and elastic, and called by the whalers " white-horse." The whole mass, or " junk " as it is called, was hauled away to the ship's side and firmly lashed to ^^ DIRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEY:' 6l the bulwarks for the time being, so that it might not " take charge" of the deck during the rest of the operations. The upper part of the head was now slit open lengthwise, disclosing an oblong cistern or " case " full of liquid spermaceti, clear as water. This was baled out with buckets into a tank, concreting as it cooled into a wax-like substance, bland and tasteless. There being now nothing more remaining about the skull of any value, the lashings were loosed, and the first leeward roll sent the great mass plunging over- board with a mighty splash. It sank like a stone, eagerly followed by a few small sharks that were hover- ing near. As may be imagined, much oil was running about the deck, for so saturated was every part of the crea- ture with it that it really gushed like water during the cutting-up process. None of it was allowed to run to waste, though, for the scupper-holes which drain the deck were all carefully plugged, and as soon as the " junk" had been dissected all the oil was carefully " squeegeed " up and poured into, the try-pots. Two men were now told ofr as " blubber-room men," whose duty it became to go below, and squeez- ing themselves in as best they could between the greasy masses of fat, cut it up into " horse-pieces" about eighteen inches long and six inches square. Doing this they became perfectly saturated with oil, as if they had taken a bath in a tank of it ; for as the vessel rolled it was impossible to maintain a footing , and every fall was upon blubber running with oil. A ma- chine of wonderful construction had been erected on deck in a kind of shallow trough about six feet long by four feet wide and a foot deep. At some remote period of time it had no doubt been looked 5, J if i: -x\-% , 1 m ' 1:':':! 63 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT.*' r«il! W i: upon as a triumph of ingenuity, a patent mincing machine. Its action was somewhat like that of a chaff- cutter, except that the knife was not attached to the wheel, and only rose and fell, since it was not required to cut right through the " horse-pieces " with which it was fed. It will be readily understood that in order to get the oil quickly out of the blubber, it needs to be sliced as thin as possible, but for convenience in handling the refuse (which is the only fuel used) it is not chopped up in small pieces, but every " horse- piece " is very deeply scored, as it were, leaving a thin strip to hold the slices together. This then was the order of work. Two harpooners attended the try- pots, replenishing them with minced blubber from the hopper at the port side, and baling out the sufficiently boiled oil into the great cooling tank on the star- board. One officer superintended the mincing, an- other exercised a general supervision over all. There was no man at the wheel and no look-out, for the ves- sel was " hove- to " under two close-reefed tODsails and foretopmast-staysail, with the wheel lashed hard down. A look-out man was unnecessary, since we could not run anybody down, and if anybody ran us down, it would only be because all hands were asleep, for the glare of our try-wards fire, to say nothing of the blaz- ing cresset before mentioned, could have been seen for many miles. So we toiled watch and watch, six hours on and six off, the work never ceasing for an instant night or day. Though the work was hard and dirty, rnd the discomfort of being so continually wet through with oil great, there was only one thing dangerous about the whole business. That was the job of filling and shifting the huge casks of oil. Some of these were of enormous size, containing 350 gallons when fully and the work of moving them about the greasy ^ DIRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEYS 63 deck of a rolling ship was attended with a terrible amount of risk. For only four men at most could get fair hold of a cask, and when she took it into her silly old hull to start rolling, just as we had got one half- way across the deck, with nothing to grip your feet, and the knowledge that on<^ stumbling man would mean a sudden slide of the ton and a half weight, and a little heap of mangled corpses somewhere in the lee scuppers — well one always wanted to be very thank- ful when the lashings were safely passed. The whale being a small one, as before noted, the whole business was over within three days, and the decks scrubbed and re-scrubbed until they had quite regained their normal whiteness. The oil was poured by means of a funnel and long canvas hose into the casks stowed in the ground tier at the bottom of the ship, and the gear, all carefully cleaned and neatly " stopped up," stowed snugly away below again. This long and elaborate process is quite different from that followed on board the Arctic whaleships, whose voyages are of short duration, and who content themselves with merely cutting the blubber up small and bringing it home to have the oil expressed. But the awful putrid mass discharged from a Greenlander's hold is of very different quality and value, apart frona the nature of the substance, to the clear and sweet oil, which after three years in cask is landed from a south- seaman as inoffensive in smell and flavor as the day it was shipped. No attempt is made to separate the oil and spermaceti beyond boiling the " head matter," as it is called, by itself first, and putting it into casks which are not filled up with the body oil. Spermaceti exists in all the oii, especially that from tiie dorsal hump ; but it is left for the refiners ashore to extract and leave the oil quite free from any admixture of the 11:^1 I* I" U^r^' I ! I m:: '\"M\ 64 TJ/E CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT." Wax-like substance, which causes it to become solid at temperatures considerably above the treezing-point. Uninteresting as the preceding description may be, it is impossible to understand anything of the economy of a south-sea whaler without giving it, and I have felt it the more necessary because of the scanty notice given to it in the only two works published on the subject, both of them highly technical, and written for scientific purposes by medical men. ^ Therefore I hope to be forgiven if I have tried the patience of my readers by any prolixity. It will not, of course, have escaped the reader's notice that I have not hitherto attempted to give any details concerning the structure of the whale just dealt with. The omission is intentional. During this, our first attempt at real whaling, my mind was far too dis- turbed by the novelty and danger of the position in which I found myself for the first time, for me to pay any intelligent attention to the party of the second part. But I may safely promise that from the workman's point of view, the habits, manners, and build of the whales shall be faithfully described as I saw them dur- ing my long acquaintance with them, earnestly hoping that if my story be not as technical or scientific as that of Drs. Bennett and Beale, it may be found fully as accurate and reliable ; and perhaps the reader, being like myself a mere layman, so to speak, may be better able to appreciate description free from scien- tific formula and nine-jointed words. Two things I did notice on this occasion which I will briefly allude to before closing this chapter. One was the peculiar skin of the whale. It was a bluish-black, and as thin as gold-beater's skin. So thin, ii^deed, ap^ tender, th^t it was easily scraped ofjf "DIRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEYS 65 with the finger-nail. Immediately beneath it, upon the surface of the blubber, was a layer or coating of what for want of a better simile I must call fine short fur, although unlike fur it had no roots or apparently any hold upon the blubber. Neither was it attached to the skin which covered it; in fact, it seemed me^oly a sort of packing between the skin and the surface of the thick layer of solid fat which covered the whole area of the whale's body. The other matter which impressed me was the peculiarity of the teeth. For up till that time I had held, in common with most seamen, and landsmen, too, for that matter, the pre- vailing idea that a " whale " lived by " suction " (although I did not at all know what that meant), and that it was impossible for him to swallow a her- ring. Yet here was a mouth manifestly intended for greater things in the way of gastronomy than herrings ; nor did it require more than the most casual glances to satisfy one of so obvious a fact. Then the teeth were heroic in size, protruding some four or five inches from the gum, and solidly set more than that into its firm and compact substance. They were cer- tainly not intended for mastication, being, where thick- est, three inches apart, and tapering to a short point, curving slightly backwards. In this specimen, a fe- male, and therefore small as I have said, there were twenty of them on each side, the last three or four near the gullet being barely visible above the gum. Another most convincing reason why no mastica- tion could have been possible was that there were no teeth visible in the upper jaw. Opposed to each of the teeth was z socket where a tooth should apparently have been, and this was conclusive evidence of the soft and yielding nature of the great creature's food. But there were signs that at some period of the de- i i V '(: 'ji'l i!:* ii '■■■■ i ■I 'im II 66 THE CRUISE OF THE *' CACHALOT:!* iiii \W\ I !i velopment of the whale it had possessed a double row of teeth, because at the bottom of these upper sockets we found in a few cases what seemed to be an abor- tive tooth, not one th.it was growing, because they had no roots, but a survi\al of teeth that had once been perfect and useful, but from disuse, or lack of neces- sity for them, had gradually ceased to come to matu- rity. The interior of the mouth and throat was of a livid white, and the tongue was quite small for so large an animal. It was almost incapable of move- ment, being somewhat like a fowl's. Certainly it could not have been protruded everi from the angle of the mouth, much less have extended along the parapet of that lower mandible, which reminded one of the beak of some mighty albatross or stork. CHAPTER VII. GETTING SOiriHWARD. ii!. Whether our recent experience had altered the captnin's plans or not I do not know, but much to the dismay of the Portuguese portion of the crew, we did but sight, dimly and afar off, the outline of the Cape Verde Islcinds before our course was altered, and we bore away for the southward like any other outward-bounder. That is, as far as our course went ; but as to the speed, we still retained the leisurely tactics hitherto pursued, shortening sail every night, and, if the weather was very fine, setting it all again pit daybreak. The morose and sujlen temper of the captain had m GETTING SOUTHIVARD. 6^ been, if anything, made worse by recent events, and we were worked as hard as if the success of the voyage depended upon our ceaseless toil of scrubbing, scrap- ing, and polishing. Discipline was indeed maintained at a high pitch of perfection, no man daring to look awry, much less complain of any hardship, however great. Even this humble submissiveness did not satisfy our tyrant, and at last his cruelty took a more active shape. One of the long Yankee farmers from Vermont, Abner Gushing by name, with the ingenuity which seems inbred in his 'cute countrymen, must needs try his hand at making a villainous decoction which he called " beer," the principal ingredients in which were potatoes and molasses. Now potatoes formed no part of our dietary, so Abner set his wits to work to steal sufficient for his purpose, and suc- ceeded so far that he obtained half a dozen. • I have very little doubt that one of the Portuguese in the forecastle conveyed the information sdt for some reason best known to himself, any more than we white men all had that in a similar manner all our sayings and doings, however trivial, became at once known to the officers. However, the fact that the theft was discovered soon became painfully evident, for we had a visit from the afterguard in force one afternoon, and Abner with his brewage was haled to the quarter-deck. There, in the presence of all hands, he was arraigned, found guilty of stealing the ship's stores, and sentence passed upon him. By means of two small pieces of fishing line he was suspended by his thumbs in the weather rigging, in such a manner that when the ship was upright his toes touched the deck, but when she rolled his whole weight hung from his thumbs. This of itself one would have thought sufficient torture for almost any offense, but ! k 2r-"— — 68 THE CRUISE OF THE « CACHALOT!* H I in addition to it he received two dozen lashes with an improvised cat-o'-nine-tails, laid on by the brawny arm of one of the harpooners. We were all com- pelled to witness this, and our feelings may be imagined. When, after what seemed a terribly long time to me (Heaven knows what it must have been to him !), he fainted, although no chicken I nearly fainted too, from conflicting emotions of sympathy and impotent rage. He was then released in leisurely fashion, and we were permitted to take him forward and revive him. As soon as he was able to stand on his feet, he was called on deck again, and not allowed to go below till his watch was over. Meanwhile Captain Slocum improved the occasion by giving us a short harangue, the burden of which was that we had now seen a little of 'what any of us might expect if we played any '* dogs' tricks " on him. But you can get used to anything, I suppose ; so after the first shock of the atrocity was over, things went on again pretty much as usual. For the first and only time in my experience, we sighted St. Paul's Rocks, a tiny group of jagged peaks protruding from the Atlantic nearly on the Equator. Stupendous mountains they must be, rising almost sheer for about four and a half miles from the ocean bed. Although they appear quite insignificant specks upon the vast expanse of water, one could not help thinking how sublime their appearance would be were they visible from the plateau whence they spring. Their chief interest to us at the time arose from the fact that, when within about three miles of them, we were suddenly surrounded by a vast school of bonito. These fish, so-named by the Spaniards from their handsome appearance^ are a species of mackerel, a GSTTING SOUTHWARD. 69 branch of the Scombridos family, and attain a size oi about two feet long and forty pounds weight, though their average dimensions are i^omewhat less than hali that. They feed entirely upon flying-fish and the small leaping squid or cuttle-fish, but love to follow a ship, playing around her, if her pace be not too great, for days together. Their flesh resembles beef in appearance, and they are warm-blooded ; but, from their habitat being mid-ocean, nothing is known with any certainty of their habits of breeding. The orthodox method of catching them on board ship is to cover a suitable hook with a piece of white rag a couple of inches long, and attach it to a stout line. The fisherman then takes his seat upon the jibboom end, having first, if he is prudent, secured a sack to the jibstay in such a manner that its mouth gapes wide. Then he unrolls his line, and as the ship forges ahead the line, blowing out, describes a curve, at the end of which the bait, dipping to the water occasionally, roughly represents a flying-fish. Of course, the faster the ship is going, the better the chance of deceiving the fish, since they have less time to study the appearance of the bait. It is really an exaggerated and clumsy form of fly fishing, and, as with that elegant pastime, much is due to the skill of the fisherman. As the bait leaps from crest to crest of the wavelets thrust aside by the advancing ship, a fish more adven- turous or hungrier than the rest will leap at it, and in an instant there is a dead, dangling weight of from ten to forty pounds hanging at the end of your line thirty feet below. You haul frantically, for he may be poorly hooked, and you cannot play him. In a minute or two, if all goes well, he is plunged in the sack, and safe. But woe unto you if you have allowed V.t I ',;■ 70 THE CRUISE OF THE ** CACHALOT.** 1' the jeers of your shipmates to dissuade you from tak- ing a sack out with you. The struggles of these fish are marvellous, and a man runs great risk of being shaken off the boom, unless his legs are firmly locked in between the guys. Such is the tremendous vibration that a twenty- pound bonito makes in a man's grip, that it can be felt in the cabin at the other end of the ship ; and I have often come in triumphantly with one, having lo^t all feeling in my arms and a goodly portion of skin off my breast and side, where I have embraced the prize in a grim determination to hold him at all hazards, besides being literally drenched with bis blood. Like all our fishing operations on board the Cacha- lotf this day's fishing was conducted on scientific princi- ples, and resulted in twenty-five fine fish being shipped, which were a welcome addition to our scanty allow- ance. Happily for us, they would not take the salt in that sultry latitude soon enough to preserve them ; for, when they can be salted, they become like brine itself, and are quite unfit for food. Yet we should have been compelled to eat salt bonito, or go without meat altogether, if it had been possible to cure them. We were now fairly in the " horse latitudes," and, much to our relief, the rain came down in occasional deluges, permitting us to wash well and often. I sup- pose the rains of the tropics have been often enough described to need no meager attempts of jnine to convey an idea of them ; yet I have often wished I could make home-keeping friends understand how far short what they often speak of as a " tropical shower " falls of the genuine article. The nearest I can get to it is the idea of an ocean suspended over- head, out of which the bottom occasionally falls. Nothing is visible or audible but the glare and roar GETTING SOUTHWARD, 7^ of falling water, and a ship's deck, despite the many outlets, is full enough to swim about in a very few minutes. At such times the whole celestial machin- ery of rain-making may be seen in full working order. Five or six mighty water-spouts in various stages of development were often within easy distance of us ; once, indeed, we watched the birth, growth, and death of one less than a mile away. First, a big, black cloud, even among that great assemblage of nimdif began to belly downward, until the center of it tapered into a stem, and the whole mass lookc^d like a vast, irregularly-moulded funnel. Lower and lower it reached, as if feeling for a soil in which to grow, until the sea beneath v/as agitated sympathetic- ally, rising at last in a sort of pointed mound to meet the descending column. Our nearness enabled us to see that both descending and rising parts were whirling violently in obedience to some invisible force; and when they had joined each other, although the spiral motion did not appear to continue, the up- ward rush of the water through what was now a long elastic tube was very plainly to be seen. The cloud overhead grew blacker and bigger, until its gloom was terrible. The pipe, or stem, got thinner grad- ually, until it became a mere thread ; nor, although watching closely, could we determine when the con- nection between sea and sky ceased — one could not call it severed. The point rising from the sea settled almost immediately amidst a small commotion, as of a whirlpool. The tail depending from the cloud slowly shortened, and the mighty reservoir lost the vast bulge which had hung so threateningly above. Just before the final disappearance of the last portion of the tube, a fragment of cloud appeared to break off. Jt fell near enough to show by its thundering I rf' 1 ' If i ■i<'' i' ia 1 ■• I ;- i ^ M in 72 THE CRUISE OF THE '' CACHALOT"* roar what a body of water it must have been, although it looked like a saturated piece of dirty rag in its descent. For whole days and nights together we sometimes lay almost "as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean," when the deep blue dome above matched the deep blue plain belo>y, and never a fleck of white appeared in sky or sea. This perfect stop to our progress troubled none, although it aggravates a mer- chant skipper terribly. As for the objects of our search, they had apparently all migrated other-whither, for never a sign of them did we see. Finbacks, a species of rorqual, were always pretty numerous, and, as if they knew how useless they were to us, came and played around like exaggerated porpoises. One in particular kept us company for several days and nights. We knew him well, from a great triangular scar on his right side, near the dorsal fin. Sometimes he would remain motionless by the side of the ahip, a few feet below the surface, as distinctly in our sight as a gold-fish in a parlor globe \ or he would go under the keel, and gently chafe his broad back to and fro along it, making queer tremors run through the vessel, as if she were scraping over a reef. Whether from superstition or not I cannot tell, but I never saw any creature injured out of pure wantonness, except sharks, while I was on board the Cachalot. Of course, injuries to men do not count. Had that finback attempted to play about a passenger ship in such a fashion, all the loungers on board would have been popping at him with their revolvers and rifles without ever a thought of compunction ; yet here, in a vessel whose errand was whale-fishing, a whale enjoyed perfect immunity. It was very puzzling. At last my curiosity became too great to bear any GETTTNC SOUTHWARD, 73 longer, and I sought my friend Mistah Jones at what I considered a favorable opportunity. I found him very gracious and communicative, and I got such a lecture on the natural history of the cetacea as I have never forgotten — the outcome of a quarter-century's experience of them, and afterwards proved by me to be correct in every detail, which latter is a great deal more than can be said of any written natural history that ev^r I came across. But I will not go into that now. Leaning over the rail, with the great rorqual laying perfectly still a few feet below, I was told to mark how slender and elegant were his proportions. "Clipper-built," my Mentor termed him. He was full seventy feet long, but his greatest diameter would not reach ten feet. His snout was long and pointed, while both top and bottom of his he?.d were nearly flat. When he came up to breathe, which he did out of the top of his head, he showed us that, instead of teeth, he had a narrow fringe of baleen (whalebone) all around his upper jaws, although " I kaint see why- for, kase he lib on all sort er fish, s'long's dey ain't too big. I serpose w'en he kaint get nary fish he do de same ez de * bowhead' — go er sif tin eout dem little tings we calls whale-feed wiv dat ar 'rangement he carry in his mouf." " But why don't we harpoon him ? " I asked. Goliath turned on me a pitying look, as he replied, " Sonny, ef yew wus ter go en stick iron inter dat ar fish, yew'd fink de hole bottom fell eout kerblunk. W'en I uz young 'n foolish, a finback range 'longside me one day, off de Seychelles. I just done gone miss' a spam whale, and I was kiender mad, — muss ha' bin. Wall, I let him hab it blam 'tween de r;bs. If I lib ten tousan year, ain't gwine ter fergit dat ar. Wa'nt no time ter spit, tell ye ; eberybody hang ober de side ob de boat. Wiz — ■^'\m It :V I- : t W-^ % at t Wniu.m,i'. |ii(' hill I III I "^ III i m i u THE CRUISE OF THE ** CACHALOT** poof ! — de line all gone. Clar to glory, /neber see it go. Ef it hab ketch anywhar, nobody eber see us too. Fus, I fought I jump ober de side — neber face de skipper any mo'. But he uz er good ole man, en he only say, * Don't be sech blame jackass any more.' En I don't." From which lucid narration I gathered that the finback had himself to thank for his immu- nity from pursuit. " 'Sides," persisted Goliath, " wa' yew gwine do ^viv' him? Ain't six inch uv blubber anywhere 'bout his long ugly carkiss ; en dat dirty liir rag 'er whalebone he got in his mouf, 'taint worf fifty cents. En mor'n dat, we pick up a dead one when I uz in de ole Rainbow — done choke hisself, I spec, en we cut him in. He stink fit ter pison de debbil, en, after all, we get eighteen bar'l ob dirty oil out ob him. Wa'nt worf de clean sparm scrap we use ter bile him. G' 'way ! " Which emphatic adjura- tion, addressed not to me, but to the unconscious monster, below, closed the lesson for the time. The calm still persisted, and, as usual, fish began to abound, especially flying-fish. At times, disturbed by some hungry bonito or dolphin, a shoal of them would rise — a great wave of silver — and skim through the air, rising and falling for perhaps a couple of hundred yards before they again took to the water ; or a solitary one of larger size than usual would siid denly soar into the air, a heavy splash behind hiii! showing by how few inches he had missed the jaws of his pursuer. Away he would go in a long, long curve, and, meeting the ship in his flight, would rise in the air, turn off at right angles to his former direction, and spin away again, the whir of his wing-fins distinctly visible as well as audible. At last he would incline to the water, but just as he was about to enter it there would be an eddy — the enemy was there waiting — GETTING SOUTHWARD. 75 and he would rise twenty, thirty feet, almost perpendic- ularly, and dart away fully a hwndred yards on a fresh course before the drying of his wing membranes com- pelled him to drop. In the face of such a sight as this, which is of everyday occurrence in these latitudes, how trivial and misleading the statements made by the natural history books seem. They tell their readers that the Exocetus Volitans " does not fly ; does not flutter its wings ; can only take a prolonged leap," and so on. The misfortune attendant upon such books seems, to an unlearned sailor like myself, to be that, although posing as au- thorities, most of the authors are content to take their facts, not simply at second-hand, but even unto twenty- second-hand. So the old fables get repeated, and brought up to date, and it is nobody's business to take the trouble to correct them. The weather continued calm and clear, and as the flying-fish were about in such immense numbers, I ventured to suggest to Goliath that we might have a try for some of them. I. verily believe hr, thought I was mad. He stared at me for a minute, 5nd then, with an indescribable intonation, said, " *.Tow de ol* Satan yew fink yew gwain ter get 'm, hey ? Ef yew spects ter fool dis chile wiv any dem lime-juice yarns, 'bout lanterns 'n boats at night-time, yew's 'way oif." I guessed he meant the fable, currei.t among English sailors, that if you hoist a sail on a calm night in a boat where flying-fish abound, and hang a lantern in the middle of it, the fish will fly in shoals at the lan- tern, strike against the sail, and fall in heaps in the boat. It may be true, but I never spoke to anybody who has seen it done, nor is it the method practised in the only place in the world where flying-fishing Is followed for a living. So I told Mr. Jone« that, if we ' I \i ^ 76 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTS I 'I I \M I lil' had some circular nets of small mesh made and stretched on wooden' hoops, I was sure we should be able to catch some. He caught at the idea, and mentioned it to the mate, who readily gave his per- mission to use a boat. A couple of " Guineamen " (a very large kind of flying-fish, having four wings) flew on board that night, as if purposely to provide us with the necessary bait. • Next morning, about four bells, the sea being like a mirror, unruffled by a breath of wind, we lowered and paddled off from the ship about a mile. When far enough away, we commenced operations by squeezing in the water some pieces of fish that had been kept for the purpose until they were rather high- flavored. The exuding oil from this fish spread a thin film for some distance around the boat, through which, as through a sheet of glass, we could see a long way down. Minute specks of the bait sank slowly through the limpid blue, but for at least an ^lour there was no sign of life. I was beginning to fear that I should be called to account for misleading ail hands, when, to my unbounded delight, an immense shoal of flying-fish came swimming round the boat, eagerly picking up the savory morsels. We grasped our nets, and, leaning over the gunwale, placed them silently in the v/ater, pressing them downward and in towards the boat at the same time. Our success was great and immediate. We lifted the wanderers by scores, while I whispered imploringly, " Be careful not to scare them; don't make a sound." All hands entered into the spirit of the thing with great eagerness. As for Mistah Jones, his delight was almost more than he could bear. Suddenly one of the men, in lifting his net, slipped on the smooth bottom of the boat, jolting one of the oars. There GETTING SOUTHWARD, 77 was a gleam of light below as the school turned — they had all disappeared instanter. We had been so busy that we had not noticed the dimensions of our catch ; but now, to our great joy, we found that we had at least eight hundred fish nearly as large as herrings. We at once returned to the ship, having been absent only two hours, during which we had caught sufficient to provide all hands with three good mea-ls. Not one of the crew had ever seen or heard of such fishing before, so my pride and pleasure may be imagined. A little learning may be a dangerous thing at times, but it certainly is often handy to have about you. The habit of taking notice and remembering has often been the means of saving many lives in suddenly-met situations of emergency, at sea perhaps more than anywhere else, and nothing can be more useful to a sailor than the practise of keeping his weather-eye open. In Barbadoes there is established the only regular flying-fishery in the world, and in just the manner I have described, except that the boats are considerably larger, is the whole town supplied with delicious fish at so trifling a cost as to make it a staple food among all classes. But I find that I am letting this chapter run to an unconscionable length, and it does not appear as if we were getting at the southward very fast either. Truth to tell, our progress was mighty slow ; but we grad- ually crept across the belt of calms, and a week after our never-to-be-forgotten haul of flying-fish we got the first of the south-east trades, and went away south at a good pace — for us. We made the Island of Trin- idada with its strange conical-topped pillar, the Ninepin Rock, but did not make a call, as the skipper was beginning to get fidgety at not seeing any whale8| pi' 'in. ill I 1 i. ■■■■: I ! w :;l.:;i 78 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* il iji I lii and anxious to get down to where he felt reasonably certain of falling in with them. Life had been very monotonous of late, and much as we dreaded still the prospect of whale-fighting (by " we," of course, I mean the chaps forward), it began to lose much of its terror for us, so greatly did we long for a little change. Keeping, as we did, out of the ordinary track of ships, we hardly ever saw a sail. We had no recreations \ fun was out of the question ; and had it not been for a Bible, a copy of Shakespeare, and a couple of cheap copies of " David Copperfield ' and ** Bleak House," all of which were mine, we should have had no books. CHAPTER Vni. ABNER*S WHALE. «'. In a previous chapter T have referred to the fact of a bounty being offered to whoever should first sight a useful '.vhale, payable only in the event of the prize being secured by the ship.- In consequence of our ill-success, and to stimulate the watchfulness of all, that bounty was now increased from ten pounds ot tobacco to twenty, or fifteen dollars, whichever the winner chose to have. Most of us whites regarded this as quite out of the question for us, whose untrained vision was as the naked eye to a telescope when pitted against the eagle-like sight of the Portuguese. Never- theless, we all did our little best, and I know, for one^ that when I descended from my lofty perch, after a |wo hours' vigil, my eyes often ached and burned for ABNER'S WHALE, 79 an hour afterwards from the intensity of my gaze across the shining waste of waters. Judge, then, of the surprise of everybody, when one forenoon watch, three days after we had lost sight of Trinidada, a most extraordinary sound was heard f roir the fore crow's-nest. I was, at the time, up at 1} /■ main, in company with Louis, the mate's harpoon ei, and we stared across to see whatever was the matter. The watchman was unfortunate Abner Gushing, whose trivial offense had been so severely punished a short time before, and he was gesticulating and howling like a madman. Up from below came the deep growl of the skipper, "Foremast head, there, what d'ye say?" " B-b-b-blow, s-s-sir," stammered Abner ; " a big whale right in the way of the sun, sir." " See anythin*, Louey? " roared the skipper to my companion, just as we had both " raised " the spout almost in the glare cast by the sun. "Yessir," answered Louis; "but I kaint make him eout yet, sir." "All right; keep yer eye on him, and lemme know sharp ; " 'and away he went aft for his glasses. The course was slightly altered, so that we headed direct for the whale, and in less than a minute after- wards we saw distinctly the great black column of a sperm whale's head rise well above the sea, scattering a circuit of foam before it, and emitting a bushy, tufted burst of vapor into the clear air. " There she white- waters ! Ah bl-o-o-o-o-o-w, blow, blow ! " sang Louis ; and then, in another tone, " Sperm whale, sir ; big, 'lone fish, headiu' 'beout east-by-no the." " All right. *Way down from aloft," answered the skipper, who was already half-way up the main-rigging ; and like squirrels we slipped out <^ t" our hoops and down the backstays, passing the skipper like a tlash as he toiled upwards, bellowing orders as he went. Short as our journey ':?*.; 'Vtr-./Lwm»aLmm^' 80 Tff£ CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTr down had been, when we arrived on deck we found all ready for a start. But as the whale was at least seven miles away, and we had a fair wind for him, there was no hurry to lower, so we all stood at atten- tion by our respective boats, waiting for the signal. I found, to my surprise that, although I was conscious of a much more rapid heart-beat than usual, I was not half so scared as I expected to be — that the excite- ment was rather pleasant than otherwise. There were a few traces of funk about some of the others still ; but as for Abner, he was fairly transformed ; I hardly knew the man. He was one of Goliath's boat's crew, and the big darkey was quite proud of him. His eyes sparkled, and he chuckled and smiled constantly, as one who is conscious of having done a grand stroke of business, not only for himself, but for all hands. " Lower away boats ! " came pealing down from the skipper's lofty perch, succeeded instantly by the rattle of the patent blocks as the falls flew through them, while the four beautiful craft took the water with an almost simultaneous splash. The ship-keepers had trimmed the yards to the wind and hauled up the courses, so that simply putting the helm down dead- ened our way, and allowed the boats to run clear with- out danger of fouling one another. To shove off and hoist sail was the work of a few moments, and with a fine working breeze away we went. As before, our boat, being the chief's, had the post of honor ; but there was now only one whale, and I rather wondered why we had all left the ship. According to expecta- tions, down he went when we were within a couple of miles of him. but quietly and with great dignity, ele- vating his tail perpendicularly in the air, and sinking slowly from our view. Again I found Mr. Count talkative. ABNEK'S WHALE, 8l " Thet whale 'il stay down fifty minutes, I guess," said he, " fer he's every gill ov a hundred en twenty bar'l ; and don't yew fergit it." " Do the big whales give much more trouble than the little ones ? " I asked, seeing him thus chatty. ** Wall, it's jest ez it happens, boy — just ez li happens. I've seen a fifty-bar' 1 bull make the purtiest fight I ever hearn tell ov — a fight thet lasted twenty hours, stove three boats, 'n killed two men. Then, again, I've seen a hundred 'n fifty bar'l whale lay 'n take his grooel 'thout hardly wunkin *n eyelid — never moved ten fathom from fust iron till fin eout. So yew may say, boy, that they're like peepul — got thair individooal pekyewlyarities, an' thars no counlin' on 'em for sartin nary time." 1 was in great hopes of getting some useful information while his mood lasted ; but it was over, and silence reigned. Nor did I dare to ask any more questions ; he looked so stern and fierce. The scene was very striking. Overhead, a bright blue sky just fringed with fleecy little clouds ; beneath, a deep blue sea with innumerable tiny wavelets dancing and glittering in the blaze of the sun ; but all swayed in one direc- tion by a great, solemn swell that slowly rolled from east to west, like the measured breathing of some world-supporting monster. Four little craft in a group, with twenty-four men in them, silently waiting for battle with one of the mightiest of God's creatures — one that was indeed a terrible foe to encounter were he but wise enough to make the best use of his opportunities. Against him we came with our puny weapons, of which 1 could not help reminding myself that " he laugheth at the shaking of a spear." But when the man's brain was thrown into the scale against the instinct of the brute, the contest looked J^ unequal tbaa at first sight, ^r ih^re is the secret ( 1 \ !! It * 1 * • : 1 82 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT!* of success. My musings were very suddenly inter* rupted. Whether we had overrun our distance, nr the whale, who was not "making a passage," but feeding, had changed his course, I do not know • but, anyhow, he broke water close ahead, coming straight for our boat. His great black head, like the broad bow of a dumb barge, driving the waves before it, loomed high and menacing to me, for 1 was not forbidden to look ahead now. But coolly, as if coming alongside the ship, the mate bent to the big steer-oar, and swung the boat off at right angles to her course, bringing her back again with another broad sheer as the whale passed foaming. This maneuver brought us side by side with him before he had time to realize that we were there. Up till that instant he had evidently not seen us, and his surprise was correspondingly great. To see Louis raise his l^arpoon high above his head, and with a hoarse grunt of satisfaction plonge it into the black, shining mass beside him up to the hitches, was indeed a sight to be remembered. Quick as thought he snatched up a second harpoon, and as the whale rolled from us it flew from his hands, burying itself like the former one, but lower down the body. The great impetus we had when we reached the whale carried us a long way past him, out of all danger from his struggles. No hindrance was experienced from the line by which we were connected with the whale, for it was loosely coiled in a space for the purpose in the boat's bow to the extent of two hundred feet, and this was cast overboard by the harpooner as soon as the fish was fast. He made a fearful to-do over it, rolling com- pletely over several times backward and forward, at the same time smiting the sea with his mighty tail, making an almost deafening noise and pother. But we were ABNE/rS WHAtE. 83 J inter* ice, or ,.," but know • coming like the 5 before vas not as if the big gles to another , This before till that jurprise lise his se grunt ig mass sight to led up a [11 us it former impetus ; a long luggles. line by r it was le boat's this was the fish ng com- d, at the , making we were comfortable enough, while we unshipped the mast and made ready for action, being sufficiently far away from him to escape the full effect of his gambols. It was impossible to avoid reflecting, however, upon what would happen if, in our unprepared and so far helpless state, he were, instead of simply tumbling about in an aimless, blind sort of fury, to rush at the boat and try to destfoy it. Very few i*^ 'eed would survive such an attack, unless the tactics re radi- cally altered. No doubt they would be, i practises grow up in consequence of the circumstances with which they have to deal. After the usual time spent in furious attempts to free himself from our annoyance, he betook himself below, leaving us to await his return, and hasten it as much as possible by keeping a severe strain upon the line. Our efforts in this direction, however, did not seem to have any effect upon him at all. Flake after flake ran out of the tubs, until we were compelled to hand the end of our line to the second mate to splice his own on to. Still it slipped away, and at last it was handed to the third mate, whose two tubs met the same fate. It was now Mistah Jones' turn to " bend on," which he did with msiny chuckles as of a man who was the last resource of the unfortunate. But his face grew longer and longer as the never-zesting line continued to disappear. Soon he signaled us that he was nearly out of line, and two or three minutes after he bent on his " drogue " (a square piece of plank with a rope tail spliced into its center, and considered to hinder a whale's progress at least as much as four boats), and let go the end. We had each bent on our drogues in the same way, when we passed our ends to one another. So now our friend was getting along somewhere below with 7,200 feet of i J-inch i'J !!' 'I '-11 1^ T ! \ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) &< {./ ^ 1.0 I.I lU IM 1^ W4 Li^ Hiu ii.6 I ^ # ^Sciences Coiporalion 23 V tiT MAIN STRUT WesSTIR.N.Y. MfM (71*) t72-4S03 O^ 4r .^ ^ 1 ;V 84 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS rope, and weight additional equal to the drag of six- teen 30-feet boats. Of course we knew that, unless he were dead and sinking, he could not possibly remain much longer beneath the surface. The exhibition of endurance we had just been favored with was a very unusual one, I was told, it being a rare thing for a cachalot to take out two boats' lines before returning to the surface to spout. Therefore, we separated as widely as was thought necessary, in order to be near him on his arrival, jt was, as might be imagined, some time before we saw the light of his countenance ; but when we did, we had no difficulty in getting alongside of him again. My friend Goliath, much to my delight, got there first, and succeeded in picking up the bight of the line. But having done so, his chance of distinguish- ing himself was gone. Hampered by the immense quantity of sunken line which was attached to the whale, he could do nothing, and soon received orders to cut the bight of the line and pass the whale's end to us. He had hardly obeyed, with a very bad grace, when the whale started off to windward with us at a tremendous rate. The other boats, having no line, could do nothing to help, so away we went alone, with barely a hundred fathoms of line, in case he should take it into his head to sound again. The speed at which he went made it appear as if a gale of wind was blowing, and we flew along the sea sur- face, leaping from crest to crest of the waves with an incessant succession of cracks like pistol-shots. The flying spray drenched us and prevented us from seeing him, but I fully realized that it was nothing to what we should have to put up with if the wind freshened much. One hand was kept baling the water out which came so with all little clos gained o of the m what seei slackenin were c!os man, the of his lab ing lance of its slei " Lay off and she g a second ing with \ " Out oar mate ; ar Then mig mighty fa The whal( to tum, w great leve foot steer- a living tli er. Whei berth to h at us, we I mentarily, the deadl] All fear his life, an instan sheath-kn: beii as if ABJfEK'S WHALE. 8S came so freely over the bows, but all the rest haule4 with all their might upon the line, hoping to get a little closer to the flying monster. Inch by inch we gained on him, encouraged by the hoarse objurgations of the mate, whose excitement was intense. After what seemed a terribly long chase, we found* his speed slackening, and we redoubled our efforts. Now we were cJose upon him ; now, in obedience to the steers- man, the boat sheered out a bit, and we were abreast of his laboring flukes ; now the mate hurls his quiver- ing lance with such hearty good-will that every inch of its slender shaft disappears within the huge body. " Lay off ! Off with her, Louey ! " screamed the mate ; and she gave a wide sheer away from the whale, not a second too soon. . Up flew that awful tail, descend- ing with a crash upon the water not two feet from us. " Out oars ! Pull, two ! starn, three ! " shouted the mate; and as we obeyed our foe turned to fight. Then might one see how courage and skill were such mighty factors in the apparently unequal contest. The whale's great length made it no easy job for him to turn, while our boat, with two oars a-side, and the great leverage at the stem supplied by the nineteen- foot steer-oar, circled, backed, and darted ahead like a living thing animated by the mind of our command- er. When the leviathan settled, we gave a wide berth to his probable place of ascent ; when he rushed at us, we dodged him ; when he paused, if only mo- mentarily, in we flew, and got home a fearful thrust of the deadly lance. All fear was forgotten now — I panted, thirsted for his life. Once, indeed, in a sort of frenzy, when for an instant we lay side by side with him, I drew my sheath-knife, and plunged it repeatedly into the blub> \ if I were assisting in his destruction. Sud- irl ill I ber. 86 THE CRUISE OF TffE " CACHALOT," denly the mate gave a howl : " Stam all — stam all ! oh, stam ! " and the oars bent like canes as we obeyed. There was an upheaval of the sea just ahead ; then slowly, majestically, the vast body of our foe rose into the air. Up, up it went, while my heart stood still, until the whole of that immense creature hung on high, apparently motionless, and then fell — a hundred tons of solid flesh — back into the sea. On either side of that mountainous mass the waters rose in shining towers of snowy foam, which fell in their turn, whirling and eddying around us as we tossed and fell like a chip in a whirlpool. Blinded by the flying spray, baling for very life to free the boat from the water with which she was nearly full, it was some minutes before I was able to decide whether we were still uninjured or not. Then I saw, at a little distance, the whale lying quietly. As I looked he spouted, and the vapor was red with his blood. " Stam all ! " again cried our chief, and we retreated to a considerable distance. The old warrior's practised eye had detected the coming climax of our efforts, the dying agony or "flurry" of the great mammal. Turning upon his side, he began to move in a circular direction, slowly at first, then faster and faster, until he was rushing round at tremendous speed, his great head raised quite out of water at times, clashing his enormous jaws. Torrents of blood poured from his spout-hole, accompanied by hoarse bellowings, as of some gigantic bull, but really caused by the laboring breath trying to pass through the clogged air passages. The utmost caution and rapidity of manipulation of the boat was necessary to avoid his maddened msh, but this gigantic energy was short-lived. In a few minutes he subsided slowly in death, his mighty body reclined on one side, the ABATER'S WHALE. 87 fin uppermost waving limply as he rolled to the swell, while the small waves broke gently over the carcass in a low, monotonous surf, intensifying the profound silence that had succeeded the tumult of our conflict with the late monarch of the deep. Hardly had the flurry ceased, when we hauled up alongside of our hard-won prize, in order to secure a line to him in a better manner than at present for hauling him to the ship. This was effected by cutting a hole through the tough, gristly substance of the flukes with the short "boat-spade," carried for the purpose. The end of the line, cut off from the faithful harpoon that had held it so Ipng, was then passed through this hole and made fast. This done, it was " Smoke-oh ! " The luxury of that rest and refreshment was something to be grateful for, coming, as it did, in such complete contrast to our recent violent exertions. The ship was som3 three or four miles off to lee- ward, so we reckoned she would take at least an hour and a half to work up to us. ]*,j eanwhile, our part of the performance being over and well over, we thor- oughly enjoyed ourselves, lazily rocking on the gentle swell by the side of a catch worth at least ;£8oo. During the conflict I had not noticed what now claimed attention — several great masses of white, semi-transparent-looking substance floating about, of huge size and irregular shape. But one of these curious lumps came floating by as we lay, tugged at by several fish, and I immediately asked the mate if he could tell me what it was and where it came from. He told me that, when dying, the cachalot always ejected the contents of the stomach, which were invariably composed of such masses as we saw before us ; that he believed the stuff to be portions of big cuttle-fish, bitten off by the whale for the purpose of swallowing, ;, ! .11 I :* I ij 88 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* but he wasn't sure. Anyhow, I could haul this piece alongside now, if I liked, and see. Secretly wonder- ing at the indifference shown by this officer of forty years' whaling experience to such a wonderful fact as appeared to be here presented, I thanked him, and, sticking the boat-hook into the lump, drew it along- side. It was at once evident that it was a massive fragment of cuttle-fish — tentacle or arm — as thick as a stout man's body, and with six or seven sucking- discs or acetabula on it. These were about as large as a saucer, and on their inner edge were thickly set with hooks or claws all round the rim, sharp as needles, and almost the shape and size of a tiger's. To what manner of awful monster this portion of limb belonged, I could only faintly imagine ; but of course I remembered, as any sailor would, that from my earliest sea-going I had been told that the cuttle- fish was the biggest in the sea, although I never even began to think it might be true until now. I asked the mate if he had ever seen such creatures as this piece belonged to alive and kicking. He answered, languidly, " Wall, I guess so ; but I don't take any stock in fish, 'cept for provisions er ile — en thet's a fack." It will be readily believed that I vividly re- called this conversation when, many years after, I read an account by the Prince of Monaco of his dis- covery of a gigantic squid, to which his naturalist gave the name of Lepidoteuthis Gnmaldii / Truly the in- difference and apathy manifested by whalers generally to everything except commercial matters is wonderful — hardly to be credited. However, this was a mighty revelation to me. For the first time, it was possible to understand that, contrary to the usual notion of a whale's being unable to swallow a herring, here was a kind of whale that could swallow — well, a block four or five f( tures as bulk by only poss was com whole, ar the rest. While a desultoi " amberg before, al dise Rega spoken of They coul terious sut what cond found floa the mate, from the n that it was per ounce, history of 1 ture of the want of a^ have writt€ come to de By some diseased c( that it is m by some mf found with ( showing ths whale's fooc it during its analyzed it i ABNEK-S WHALE. 89 or five feet square apparently ; who lived upon crea- tures as large as himself, if one might judge of their bulk by the sample to hand ; but being unable, from only possessing teeth in one jaw, to masticate his food, was compelled to tear it in sizable pieces, bolt it whole, and leave his commissariat department to do the rest. While thus ruminating, the mate and Louis began a desultory conversation concerning what they termed " ambergrease." I had never even heard the word before, although I had a notion that Milton, in " Para- dise Regained," describing the Satanic banquet, had spoken of something being " gris-amber steamed." They could by no means agree as to what this mys- terious substance was, how it was produced, or under what conditions. They knew that it was sometimes found floating near the dead body of a sperm whale— the mate, in fact, stated that he had taken it once from the rectum of a cachalot — and they were certain that it was of great value — from one to three guineas per ounce. When I got to know more of the natural history of the sperm whale, and had studied the litera- ture of the subject, I was no longer surprised at their want of agreement, since the learned doctors who have written upon the subject do not seem to have come to definite conclusions either. By some it is supposed to be the product of a diseased condition of the creature; others consider that it is merely the excreta, which, normally fluid, has by some means become concreted. It is nearly always found with cuttle-fish beaks imbedded in its substance, showing that these indigestible portions of the sperm whale's food have in some manner become mixed with it during its formation in the bowel. Chemists have analyzed it with scanty results. Its great value is dtie '1' i\ S'-^r 90 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTr to itc property of intensifying the power of perfumes, although, strange to say, it has Httle or no odor of its own, a faint trace of musk being perhaps detectable in some cases. The Turks are said to use it for a truly Turkish purpose, which need not be explained here, while the Moors are credited with a taste for it in their cookery. About both these latter statements there is considerable doubt ; I only give them for what they are worth, without committing myself to any definite belief in them. The ship now neared us fast, and as soon as she rounded- to, we left the whale and pulled towards her, paying out line as we went. Arriving alongside, the line was handed on board, and in a short time the prize was hauled to the gangway. We met with a very different reception this time. The skipper's grim face actually looked almost pleasant as he contemplated the colossal proportions of the latest addition to our stock. He was indeed a fine catch, being at least seventy feet long, and in splendid condition. As soon as he was secured alongside in the orthodox fashion, all hands were sent to dinner, with an intimation to look sharp over it. Judging from our slight previous experience, there was seme heavy labor before us, for this whale was nearly four times as large as the one caught off the Cape Verds. And it was so. Verily those officers toiled like Titans to get that tremendous head off, even the skipper taking a hand. In spite of their efforts, it was dark before the heavy job was done. As we were in no danger of bad weather, the head was dropped astern by a hawser until morning, when it would be safer to dissect it. All that night we worked incessantly, ready to drop with fatigue, but not daring to suggest the possibility of such a thing. Several of the officers and h^urpooners were allowed ^ f ?w hours off. as their s light wou When da] the work rested m to " all hi both cutt everybody mass rose, every stic strain upoi and the ta of a full-gi before. It was securely la top of the — where tl ratline of t spell, while This was t< halfway ou each side; rigged aciO the case. through wh was attache on deck wa beggar was spar, where at's verbose permanent.' he pushed t upper end o the chaps o ABNER^S WHALE, 9« to ff. as their special duty of dealing with the head at day- light would he so arduous as to need all their energies. When day dawned we were allowed a short rest, while the work of cutting up the head was undertaken by the rested men aft. At seven bells (7 .30) it was " turn to " all hands again. The " junk " was hooked on tc both cutting tackles, and the windlass manned b> everybody who could get hold. Slowly the enoi moiis mass rose, canting the ship heavily as it came, while every stick and rope aloft complained of the great strain upon them. When at last it was safely shipped, and the tackles cast off, the size of this small j ortion of a full-grown cachalot's body could be realized, not before. It was hauled from the gangway by tackles, ard securely lashed to the rail running round beneath the top of the bulwarks for that purpose — the " lash-rail '* — where the top of it towered up as high as the third ratline of the main-rigging. Then there was another spell, while the " case " was separated from the skull. This was too large to get on board, so it was lifted halfway out of water by the tackles, one hooked 01 each side; then they were made fast, and a spar rigged across them at a good height above the top of the case. A small block was lashed to this spar, through which a line was rove. A long, narrow bucket was attached to one end of this rope ; the other end on deck was attended by two men. One unfortunate beggar was perched aloft on the above-mentioned spar, where his position, like the mainyard ot Marry- at's verbose carpenter was " precarious and not at all permanent." He was provided with a pole, with which he pushed the bucket down through a hole cut in the upper end of the " case, " whence it was drawn out by the chaps on deck full of spermaceti. It was a weary, V , ; %' . ■■ ^1 I 92 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT,^ unsatisfactory process, wasting a great deal of the sub- stance being baled out ; but no other way was appar- ently possible. The grease blew about, drenching most of us engaged in an altogether unpleasant fashion, while, to mend matters, the old barky began to roll and ^ tumble about in an aimless, drunken sort of way. The result of a new cross swell rolling up from the southwestward. As the stuff was gained, it was poured into large tanks in the blubber- room, the quantity being too great to be held by the try-pots at once. Twenty- five barrels of this clear, wax-like substance were baled from that case ; and when at last it was lowered a little, and cut away from its supports, it was impossible to help thinking that much was still remaining within which we, with such rude means, were unable to save. Then came the task of cutting up the junk. Layer after layer, eight to ten inches thick, was sliced off, cut into suitable pieces, and passed into the tanks. So full was the matter of spermaceti that one could take a piece as large as one's head in the hands, and squeeze it like a sponge, expressing the spermaceti in showers, until nothing remained but a tiny ball of fiber. All this soft, pulpy mass was held together by walls of exceedingly tough, gristly integument (" white horse "), which was as difficult to cut as gutta-percha, and, but for the peculiar texture, not at all unlike it. When we had finished separating the junk, there was nearly a foot of oil on deck in the waist, and up- roarious was the laughter when some hapless individual, losing his balance, slid across the deck and sat down with a loud splash in the deepest part of the accumu- lation. The lower jaw of this whale measured exactly nine- teen feet in length from the opening of the mouth, or, say the last of the teeth, to the point, and carried twentj hauled The before lalx)rs stowed oil anc It Wi ing, as twenty Poor fe thought brought it woulc possible aft, cert persona^ clined t( fringemc erosity s After away, th( with a s hard whi them bef the guna brine. 1 at the dij for " SCI favorite \ such as o ing anyth allowed. at " scrim sticks fort ABNER'S WHALE, 93 of by lite :ha, lit. »ere |up- lal, )wn m- Ine- or, tied twenty-eight teeth on each side. For the time, it was hauled aft out of the way, had secured to the lash-rail. The subsequent proceedings were just the same as before described, only more so. For a whole week our lal)ors continued, and when they were over we had stowed below a hundred and forty-six barrels of mingled oil and spermaceti, or fourteen and a half tuns. It was really a pleasant sight to see Abner receiv- ing, as if being invested with an order of merit, the twenty pounds of tobacco to which he was entitled. Poor fellow ! he felt as if at last he were going to be thought a little of, and treated a little better. He brought his bounty forrard, and shared it out as far as it would go with the greatest delight and good-nature possible. Whatever he might have been thought of aft, certainly, for the time, he was a very important personage forrard ; even the Portuguese, who were in- clined to be jealous of what they considered an in- fringement of their rights, were mollified by the gen- erosity shown. After every sign of the operations had been cleared away, the jaw was brought out, and the teeth extracted with a small tackle. They were set solidly into a hard white gum, which had to be cut away all around them before they would come out. When cleaned of the gum, they were headed up in a small barrel of brine. The great jaw-pans were sawn off, and placed at the disposal of anybody who wanted pieces of bone for "scrimshaw," or carved work. This is a very favorite pastime on board whalers, though, in ships such as ours, the crew have Httle opportunity for do- ing anything, hardly any leisure during daylight being allowed. But our carpenter was a famous workman at " scrimshaw," and he started half a dozen walking- sticks forthwith. A favorite design is to carve the i •1| a! :r:lji 94 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT."* If bone into the similitude of a rope, with '< worming of smaller line along its lays. A handle is carved out of a whale's tooth, and insets of baleen, silver, cocoa- tree, or ebony, give variety and finish. The tools used are of the roughest. Some old files, softened in the fire, and filed into grooves something like saw- teeth, are most used ; but old knives, sail-needles, and chisels are pressed into service. The work turned out would, in many cases, take a very high place in an exhibition of turnery, though never a lathe was near it. Of course, a long time is taken over it es- pecially the polishing, which is done with oil and whiting, if it can be got — powdered pumice if it can- not. I once had an elaborate pastry-cutter carved out of six whale's teeth, which I purchased for a pound of tobacco from a seaman of the Coral whaler, and afterwards sold in Dunedin, New Zealand, for £^2 loj., the purchaser being decidedly of opinion that he had a bargain. CHAPTER IX. OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE. Perhaps it may hastily be assumed, from the large space already devoted to fishing operations of various kinds, that the subject will not bear much more deal- ing with, if my story is to avoid being monotonous. But I beg to assure you, dear reader, that while of course I have most to say in connection with the business of the voyage, nothing is farther from my plan than to neglect the very interesting portion of our cruise which relates to visiting strange, out-of-the- way CO depreca whale-fis esting aj been in( been sys fishing b not inter my hum does not, Weha< oil manuf sails whil< trades bl altogethei south side trade donj which nea our lives j better off doldrums object beir setting anc to lose no Now, with squally-loo till better \ whether wi But just be ress as the to find hoi^ the case wi some exper the leisure!] ships, howe OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE. 95 way corners of the world. If — which I earnestly deprecate — the description hitherto given of sperm whale-fishing and its adjuncts be found not so inter esting as could be wished, I cry you mercy. I have been induced to give more space to it because it has been systematically avoided in the works upon whale- fishing before mentioned, which, as I have said, were not intended for popular reading. True, neither may my humble tome become popular either ; but, if it does not, no one will be so disappointed as the author. We had made but little progress during the week of oil manufacture, very little attention being paid to the sails while that work was about ; but, as the southeast trades blew steadily, we did not remain stationary altogether. So that the following week saw us on the south side of the tropic of Capricorn, the southeast trade done, and the dirty weather and variable squalls, which nearly always precede the " westerlies," making our lives a burden to us. Here, however, we were better off than in an ordinary merchantman, where doldrums are enough to drive you mad. The one object being to get along, it is incessant " puUy-hauly," setting and taking in sail, in order, on the one hand, to lose no time, and, on the other, to lose no sails. Now, with us, whenever the weather was doubtful or squally-looking, we shortened sail, and kept it fast till better weather came along, being quite careless whether we made one mile a day or one hundred. But just because nobody took any notice of our prog- ress as the days passed, we were occasionally startled to find how far we had really got. This was certainly the case with all of us forward, even to me who had some experience, so well used had I now become to the leisurely way of getting along. To the laziest of ships, however, there comes occasionally a time wheij A \ ft til 96 THE CRUISE OF THE '* CACHALOTS the bustling, hurrying wind will take no denial, and you've got to " git up an' git," as the Yanks put it. Such a time succeeded our " batterfanging " about, after losing the trades. We got hold of a westerly wind that, commencing quietly, gently, steadily, tak- ing two or three days before it gathered force and volume, strengthened at last into a stern, settled gale that would brook no denial, to face which would have been misery indeed. To vessels bound east it came as a boon and blessing, for it would be a crawler that could not reel off her two hundred and fifty miles a day before the push of such a breeze. Even the Cachalot did her one hundred and fifty, pounding and bruising the ill-used sea in her path, and spread- ing before her broad bows a far-reaching area of snowy foam, while her wake was as wide as any two ordinary ships ought to make. Five or six times a day the flying East India or colonial-bound English ships, under every stitch of square sail, would appear as tiny specks on the horizon astern, come up with us, pass like a flash, and fade away ahead, going at least two knots to our one. I could not help feeling a bit homesick and tired of my present surroundings, in spite of their interest, when I saw those beautiful ocean-flyers devouring the distance which lay before them, and reflected that in little more than one month most of them would be discharging in Melbourne, Sydney, Calcutta, or some other equally distant port, while we should probably be dodging about in our present latitude a little farther east. After a few days of our present furious rate of speed, I came on deck one morning, and instantly recognized an old acquaintance. Right ahead, looking nearer than I had ever seen it before, rose the towering mass pf Tristan d'Acunha, while farther away, but still visible, lay Nil was fal voyage seen til excitei in the was enc to view I now, hi ent thill hours b on shor through height i! scowling tan d'Ac cliffs see any near Long bei settlemei of kelp (, laid stem waste of : patches c the Gulf- are so thi almost bl the leave foot wide have thei which lie the South like those round th( When ' OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE, 97 lay Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands. Their aspect ^vas familiar, for I had sighted them on nearly every voyage I had made round the Cape, but I had never seen them so near as this. There was a good deal of excitement among us, and no wonder. Such a break in the monotony of our lives as we were about to have was enough to turn our heads. Afterwards, we learned to view these matters in a more philosophic light ; but now, being new and galled by the yoke, it was a differ- ent thing. Near as the island seemed, it was six hours before we got near enough to distinguish objects on shore. I have seen the top of Tristan peeping through a cloud nearly a hundred miles away, for its height is tremendous. St. Helena looks a towering, scowling mass when you approach it closely ; but Tris- tan d'Acunha is far more imposing, its savage-looking cliffs seeming to sternly forbid the venturesome voyager any nearer familiarity with their frowning fastnesses. Long before we came within working distance of the settlement, we were continually passing broad patches of kelp {/ticus giganiea)f whose great leaves and cable- laid stems made quite reef-like breaks in the heaving waste of restless sea. Very different indeed were these patches of marine growth from the elegant wreaths of the Gulf-weed with which parts of the North Atlantic are so thickly covered. Their color was deep brown, almost black in some cases, and the size of many of the leaves amazing, being four to five feet long, by a foot wide, with stalks as thick as one's arm. They have their origin around these storm-beaten rocks, which lie scattered thinly over the immense area of the Southern Ocean, whence they are torn, in masses like those we saw, by every gale, and sent wandering round the world. When we arrived within about three miles of the 98 THE CRUISE OF THE « CACHALOT."* landing-place, we saw a boat coming off, so we imme- diately hove-to and awaited her arrival. There was no question of anchoring ; indeed, there seldom is in these vessels, unless they are going to make a long stay, for they are past masters in the art of " standing off and on." The boat came alongside — a big, sub- stantially-built craft of the whale-boat type, but twice the size — manned by ten sturdy-looking fellows, as unkempt and wild-looking as any pirates. They w^re evidently put to great straits for clothes, many curious makeshifts being noticeable in their rig, while it was so patched with every conceivable kind of material that it was impossible to say which was the original or " standing part." They brought with them pota- toes, onions, a few stunted cabbages, some fowls, and a couple of good-sized pigs, at the sight of which good things our eyes glistened and our mouths watered. Alas ! none of the cargo of that boat ever reached our hungry stomachs. We were not surprised, having anticipated that every bit of provision would be mo- nopolized by our masters ; but of course we had no means of altering such a state of things. The visitors had the same tale to tell that seems universal — bad trade, hard times, nothing doing. How very familiar it seemed, to be sure. Neverthe- less, it could not be denied that their sole means of communication with the outer world, as well as market for their goods, the calling whaleships, were getting fewer and fewer every year; so that their outlook was not, it must be confessed, particularly bright. But their wants are few, beyond such as they can themselves supply. Groceries and clothes, the latter especially, as the winters are very severe, are almost the only needs they require to be supplied with from without. They spoke of the " Cape " as if it f , : OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE, 99 were only across the way, the distance separating them from that wonderful place being over thirteen hundred miles in reality. Very occasionally a schooner from Capetown does visit them; but, as the seals are almost exterminated, there is less and less induce- ment to make the voyage. Like almost all the southern islets, this group has been in its time the scene of a wonderfully productive seal-fishery. It used to be customary for whaling and sealing vessels to land a portion of their crews, and leave them to accumulate a store of seal-skins and oil, while the ships cruised the surrounding seas for whales, which were exceedingly numerous, both " right " and sperm varieties. In those days there was no monotony of existence in these islands, ships were continually coming and going, and the islanders prospered exceedingly. When they increased beyond the capacity of the islands to entertain them, a portion migrated to the Cape, while many of the men took service in the whale-ships, for which they were eminently suited. They are, as might be expected, a hybrid lot, the woman all mulattoes, but intensely English in their views and loyalty. Since the visit of H.M.S. Galatea, in August, 1867, with the Duke of Edinburgh on board, this sentiment had been intensified, and the little collection of thatched cottages, nameless till then, was called Edinburgh, in honor of the illustrious voyager. They breed cattle, a few sheep, and pigs, although the sheep thrive but indifferently for some reason or another. Poultry they have in large numbers, so that, could they command a market, they would do very well. The steep cliffs, rising from the sea for nearly a thousand feet, often keep their vicinity in absolute ■ i! loo THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS calm, although a heavy gale may be raging on the other side of the island, and it would be highly dangerous for any navigator not accustomed to such a neighborhood to get too near them. The immense rollers setting inshore, and the absence of wind com- bined, would soon carry a vessel up against the beetling crags, and letting go an anchor would not be of the slightest use, since the bottom, being of massive boulders, affords no holding ground at all. All round the island the kelp grows thickly, so thickly indeed as to make a boat's progress through it difficult. This, however, is very useful in one way here, as we found. Wanting more supplies, which were to be had cheap, we lowered a couple of boats, and went ashore after them. On approaching the black, pebbly beach which formed the only landing-place, it appeared as If getting ashore would be a task of no ordinary danger and difficulty. The swell seemed to culminate as we neared the beach, lifting the boats at one moment high in air, and at the next lowering them into a green valley, from whence nothing could be seen but the surrounding watery summits. Sud- denly we entered the belt of kelp, which extended for perhaps a quarter of a mile seaward, and, lo ! a transformation indeed. Those loose, waving fronds of flexible weed, though swayed hither and thither by every ripple, were able to arrest the devastating rush of the gigantic swell, so that the task of landing, which had looked so terrible, was one of the easiest. Once in among the kelp, although we could hardly use the oars, the water was quite smooth and tran- quil. The islanders collected on the beach, and guided us to the best spot for landing, the huge boulders, heaped in many places, being ugly impedi- ments to a boat. Oldf] upon ably \ Cruso conve was e' fowl, ; the vi the n whole solid r terrac( a thou inatin^ nine tl cultiva establii ing tha dred y of the long b( lish dir apologi feast. corn hj make o pathizei them, a which t coming of abou features childrei repeate< OUK FIRST CALLING-PLACE, XOI We were as warmly welcomed as if we had been old friends, and hospitable attentions were showered upon us from every side. The people were notice- ably well-behaved, and, although there was something Crusoe-like in their way of living, their manners and conversation were distinctly good. A rude plenty was evident, there being no lack of good food — fish, fowl, and vegetables. The grassy plateau on which the village stands is a sort of shelf jutting out from the mountain-side, the mountain being really the whole island. Steep roads were hewn out of the solid rock, leading, as we were told, to the cultivated terraces above. These reached an elevation of about a thousand feet. Above all towered the great, dom- inating peak, the summit lost in the clouds eight or nine thousand feet above. The rock-hewn roads and cultivated land certainly gave the settlement an old- established appearance, which was not surprising, see- ing that it has been inhabited for more than a hun- dred years. I shall always bear a grateful recollection of the place, because my host gave me what I had long been a stranger to— a good, old-fashioned Eng- lish dinner of roast beef and baked potatoes. He apologized for having no plum-pudding to crown the feast. " But, you see," he said, " we kaint grow no corn hyar, and we'm clean run out ov flour ; hev ter make out on taters 's best we kin. I sincerely sym- pathized with him on the lack of bread-stuff among them, and wondered no longer at the avidity with which they had munched our flinty biscuits on first coming aboard. His wife, a buxom, motherly woman of about fifty, of dark, olive complexion, but good features, was kindness itself ; and their three youngest children, who were at home, could not, in spite of repeated warnings and threats, keep their eyes off 'iii \ I ril M--M ■ I02 THE CRUISE OF TrE " CACHALOT!* me, as if I had been some strange animal dropped from the moon. I felt very unwilling to leave them so soon, but time was pressing, the stores we had come for were all ready to ship, and I hacJ to tear my- self away from these kindly entertaineis. I declare, it seemed like parting with old friends ; yet our ac- quaintance might have been measured by minutes, so brief it had been. The mate had purchased a fine bullock, which had been slaughtered and cut up for us with great celerity, four or five dozen fowls (alive), four or five sacks of potatoes, eggs, etc., so that we were heavily laden for the return journey to the ship. My friend had kindly given me a large piece of splen- did cheese, for which I was unable to make him any return, being simply clad in a shirt and pair of trousers, neither of which necessary garments could be spared. With hearty cheers from the whole population, we shoved off and plowed through the kelp seaward again. When we got clear of it, we found the swell heavier than when we had come, and a rough journey back to the ship was the result. But, to such boat- men as we were, that was a trifle hardly worth men- tioning, and after an hour's hard pull we got along- ^ side again, and transhipped our precious cargo. The weather being threatening, we at once hauled off the land and out to sea, as night was falling and we did not wish to be in so dangerous a vicinity any longer than could be helped in stormy weather. Altogether, a most enjoyable day, and one that I have ever since had a pleasant recollection of. By daybreak next morning the islands were out of sight, for the wind had risen to a gale, which, although we carried little sail, drove us along before it some seven or eight knots an hour. OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE, 103 Two days afterwards we caught another whole of medium size, making us fifty-four barrels of oil. As nothing out of the ordinary course marked the capture, it is unnecessary to do more than allude to it in pass- ing, except to note that the honors were all with Goliath. He happened to be close to the whale when it rose, and immediately got fast. So dexterous and swift were his actions that before any of the other boats could " chip in " he had his fish " fin out," the whole affair from start to finish only occupying a couple of hours. We were now in the chosen haunts of the great albatross. Cape pigeons, and Cape hens, but never in my life had T imagined such a concourse of them as now gathered around us. When we lowered there might have been perhaps a couple of dozen birds in sight, but no sooAer was the whale dead than from out of the great void around they began to drift towards us. Before we had got him fast alongside, the numbers of that feathered host were incalculable. They surrounded us until the sea surface was like a plain of snow, and their discordant cries were deafen- ing. With the exception of one peculiar-looking bird, which has received from whalemen the inelegant name of " stinker," none of them attempted to alight upon the body of the dead monster. This bird, however, somewhat like a small albatross, but of dirty-gray color, and with a peculiar excrescence on his beak, boldly took his precarious place upon the carcass, and at once began to dig into the blubber. He did not seem to make much impression, but he certainly tried hard. It was dark before we got our prize secured by the fluke-chain, so that we could not commence operations before morning. That night it blew hard, and we got an idea of the strain these vessels are sometimes sub- jected to. Sometimes the ship rolled one way and \..ii •'J ': i H\ '■ S\ ■:. ■:■ I: J! ,; .J ■ ■■I. ! I04 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS the whale another, being divided by a big sea, the wrench at the fluke-chain, as the two masses fell apart down different hollows, making the vessel quiver from truck to keelson as if she was being torn asunder. Then we would come together again with a crash and a shock that almost threw everybody out of their bunks. Many an earnest prayer did I breathe that the chain would prove staunch, for what sort of a job it would be to go after that whale during the night, should he break loose, I could only faintly imagine. But all our gear was of the very best ; no thieving ship-chandler had any hand in supplying our outfit with shoddy rope and faulty chain, only made to sell, and ready at the first call made upon it to carry away and destroy half a dozen valuable lives. There was one coil of rope on board* which the skipper had "bought for cordage on the previous voyage from a homeward-bound English ship, and it was the butt of all the officers' scurrilous remarks about Britishers and their gear. It was never used but for rope-yarns, be- ing cut up in lengths, and untwisted for the ignomin- ious purpose of tying things up — " hardly good enough for that," was the verdict upon it. Tired as we all were, very little sleep came to us that night — we were barely seasoned yet to the ex- igencies of a whaler's life — but afterwards I believe nothing short of dismasting or runiiing the ship ashore would wake us, once we got to sleep. In the morn- ing we commenced operations in a howling gale of wind, which placed the lives of thci officers on the " cutting in " stage in great danger. The wonderful seaworthy qualities of our old ship shone brilliantly now. When an ordinary modem-built sailing-ship would have been making such weather of it as not only to drown anybody about the deck^ but ms^king By of Cl a sin OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE. 105 it impossible to keep yr»ur footing anywhere without holding on, we were enabled to cut in this whale. True, the work was teribly exhausting and decidedly dangerous, but it was ?iot impossible, for it was done. By gieat care and constant attention, the whole work of cr.tting in and trying out was got through without a single accident ; but had another whale turned up to continue the trying time, I am fully persuaded that some of us would have gone under from sheer fatigue. For there was no mercy shown. All that I have ever read of " puttifiiUhe slaves through for all they were worth " on me plantations was fully realized here, and our wprthy skipper must have been a lineal descendant of the doughty Simon Legree. The men were afraid to go on to the sick-list. Noth- ing short of total inability to continue would have prevented them from working, such was the terror with which that man had inspired us all. It may be said that we were a pack of cowards, who, without the courage to demand better treatment, deserved all we got. While admitting that such a conclusion is quite a natural one at which to arrive, I must deny its truth. There were men in that forecastle as good citizens and as brave fellows as you would wish to meet — men who in their own 'sphere would have commanded and obtained respect. But under the painful and abnormal circumstances in which they found themselves — beaten and driven like dogs while in the throes of seasickness, half starved and hope- less, their spirit had been so broken, and they were so kept down to that sad level by the display of force, aided by deadly weapons aft, that no other condition could be expected for them but that of broken- hearted slaves. My own case was many degrees better than that of the other whites, as I have before 11 >. '. U fii ■X'i •ML if i It m ^■:\ I06 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT/* noted ; but I was perfectly well aware that the slight- est attempt on my part to show that I resented our common treatment would meet with the most brutal repression, and, in addition, I might look for a dread- ful time of it for the rest of the voyage. The memory of that week of misery is so strong upon me even now that my hand trembles almost to preventing me from writing about it. Weak and feeble do the words seem as I look at them, making me wish for the fire and force of Carlyle or Macaulay to portray our unnecessary sufferings. Like all other earthly ills, however, they came to an end, at least for a time, and I was delighted to note that we were getting to the northward again. In making the outward passage round the Cape, it is necessary to go well south, in order to avoid the great westerly set of the Agulhas current, which for- ever sweeps steadily round the southern extremity of the African continent at an average rate of three or four miles an hour. To homeward-bound ships this is a great boon. No matter what the weather may be — a stark calm or a gale of wind right on end in your teeth — that vast, silent river in the sea steadily bears you on at the same rate in the direction of home. It is perfectly true that with a gale blovidng across the set of this great current, one of the very ugliest combinations of broken waves is raised ; but who cares for that, when he knows that, as long as the ship holds together, some seventy or eighty miles per day nearer home must be placed to her credit ? In like manner, it is of the deepest comfort to know that, storm or calm, fair or foul, the current of time, un- hasting, unresting, bears us on to the goal that we shall surely reach — the haven of unbroken rest. Not the least of the minor troubles on board the OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE, 107 Cachalot was the uncertainty of our destination ; we never knew where we were going. It may seem a small point, but it is really not so unimportant as a landsman might imagine. On an ordinary passage, certain well-known signs are as easily read by the sea- man as if the ship's position were given out to him every day. Every alteration of the course signifies some point of the journey reached, some well-known track entered upon, and every landfall made becomes a new departure from whence to base one's calcula- tions, which, rough as they are, rarely err more than a few days. Say, for instance, you are bound for Calcutta. The first of the northeast trades will give a fair idea of your latitude being about the edge of the tropics somewhere, or say from 20° to 25° N., whether you have sighted any of the islands or not. Then away you go before the wind down towards the Equator, the approach to which is notified by the loss of the trade and the dirty, changeable weather to the " doldrums." That weary bit of work over, along come the southeast trades, making you brace " sharp up," and sometimes driving you uncomfortably near the Brazilian coast. Presently more "doldrums," with a good deal more wind in them than in the " wariables " of the line latitude. The brave " westerly " will come along by and by and release you, and, with a staggering press of sail carried to the reliable gale, away you go for the long stretch of a hundred degrees or so eastward. You will very likely sight Tristan d'Acunha or Gough Island ; but, if not, the course will keep you fairly well informed of your longitude, smce most ships make more or less of a great circle track. Instead of steering due East for the whole distance, they make for some southerly latitude by !i- m ■;J' \\ \. ■' 'i » I' I lo8 THE CRUISE OF THE '' CACHALOTr I running along the arc of a great circle, then run due east for a thousand miles or so before gradually work- ing north again. These alterations in the courses tell the foremast hand nearly all he wants to know, slight as they are. You will most probably sight Amsterdam Island or St. Paul's in about 77° E. ; but whether you do or not, the big change made in the course, to say nothing of the difference in the weather and temperature, say loudly that your long easterly run is over, and you are bound to the northward again. Soon the southeast trades Will take you gently in hand, and waft you pleasurably upward to the line again, unless you should be so unfortunate as to meet one of the devastating meteors known as " cyclones " in its gyration across the Indian Ocean. After losing the trade, which signals your approach to the line once more, your guides fluctuate muchly with the time of year. But it may be broadly put that the change of the monsoon in the Bay of Bengal is beastliness unadulterated, and the southwest mon- soon itself, though a fair wind for getting to your destination, is worse, if possible. Still, having got that far, you are able to judge pretty nearly when, in the ordinary course of events, you will arrive at Saugor, and get a tug for the rest of the journey. But on this strange voyage I was quite as much in the dark concerning our approximate position as any of the chaps who had never seen salt water before they viewed it from the bad eminence of the Cachalot* s deck. Of course, it was evident that we were bound eastward, but whether to the Indian seas or 10 the South Pacific, none knew but the skipper, and per- haps the mate. I say " perhaps " advisedly. In any well-regulated merchant ship there is an invariable routine of observations performed by both captain and i OUR FIRST CALLINCPLACE. 109 chief officer, except in very big vessels, where the second mate is appointed mvigating officer. The two men work out their reckoning independently of each other, and compare the result, so that an excellent check upon the accuracy of the positions found is thereby afforded. Here, however, there might not have been, as far as appearances went, a navigator in the ship except the captain, if it be not a misuse of terms to call him a navigator. If the test be ability to take a ship round the world, poking into every un- described, out-of-the-way corner you can think of, and return home again without damage to the ship of any kind except by the unavoidable perils of the sea, then doubtless he was a navigator, and a ripe, good one. But anything cruder than the " rule of- thumb " way in which he found his positions, or more out of date than his "hog-yoke," or quadrant, I have never seen. I suppose we carried a chronometer, though I never saw it or heard the cry of " stop," which usually ac- companies a.m. or p.m. " sights " taken for longitude. He used sometimes to make a deliberate sort of haste below after taking a sight, when he may have been looking at a chronometer perhaps. What I do know about his procedure is, that he always used a very rough method of equal altitudes, which would make a mathematician #are and gasp ; that his nautical almanac was a ten-cent one published by some specu- lative optician in New York ; that he never worked up a " dead reckoning : " and that the extreme limit of time that he took to work out his observations was ten minutes. In fact, all our operations in seamanship or navigation were run on the same happy-go-lucky principle. If it was required to " tack " ship, there was no formal parade and preparation for the man- vjeuver, not even as much as would be made in a Goole ■'H I i ! ll i!i' lljl m m no r/r£ CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* billy-boy. Without any previous intimation, the helm would be put down, and round she would come, the yards being trimmed by whoever happened to be nearest to the braces. The old tub seemed to like it that way, for she never missed stays or exhibited any of that unwillingness to do what she was required that is such a frequent characteristic of merchantmen. Even getting under way or coming to an anchor was unattended by any of the fuss and bother from which those important evolutions ordinarily appear insepa- rable. To my great relief, we saw no more whales of the kind we were after during our passage round the Cape. The weather we were having was splendid for making a passage, but to be dodging about among those im- mense rollers, or towed athwart them l3v a wounded whale, in so small a craft as one of our whale-boats, did not have any attractions for me. There was little doubt in any of our minds that, if whales were seen, off we must go while daylight lasted, let the weather be what it might. So when one morning I went to the wheel, to find the course N. N. E. instead of E. by N., it may be taken for granted that the change was a considerable relief to me. It was now manifest that we were bound up into the Indian Ocean, al- though of course I knew nothing' of the position of the districts where whales were to be looked for. Grad- ually we crept northward, the weather improving every day as we left the " roaring forties " astern. While thus making northing we had several fine catches of porpoises, and saw many rorquals, but sperm whales appeared to have left the locahty. However, the " old man " evidently knew what he was about, as we were not now cruising, but making a direct passage for some definite place. \ A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES, iii i At last we sighted land, which, from the course which we had been steering, might have been some- where on the east coast of Africa, but for the fact that it was right ahead, while we were pointing at the time about N.N.W. By and By I came to the conclusion that it must be the southern extremity of Madagascar, Cape St. Mary, and, by dint of the closest attention to every word I heard uttered while at the wheel by the officers, found that my surmise was correct. We skirted this point pretty closely, heading to the west- ward, and, when well clear of it, bore up to the north- ward again for the Mozambique Channel. Another surprise. The very idea of whaling in the Mozambique Channel seemed too ridiculous to mention ; yet here we were, guided by a commander who, whatever his faults, was certainly most keen in his attention to busi- ness, and the unlikeliest man imaginable to take the ship anywhere unless he anticipated a profitable return for his visit. ^tiE Va CHAFl'ER X. A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. I , We had now entered upon what promised to be the most interesting part of our voyage. As a commercial speculation, I have to admit that the voyage was to me a matter of absolute indifference. Never, from the first week of my being on board, had I cherished any illusions upon that score, for it was most forcibly im- pressed on my mind that, whatever might be the meas- ure of success attending our operations, no one of the crew forward could hope to benefit by it. The share ;[ \ 112 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:' I ' 1 ilH t 1 1!!! of profits was so small, and the time taken to earn It so long, such a number of clothes were worn out and destroyed by us, only to be replaced from the ship's slop-chest at high prices, that I had quite resigned my- self to the prospect of leaving the vessel in debt, when- ever that desirable event might happen. Since, there- fore, I had never made it a practise to repine at the inevitable, and make myself unhappy by the contem- plation of misfortunes I was powerless to prevent, I tried to interest myself as far as was possible in gathering information, although at that time I had no idea, be- yond a general thirst for knowledge, that what I was now learning would ever be of any service to me. Yet I had been dull indeed not to have seen how unique were the opportunities I was now enjoying for observation of some of the least known and under- stood aspects of the ocean world and its wonderful in- habitants, to say nothing of visits to places unvisited, except by such free-lances as we were, and about which so little is really known. The weather of the Mozambique Channel was fairly good, although subject to electric storms of the most terrible ispect, but perfectly harmless. On the sec- ond eve 'ng after rounding Cape St. Mary, we were proceeding, as usual, under very scanty sail, rather en- joying the mild, balmy air, scent-laden, from Mada gascar. The moon was shining in tropical splendor, paling the luster of the attendant stars, and making the glorious Milky Way but a faint shadow of its usual resplendent road. Gradually from the westward there arose a murky mass of cloud, fringed at its upper edges with curious tinted tufts of violet, orange, and crimson. These colors were not brilliant, but plainly visible against the deep blue sky. Slowly and solemnly the intruding gloom overspread the sweet splendor of the A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES, 113 shining sky, creeping like a death-shadow over a dear face, and making the most talkative feel strangely quiet and ill at ease. As the pall of thick darkness blotted out the cool light, it seemed to descend until at last we were completely over-canopied by a dome of vel- vety black, seemingly low enough to touch the mast- heads. A belated sea-bird's shrill scream but em- phasized the deep silence which lent itself befittingly to the solemnity of nature. Presently thin suggestions of light, variously tinted, began to thread the inky mass. These grew brighter and more vivid, until at last, in fantastic contortions, they appeared to rend the swart concave asunder, revealing through the jagged clefts a lurid waste of the most intensely glow- ing fire. The coming and going of these amazing brightnesses, combined with the Egyptian dark be- tween, was completely blinding. So loaded was the still air with electricity that from every point aloft pale flames streamed upward, giving the ship the ap- pearance of a huge candelabrum with innumerable branches. One of the hands, who had been ordered aloft on some errand of securing a loose end, presented a curious sight. He was bareheaded, and from his hair the all-pervading fluid arose, lighting up his feat- ures, which were ghastly beyond description. When he lifted his hand, each separate finger became at once an additional point from which light streamed. There was no thunder, but a low hissing and a crack- ling which did not amount to noise, although distinctly audible to all. Sensations most unpleasant of pricking and general irritation were felt by every one, according to their degree of susceptibility. After about an hour of this state of things, a low moaning of thunder was heard, immediately followed by a few drops of rain large as dollars. The ir:atter- 3 li: \\ I ■\ w 114 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS I! !i i PI I !l i !| . I iil I ^ ings and grumblings increased until, with one peal that made the ship tremble as though she had just struck a rock at full speed, down came the rain. The win- dows of heaven were opened, and no man might stand against the steaming flood that descended by thou- sands of tons per minute. How long it continued, I cannot say; probably, in its utmost fierceness, not more than half an hour. Then it slowly abated, clear- ing away as it did so the accumulation of gloom over- head, until, before midnight had struck, all the heavenly host were shedding their beautiful brilliancy upon us again with apparently increased glory, while the freshness and invigorating feel of the air was in- expressibly delightful. We did not court danger by hugging too closely any of the ugly reefs and banks that abound in this notably difficult strait, but gave them all a respectfully wide berth. It was a feature of our navigation that, unless we had occasion to go near any island or reef for fishing or landing purposes, we always kept a safe margin of distance away, which probably accounts for our continued immunity from accident while in tor- tuous waters. Our anchors and cables were, however, always kept ready for use now, in case of an unsus- pected current or sudden storm; but beyond that precaution, I could see little or ho difference in the manner of our primitive navigation. We met with no " luck " for some time, and the faces of the harpooners grew daily longer, the great heat of those sultry waters trying all tempers sorely. But Captain Slocum knew his business, and his scowl- ing, impassive face showed no sign of disappoint- ment, or indeed any other emotion, as day by day we crept farther north. At last we sighted the stupen- dous peak of Comoro mountain^ which towers to had A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. ''5 nearly nine thousand feet from the Httle island which gives its name to the Comoro group of four. On that same day a school of medium-sized sperm whales were sighted, which appeared to be almost of a different race to those with which we had hitl;erto had dealings. They were exceedingly fat and Iczy, moving with the greatest deliberation, and, when we rushed in among them, appeared utterly bewildered and panic-stricken, knowing not which way to flee. Like a flock of frightened sheep they huddled together, aimlessly wallowing in each other's way, while we harpooned them with the greatest ease and impunity. Even the " old man " himself lowered the fifth boat, leaving the ship to the carpenter, cooper, cook, and steward, and coming on the scene as if determined to make a field-day of the occasion. He was no " slouch " at the business either. Not that there was much occasion or opportunity to exhibit any prowess. The record of the day*s proceedings v. ould be as tame as to read of a day's work in a slaughter- house. Suffice it to say, that we actually killed six whales, none of whom were less than fifty barrels, no boat ran out more than one hundred fathoms of line, neither was a bomb-lance used. Not the slightest casualty occurred to any of the boats, and the whole work of destruction was over in less than four hours. Then came the trouble. The fish were, of course, somewhat widely separated when they died, and the task of collecting all those immense carcasses was one of no ordinary magnitude. Had it not been for the wonderfully skilful handling of the ship, the task would, I should think, have be.?n impossible, but the way in which she was worked compelled the admiration of anybody who knew what handling a ship meant. Still, with all the ability manifested, it was five hours I :'• Y U ! \- H h :i::: 'II! 'HI I'l" il6 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:* after the last whale died before we had gathered them all alongside, bringing us to four o'clock in the after- noon. A complete day under that fierce blaze of the tropi- cal sun, without other refreshment than an occasional furtive drink of tepid water, had reduced us to a pitiable condition of weakness, so much so that the skipper judged it prudent, as soon as the fluke-chains were passed, to give us a couple of hours' rest. As soon as the sun had set we were all turned to again, three cressets were prepared, and by their blaze we toiled the whole night through. Truth compels me to state, though, that none of us foremast hands had nearly such heavy work as the officers on the stage. What they had to do demanded special knowledge aiid skill ; but it was also terribly hard work, constant and unremitting, while we at the windlass had many a short spell between the lifting of the pieces. E^ven the skipper took a hand, for the first time, and right manfully did he do his share. By the first streak of dawn, three of the whales had been stripped of their blubber, and five heads were bobbing astern at the ends of as many hawsers. The sea all around presented a v/onderful sight. There must have been thousands cf sharks gathered to the feast, and their incessant incursions through the phosphorescent water wove a dazzling network of brilliant tracks which made the eyes ache to look upon. A short halt was called for breakfast, which was greatly nee<^«d, and, thanks, to the cook, was ?, thor- oughly gor ; one. He — ^blessings on him ! — had been busy fishin^,, as we drifted slowly, with savory pieces of whale-beef for bait, and the result was a mess of fish which would have gladdened the heart of an epicure. Our hunger appeased, it was " turn to " m a A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES, n; again, for there was now no time to be lost. I'he fierce heat soon acts upon the carcass of a dead whale, generating an immense volume of gas within it, which, in a wonderfully short space of time, turns the flesh putrid and renders the blubber so rotten that it can- not be lifted, nor, if it could, would it be of any value. So it was no wonder that our haste was great, or that the august arbiter of our destinies himself condescended to take his place among the toilers. By nightfall the whole of our catch was on board, excepting such toll as the hungry hordes of sharks had levied upon it in transit. A goodly number of them had paid the penalty of their rapacity with their lives, for often one would wriggle his way right up on to the reeking carcass, and, seizing a huge fragment of blubber, strive with might and main to tear it away. Then the lethal spade would drop upon his soft crown, cleaving it to the jaws, and with one flap of his big tail he would loose his grip, roll over and over, and sink, surrounded by a writhing crowd of his fellows, by whom he was speedily reduced into digestible fragments. The condition of the Cachalofs deck was now some- what akin to chaos. From the cabin door to the try- works there was hardly an inch of available space, and the oozing oil kept some of us continually baling it up, lest it should leak out through the interstices in the bulwarks. In order to avoid a breakdown, it became necessary to divide the crew into six-hour watches, as, although the work ^Tas exceedingly urgent on account of the weather, there were evident signs that some of the crew were perilously near giving in. So we got rest none too soon, and the good effects of it were soon apparent. The work went on with much more celerity than one would have thought possible. .1 ^ i^i : IS \- r i I' Il8 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS* ' Hi I ' and soon the lumbered-up decks began to resume their normal appearance. As if to exasperate the " old man " beyond measure, on the third day of our operations a great school of sperm whales appeared, disporting all around the ship, apparently conscious of our helplessness to interfere with them. Notwithstanding our extraordi- nary haul, Captain Slocum went black with impotent rage, and, after glowering at the sportive monsters, beat a retreat below, unable to bear the sight any longer. During his absence we had a rare treat. The whole school surrounded the ship, and performed some of the strangest evolutions imaginable. As if instigated by one common impulse, they all elevated their massive heads above the surface of the sea, and remained for some time in that position, solemnly bobbing up and down amid the gHttering wavelets like movable boulders of black rock. Then, all sud- denly reversed themselves, and, elevating their broad flukes in the air, commenced to beat them slowly and rhythmically upon the water, like e^o many machines. Being almost a perfect calm, every move- ment of the great mammals could be plainly seen ; some of them even passed so near to us that we could see how the lower jaw hung down, while the animal was swimming in a normal position. For over an hour they thus paraded around us, and then, as if startled by some hidden danger, suddenly headed off to the westward, and in a few minutes were out of our sight. We cruised in the vicinity of the Comoro Islands for two months, never quite out of sight of the moun- tain while the weather was clear. During the whole of that time we were never clear of oil on deck, one catch always succeeding another before there had A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES, 1 1' been time to get cleared up. Eight hundred barrels of oil were added to our cargo, making the undis- ciplined hearts of all to whom whaling was a novel employment beat high with hopes of a speedy com- pletion of the cargo, and consequent return. Poor innocents that we were ! How could we know any better? According to Goliath, with whom I often had a friendly chat, this was quite out of the ordinary run to have such luck in the " Channel." " * Way back in de dark ages, w'en de whaleships war de pi'neers ob commence, *n dey wan't no worryin*, poofity-plunkity steamboats a-poundin' along, 'nough ter galley ebery whale clean eout ob dere skin, dey war plenty whaleships fill up in twelve, fifteen, twenty monf after leabin* home. 'N er man hed his pick er places, too— didn' hab ter go moseyin erroun' like some ol' hobo lookin* fer day's work, *n prayin de good Lord not ter let um fine it. No, sah ; roun yer China Sea, coas' Japan, on de line, off shore, Vasquez, *mong de islan's, ohmos' anywhar, you couldn' hardly git way from 'em. Neow, I clar ter glory I kaint imagine ze/«rdey all gone ter, dough we bin eout only six seven monf, 'n got over tousan bar'l below. But I bin two year on er voy'ge and doan hardly see a \ sparm whale, much less catch one. But " — and here he whispered mysteriously — " dish yer ole man's de bery debbil's own chile, 'n his farder lookin* after him well — dat's my 'pinion. Only yew keep yer head tight shut, an' nebber say er word, but keep er lookin', 'n sure's death you'll see." This conversation made a deep and lasting impression upon me, for I had not before heard even so much as a murmur from an officer against the tyranny of the skipper. Some of the har- pooners were fluent enough, too. Yet I bad often thought that his treatment of them ;;,l 120 THE CRUISE OF THE '* CACHALOT:' I ! Is :'iP' !;ii • considering the strenuous nature of their toil, and the willingness with which they worked as long as they had an ounce of energy left, was worth at least a little kindness and courtesy on his part. What the period may have been during which whales were plentiful here, I do not know, but it was now May, and for the last few days we had not seen a solitary spout of any kind. Preparations, very slight it is true, were made for departure ; but before we left those parts we made an interesting call for water at Mohilla,one of the Comoro group, which brought out, in unmistakable fashion, the wonderful fund of local knowledge possessed by these men. At the larger ports of Johanna and Mayotte there is a regular tariff of port charges, which are somewhat heavy, and no whaleman would be so reckless as to incur these un- less driven thereto by the necessity of obtaining pro- visions ; otherwise, the islands offer gret.! inducements to whaling captains to call, since none but men hope- lessly mad would venture to desert in such places. That qualification is the chief one for any port to pos- sess in the eyes of a whaling captain. Our skipper, however, saw no necessity for entering any port. Running up under the lee of Mohilla, we followed the land along until we ca^ie to a tiny bight on the western side of the island, an insignificant inlet which no mariner in charge of a vessel like ours could be expected even to notice, unless he were surveying. The approaches to this tiny harbor (save the mark) were very forbidding. Ugly-looking rocks showed up here and there, the surf over them frequently blinding the whole entry. But we came along, in our usual leisurely fashion, under two topsails, spanker, and fore- topmast staysail, and took that ugly passage like a sailing barge entering the Medway. There was barely A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES, 121 % room to turn round when we got inside, but all sail had been taken off her except the spanker, so that her way was almost stopped by the time she was fairly within the harbor. Down went the anchor, and she was fast — anchored for the first time sin'^e leaving New Bedford seven months before. Here we were shut out entirely from the outer world, for I doubt greatly whether even a passing dhow could have seen us from seaward. We were not here for rest, however, but wood and water; so while one party was supplied with well-sharpened axes, and sent on shore to cut down such small trees as would serve our turn, another party was busily employed getting out a number of big casks for the serious business of watering. The cooper knocked off the second or quarter hoops from each of these casks, and drove them on again with two " beckets " or loops of rope firmly jammed under each of them in such a manner that the loops were in line with each other on each side of the bunghole. They were then lowered overboard, and a long rope rove through all the beckets. When this was done, the whole number of casks floated end to end, upright and secure. We towed them ashore to where, by the skipper's directions, at about fifty yards from high- water mark, a spring of beautiful water bubbled out of the side of a mass of rock, losing itself in a deep crevice below. Lovely ferns, rare orchids, and trailing plants of many kinds surrounded this fairy-like spot in the wildest profusion, making a tangle of greenery that we had considerable trouble to clear away. Hav- ing done so, we led a long canvas hose from the spot whence the water flowed down to the shore where the casks floated. The chief officer, with great ingenuity, rigged up an arrangement whereby the hose, which had a square mouth about a foot wide, was held up to the 1:. if' -ii ■if" i 1); i Si" \ I'll I Ml W Ml .^ 11 i : ' ll, II ' r !i: 1,1 i hi' 123 r^£ CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT.^ rock, saving us the labor oi baling and filling by hand. So we were able to rest and admire at our ease the wonderful variety of beautiful plants which grew here 80 lavishly, unseen by mortal eye from one year's end to another. I have somewhere read that the Creator has delight in the beautiful work of His will, wherever it may be ; and that while our egotism wonders at the waste of beauty, as we call it, there is no waste at all, since the Infinite Intelligence can dwell with compla- cency upon ♦he glories of His handiwork, perfectly fulfilling their appointed ends. All too soon the pleasant occupation came to an end. The long row of casks, filled to the brim and tightly bunged, were towed off by us to the ship, and ranged alongside. A tackle and pair of " can-hooks " was overhauled to the water and hooked to a cask. " Hoist away ! " And as the cask rose, the beckets that had held it to the mother- rope were cut, setting it quite free to come on board, but leaving all the others still secure. In this way we took in several thousand gallons of water in a few hours, with a small expenditure of labor, free of cost ; whereas, had we gone into Mayotte or Johanna, the water would have been bad, the price high, the labor great, with the chances of a bad visitation of fever in the bargain. The woodmen had a much more arduous task. The only wood they could find, without cutting down big trees, which would have involved far too much la]>or in cutting up, was a kind of iron-wood, which, besides being very heavy, was so hard as to take pieces clean out of their axe-edges, when a blow was struck directly across the grain. As none of them were experts, the condition of their tools soon made their work very hard. But that they had taken several axes in reserve, it is doubtful whether they would have been able to A VISIT TO SOME STRAATGE PLACES, 123 get sufficient fuel for our purposes Wlien they pitched the wood off the rocks into the harbor, it sank imme- diately, giving them a great deal of trouble to fish it up again. Neither could they raft it as intended, but were compelled to load it into the boats and make several journeys to and fro before all they had cut was shipped. Altogether, I was glad that the wooding had not fallen to my share. On board the ship fishing had been going on steadily most of the day by a few hands told off for the purpose. The result of their sport was splendid, over two hundred-weight of fine fish of vari- ous sorts, but all eatable, having been gathered in. We lay snugly anchored all night, keeping a bright look-out for any unwelcome visitors either from land or sea, for the natives are not to be trusted, neither do the Arab mongrels who cruise about those waters in their dhows bear any too good a reputation. We saw none, however, and at daylight we weighed and towed the ship out to sea with the boats, there being no wind. While busy at this uninteresting pastime, one of the boats slipped away, returning presently with a fine tur- tle, which they had surprised during his morning's nap. One of the amphibious Portuguese slipped over the boat's side as she neared the sleeping Spharga, and, diving deep, came up underneath him seizing with crossed hands the two hind flippers, and, with a sudden, dexterous twist, turned the astonished creature over on his back. Thus rendered helpless, the turtle lay on the surface feebly waving his flippers, while his cap- tor, gently treading water, held him in that position till the boat reached the pair and took them on board. It was a clever feat, neatly executed, as unlike the clumsy efforts I had before seen made with the same object as anything could possibly be. After an hour's tow, we had got a good offing, and a !'^ , 1 1 ' ! i 124 TJI£ CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:' light air springing up, we returned on board, hoisted the boats, and made sail to the northward again. With the exception of the numerous native dhows that crept lazily about, we saw no vessels as we gradually drew out of the Mozambique Channel and stood away towards the Line. The part of the Indian Ocean in which wp now found ourselves is much dreaded by mer- chantmen, who give it a wide berth on account of the numerous banks, islets, and dangerous currents with which it abounds. We, however, seemed quite at home here, pursuing the even tenor of our usual way without any special precautions being taken. A bright lookout we always kept, of course — none of your drowsy lolling about such as is all too common on the " fo'lk'sle head " of many a fine ship, when, with lights half trimmed or not shown at all, she is plowing along blindly at twelve knots or so an hour. No ; while we were under way during daylight, four pairs of keen eyes kept incessant vigil a hundred feet above the deck, noting everything, even to a shoal of small fish, that crossed v/ithin the range of vision. At night we scarcely moved, but still a vigilant lookout was always kept both fore and aft, so that it would have been difficult for us to drift upon a reef unknow- ingly. Creeping steadily northward, we passed the Co^ mo- ledo group of atolls without paying them a visit, which was strange, as, from Iheir appearance, no better fish- ing-ground would be likely to come in our way. They are little known, except to the wandering fishermen from Reunion and Rodriguez, who roam about these islets and reefs, seeking anything that may be turned into coin, from wrecks to turtle, and in nowise par- ticular as to rights of ownership. When between the Cosraoledos and Astove, the next island to the north- nnconsc A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. 125 ward, we sighted a " solitary " cachalot one morning just as the day dawned. It was the first for some time — nearly three weeks — and, being all well seasoned to the work now, we obeyed the call to arms with great alacrity. Our friend was making a passage, turn- ing neither to the right hand nor the left as he went. His risings and number of spouts while up, as well as the time he remained below, were as regular as the progress of a clock, and could be counted upon with quite as much certainty. Bearing in mind, I suppose, the general character of the whales we had recently met with, only two boats were lowered to attack the new-comer, who, all unconscious of our coming, pursued his leisurely course unheeding. We got a good weather- gage of him, and came flying on as usual, getting two irons planted in fine style. But a surprise awaited us. As we sheered up into the wind away from him, Louis shouted, " Fightin ' whale, sir ; look out for de rush ! " Look out, indeed ! Small use in looking out when, ham- pered as we always were at first with the unshipping of the mast, we could do next to nothing to avoid him. Without any of the desperate flounderings generally indulged in on first feeling the iron, he turned upon us, and had it not been that he caught sight of the second mate's boat which had just arrived, and turned his attentions to her, there would have been scant chance of any escape for us. Leaping half out of water, he made direct for our comrades with a vigor and ferocity marvelous to see, making it a no easy matter for them to avoid his tremendous rush. Our actions, at no time slow, were considerably hastened by this display of valor, so that before he could turn his attentions in cur direction we were m :ti ■ .t!l \ :! it ; ! ^\m r ::■■■ 126 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* IP" i;,': in ready for him. Then ensued a really big fight, the first, in fact, of my experience, for none of the other whales had shown any serious determination to do us an injury, but had devoted all their energies to attempts at escape. So quick were the evolutions, and so savage the appearance of this fellow, that even our veteran mate looked anxious as to the possible result. With- out attempting to " sound," the furious monster kept mostly below the surface ; but whenever he rose, it was either to deliver a fearful blow with his tail, or with jaws widespread, to try and bite one of our boats in half. Well was it for us that he was severely handicapped by a malformation of the lower jaw. At a short distance from the throat it turned off nearly at right angles to his body, the part that thus pro- truded sideways being deeply fringed with barnacles, and plated with big limpets. Had it not been for this impediment, I verily be- lieve he would have beaten us altogether. As it was, he worked us nearly to death with his ugly rushes. Once he delivered a sidelong blow with his tail, which, as we spun round, shore off the two oars on that side as if they had been carrots. At last the second mate got fast to him, and then the character of the game changed again. Apparently unwearied by his previous exertions, he now started off to windward at top speed, with the two boats sheering broadly out upon either side of his foaming wake. Doubtless because he himself was much fatigued, the mate allowed him to run at his will, without for the time attempting to haul any closer to him, and vety grate- ful the short rest was to us. But he had not gone a couple of miles before he turned a complete somer- sault in the water, coming up behind us to rush off again in the opposite direction at undiminished A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. 127 Speed. This move was a startler. For the moment it seemed as if both boats would be smashed like egg- shells against each other, or else that some of us would be impaled upon the long lances with which each boat's bow bristled. By what looked like a hand- breadtn, we cleared each other, and the race contin- ued. Up till now we had not succeeded in getting home a single lance, the foe was becoming warier, while the strain was certainly telling upon our nerves. vSo Mr. Count got out his bomb-gun, shouting at the snnie time to Mr. Cruce to do the same. They both hated these weapons, nor ever used them if they could help it ; but what was to be done? Our chief had hardly got his gun ready, before we en me to almost a dead stop. All was silent for just a moment ; then, with a roar like a cataract, up sprang the huge creature, head out, jaw wide open, coming direct for us. As coolly as if on the quarter-deck, the mate raised his gun, firing the bomb directly down the great livid cavern of a throat fronting him. Down went that mountainous head not six inches from us, but with a perfectly indescribable motion, a tremendous writhe, in fact ; up flew the broad tail in air, and a blow which might have sufficed to stave in the side of the ship struck the second mate's boat fairly amidships. It was right before my eyes, not sixty feet away, and the sight will haunt me to my death. The tub oarsman was the poor German baker, about whom I have hitherto said nothing, except to note that he was one of the crew. That awful blow put an end summarily to all his earthly anxieties. As it shore obliquely through the center of the boat, it drove his poor body right through her Umbers — an undistinguishable bundle of what was an instant before a human being. The other members ■u n. r 'i h i J III I: m 'pi ft: m. I I UN :|.i- 128 T'JIE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS of the crew escaped the blow, and the harpooner managed to cut the Hne, so that for the present they were safe enough, cUnging to the remains of their boat, unless the whale should choose to rush across them. Happily, his rushing was almost over. The bomb fired by Mr. Count, with such fatal result to poor Bam- berger, must have exploded right in the whale's throat. Whether his previr>us titanic efforts had completely exhausted him, or whether the bomb had broken his massive backbone, I do not know, of course, but he went into no flurry, dying as peacefully as his course had been furious. For the first time in my life, I had been face to face with a violent death, and I was quite stunned with the awfumess of the experience. Me- chanically, as it seemed to me, we obeyed such orders as were given, but every man's thoughts were with the shipmate so suddenly dashed from amongst us. We never saw sign of him again. While the ship was running down to us, another boat had gone to rescue the clinging crew of the shattered boat, for the whole drama had been witnessed from the ship, although they were not aware of the death of the poor German. When the sad news was told on board, there was a deep silence, all work being carried on so quietly that we seemed like a crew ot dumb men. With a sentiment for which I should not have given our grim skipper credit, the stars and stripes were hoisted half-mast, telling the silent sky and moaning sea, sole witnesses besides ourselves, of the sudden departure from among us of our poor shipmate. We got the whale cut in as usual without any in- cident worth mentioning, except that the peculiar shape of the jaw made it an object of great curiosity to all ( malfor though bones anothe knows, the def from la but in ( under 1 case. ' whalers dition, 1 quantit} hard to of this k soft. A that thei than ot special t ahead ol The e Islands, these tin of miles unto the one oth< group of what stra tiles, sol( found in not likel) they are, with Noa pear. A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES, 129 to all of us who were new to the whale-fishing. Such malformations are not very rare. They are generally thought to occur when the animal is young, and its bones soft ; but whether done in fighting with one another, or in some more mysterious way, nobody knows. Cases have been known, I believe, where the deformed whale does not appear to have suffered from lack of food in consequence of his disability ; but in each of the three instances which have come under my own notice, such was certainly not the case. These whales were what is termed by the whalers " dry-skins ; " that is, they were in poor con- dition, the blubber yielding less than half the usual quantity of oil. The absence of oil makes it very hard to cut up, and there is more work in one whale of this kind than in two whose blubber is rich and soft. Another thing which 1 have also noticed is, that these whales were much more difficult to tackle than others, for each of them gave us something special to remember them by. But I must not get ahead of my yarn. The end of the week brought us up to the Aldabra Islands, one of the puzzles of the world. For here, in these tiny pieces of earth, surrounded by thousands of miles of sea, the nearest land a group of islets like unto them, is found the gigantic tortoise, and in only one other place in the wide world, the Galapagos group of islands in the South Pacific. How, ox by what strange freak of Dame Nature these curious rep- tiles, sole survivals of another age, should come to be found in this lonely spot, is a deep mystery, and one not likely to be unfolded now. At any rate, there they are, looking as if some of them might be coeval with Noah, so venerable and storm-beaten do they ap* pear. ■\,-\ i ii^ ii ■':i I « :jl m Jl 130 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTS We made the island early on a Sunday morning, and, with the usual celerity, worked the vessel into the fine harbor, called, from one of the exploring ships, Euphrates Bay or Harbor. The anchor down, and everything made snug below and aloft, we were actually allowed ^ run ashore free from restraint. I could hardly believe my ears. We h?d got so accus- tomed to oui slavery that liberty was become a mere name ; we hardly knew what to do with it when we got it. However, we soon got used (in a very limited sense) to being our ovvn masters, and, each following the bent of his inclinations, set out for a ramble. My companion and 1 had not gone far, wnen we thought we saw one of the boulders, with which the island was liberally besprinkled, on the move. Running up to examine it with all the eagerness of children let out of school, we found it to be one of the inhabitants, a monstrous tortoise. I had seen some big turtle around the cays of the Gulf of Mexico, but this crea- ture dwarfed them all. We had no means of actually measuring him, and had to keep clear ot his formida- ble-looking jaws, but roughly, and within the mark, he was four feet long by two feet six inches wide. Of course he was much more dome-shaped than the turtle are, and consequently looked a .great deal bigger than a turtle of the same measurement would, besides be- ing much thicker through. As he was loth to stay with us, we made up our minds to go with him, for he was evidently making for some definite spot, by the tracks he was following, which showed plainly how many years that same road had been used. Well, I mounted on his back, keeping well astern, out of the reach of that serious-looking head, which, having rather a long neck, looked as if it might be able to reach round atid take a piece out of a fellow without any t his jo gettin the bi of the mend along arrive( hillsidi of this able f( were n themsc the pal he had Noah, closed as this other a our dis to see, on boa obtaine plentifu passable But I places t were to well-knc we set c the bre( These should \ maraudi descend A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. 13' :!i|: any trouble. He was perfectly amicable, cont'iuing his journey as if nothing had happened, and really getting over the ground at a good rate, considering the bulk and sbcipe of him. Except for the novelty of the thing, this sort of ride had nothing to recom- mend it j so r soon tired of it, and let him waddle along in peace. By following the tracks aforesaid, we arrived at a fine stream of water sparkling out of a hillside, and running down a little ravine. The sides of this gully were worn quite smooth by the innumer- able feet of the tortoises, about a dozen of which were now quietly crouching at the water's edge, filling themselves up with the cooling fluid. I did not see the patriarch upon whom a sailor once reported that he had read the legend carved, " The Ark, Captain Noah. Ararat for orders " ; perhaps he had at last closed his peaceful career. But strange and quaint as this exhibition of ancient reptiles was, we had other and better employment for the limited time at our disposal. There were innumerable curious things to see, and, unless we were to run the risk of going on board again and stopping there, dinner must be obtained. Eggs of various kinds were exceedingly plentiful ; in many places the flats were almost im- passable for sitting birds, mostly " boobies." But previous experience of boobies* eggs in other places had not disposed me to seek them where others were to be obtained, and as I had seen many of the well-known frigate or man-o'-war birds hovering about, we set out to the other side of the island in search of the breeding-place. These peculiar birds are, I think, misnamed. They should be called pirate or buccaneer birds, from their marauding habits. Seldom or never do they con- descend to fish for themselves, preferring to hover /-ifi St «" m -\\\ l.r 3 n I 1 , occasional roller would crown it with a snowy g?. viand of foam — a dazzling patch of white against the sapphire sea. Altogether, such a panorama was spread out at our feet, aii we stood gazing froin the lofty crows-nest, as was worth a year or two of city life to witness. I could not help pitying my com- parion, one of the Portuguese harpooners, who stolidly munched his quid with no eyes for any of these glorious pictures, no thought of anything but a possible whale in sight. My silent rhapsodies were rudely interrupted by something far away on the horizon. Hardly darmg to breathe, I strained my eyes, and — yes, it was — '•' Ah blow-w-w-w ! " I bellowed at the top of my lung-nover. Never before had I had the opportunity of tl^ns dis- tinguishing myself, and I felt a bit sore about it. There was a little obliquity about the direction of ROUND THE COCOS AND SEYCHELLES. 135 the spout that made me hopeful, for the cachalot alone sends his spout diagonally upward, all the others spout vertically. It was but a school of kogia, or " siiort-headed" cachalots; but as we secured five of their., averaging seven barrels each, with scarcely any troiil^le, I felt quite pleased with myself. We had quite an exciting bit of sport with them, they were so lively ; but as for danger — well, they only seemed like big " black fish " to us now, and we quite enjoyed the fun. They were, in all respects, miniature sperm whales, except that the head was much shorter and smaller in proportion to the body than their big relations. \!i;''r'- ! CHAPTER XI. * ROUND THE COCOS AND SEYCHELLES. xxiTHERTO, with the exception of a couple of gales in the North and South Atlantic, we had been singularly fortunate in our weather. It does happen so sometimes. I remember once making a round voyage from Cardiff to Hong Kong and the Philippines, back to London, in ten months, and during the whole of that time we did not have a downright gale. The worst weather we encountered was between Beachy Head and Portland, going round from London to Cardiff. And I once spoke the barque Lidtenoorfh, a com- panion ship to us from Poriland, Oregon, to Falmouth, whose mate informed mc that they carried their royals from port to port witliout evor furling them once, except \xf shift the suit of sails. But now a change \ . .-"Jf mm ;5 t i 136 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS '!l i!i!i1!i:', \, was evidently imminent. Of course, we forward had no access to the barometer ; not that we should have understood its indications if we had seen it, but we all knew that something was • going to be radically wrong with the weather. For instead of the lovely blue of the sky we had been so long accustomed to by day and night, a nasty, greasy shade had come over the heavens, which, reflected in the sea, made that look dirty and stale also. That well-known ap- pearance of the waves before a storm was also very marked, which consists of an undecided sort of break in their tops. Instead of running regularly, they seemed to hunch themselves up in little heaps, and throw off a tiny flutter of spray, which generally fell in the opposite direction to what little wind there was. The pigs and fowls felt the approaching change keenly, and manifested the greatest uneasiness, leaving their food and acting strangely. We were making scarcely any headway, so that the storm was longer making its appearance than it would have been had we been a swift clipper ship running down the Indian Ocean. For two days we were kept in suspense ; but on the second night the gloom began to deepen, the wind to moan, and a very uncomfortable " jobble " of a sea got up. Extra " gaskets " were put upon the sails, and everything movable about the decks was made as secure as it could be. Only the two close-reefed topsails and two storm stay-sails were carried, so that we were in excellent trim for fighting the bad weather when it did come. The sky gradu- ally darkened and assumed a livid green tint, the effect of which was most peculiar. The wind blew fitfully in short gusts, veering con- tinually back and forth over about a quarter of the compass. Although it was still light, it kept up an ROUND THE COCOS AND SEYCHELLES, 137 incessant mournful moan not to be accounted for in any way. Darker and darker grew the heavens, although no clouds were visiblei only a general pall of darkness. Glimmering lightnings played continually about the eastern horizon, but not brilliant enough to show us the approaching storm-cloud. And so came the morning of the third day from the beginning of the change. But for the clock we should hardly have known that day had broken, so gloomy and dark was the sky. At last light came in the east, but such a light as no one would wish to see. It was a lurid glare, such as may be seen playing over a cupola of Bessemer steel when the speigeleisen is added, only on such an extensive scale that its brilliancy was dulled into horror. Then, beneath it we saw the moun- tainous clouds fringed with dull violet and with jagged sabers of lightning darting from their solid Mack bosoms. The wind began to rise steadily but rapidly, so that by eight a. m. it was blowing a furious gale from E.N.E. In direction it was still unsteady, the ship coming up and falling off to it several points. Now, great masses of torn, ragged cloud hurtled past us above, so low down as almost to touch the mast-heads. Still the wind increased, still the sea rose, till at last the skipper judged it well to haul down the tiny triangle of storm stay-sail still set (the topsail and fore stay-sail had been furled long before), and let her drift under bare poles, except for three square feet of stout canvas in the weather mizzen- rigging. The roar of the wind now dominated every sound, so that it might have been thundering furiously, but we should not have heard it. The ship still maintained her splendid character as a sea-boat, hardly shipping a drop of water ; but she lay over at a most distressing angle, her deck sloping off fully thirty-five to forty ilfi 1 -Ji * I'l \ A\ 1 „j «B I liil ' ' P ji « 138 T^£ CRUISE OF THE « CACHALOT:* degrees. Fortunately she did not roll to windward. It may have been raining in perfect torrents, but the tempest tore off the surface of the sea, and sent it in massive sheets continually flying over us, so that we could not possibly have distinguished between fresh water and salt. The chief anxiety was for the safety of the boats. Early on the second day of warning they had been hoisted to the topmost notch of the cranes, and secured as thoroughly as experience could suggest ; but at every lee lurch we gave it seemed ns if we must dip them under water, while the wind threatened to stave the weather ones in by its. actual solid weight. It was now blowing a furious cyclone, the force of which has never been accurately gauged (even by the present elaborate instruments of various kinds in use). That force is, however, not to be imagined by any one who has not witnessed it, except that ^ne notable instance is on record by which mathematicians may get an approximate estimate. Captain Toynbee, the late highly respected and admired Marine Superintendent of the British Mete- orological Office, has told us how, during a cyclone which he rode out in the Hotspur at Sandheads, the mouth of the Hooghly, the three naked topgallant- masts of his ship, though of well-tested timber a foot in diameter, and supported by all the usual network of stays, and without the yards, were snapped off and carried away solely by the violence of the wind. It must, of course, have been an extreme gust, which did not last many seconds, for no cable that was ever forged would have held the ship against such a cata- clysm as that. This gentleman's integrity \:\ a'^ove suspicion, so thct no exaggeration could be charged a|;ainst him, and he had the additional testimony of ROUND THE COCOS aND SEYCHELLES. 139 his officers and men to this otherwise incredible fact. The terrible day wore on, without any lightening ci the tempest, till noon, when the wind suddenly fell to a calm. Until that time the sea, although heavy, was not vicious or irregular, and we had not shipped any heavy water at all. But when the force of the wind was suddenly withdrawn, such a sea arose as 1 have never seen before or since. Inky moun- tains of water raised their savage heads in wildest confusion, smashing one another in whirlpools of foam. It was like a picture of the primeval deep out of which arose the new-born world. Suddenly out of the whirling blackness overhead the moon ap- peared, nearly in the zenith, sending down through the apex of a dome of torn and madly gyrating cloud a flood of brilliant light. Illumined by that startling radiance, our stanch and seaworthy ship was tossed and twirled in the hideous vortex of mad sea until her motion was distracting. It was quite impos- sible to loose one's hold and attempt to do any- thing without running the imminent risk of being dashed to pieces. Our decks were full of water now, for it tumbled on board at all points ; but as yet no serious weight of a sea had fallen upon us, nor had any damage been done. Such a miracle as that could not be expected to continue for long. Sud- denly a warning shout rang out from somewhere — " Hold on all, for your lives ! " Out of the hideous turmoil around arose, like some black, fantastic ruin, an awful heap of water. Higher and higher it towered, until it was level with our lower yards, then it broke and fell apon us. All was blank. Beneath that mass every thought, every feeling, fled but one — ^ How long shall I be able to hold my breath ? '* ■ *, \i t Ml I' ) ■" iy;'' f .!»' m I 'm ^'i . ': :! 1 1 140 rJ/E CRUISE OF THE '' CACHALOTr After what seemed a never-ending time, we emerged from the wave more dead than alive, but with the good ship still stanch underneath us, and Hope's lamp burning brightly. The moon had been mo- mentarily obscured, but now shone out again, light- ing up brilliantly our bravely-battling ship. But, alas for others ! — men, like ourselves, whose hopes were gone. Quite near us was the battered remainder of what had been a splendid ship. Her masts were gone, not even the stumps being visible, and it seemed to our eager eyes as if she was settling down. It was even so, for as we looked, unmindful of our own danger, she quietly disappeared — swallowed up with her human freight in a moment, like a pebble dropped into a pond. While we looked with hardly beating hearts at the place where she had sunk, all was bloUed out in tliick darkness again. With a roar, as of a thousand thun- ders, the tempest came once more, but from the opposite direction now. As we were under no sail, we ran little risk of being caught aback ; but, even had we, nothing could have been done, the vessel be- ing utterly out of control, besides the impossibility of getting about. It so happened, however, that when the storm burst upon us again, we were stern on to it, and we drove steadily for a few moments until we had time to haul to the wind again. Great Jieavens ! how it blew! Surely, I thought, this cannot last long — just as we sometimes say of the rain when it is extra heavy. It did last, however, for what seemed an interminable time, although any one could see that the sky was getting -indlier. Gradually, impercepti- bly, it took off, the sky cleared, and the tumult ceased, until a new day broke in unteUabl^ beauty over a re- vivjlied wQrldf i^ a ROUND THE COCOS AND SEYCHELLES. 141 Years afterwards I read, in one of the hand-books treating of hurricanes and cyclones, that "in the center of these revolving storms the sea is so violent that few ships can pass through it and live." That is true talk. I have been there, and bear witness that but for the build and sea-kindliness of the Cachalot^ she could not have come out of that horrible cauldron again, but would have joined that nameless unfort- unate whom we saw succumb " never again heard of." As it was, we found two of the boats stove in, whether by breaking sea or crushing wind nobody knows. Most of the planking of the bulwarks was also gone, b^i ^t outward by the weight of the water on deck. (.a Me normal quantity of water was found in the wtji on sounding, and not even a rope-yam was gone from aloft. Altogether, we came out of the ordeal triumphantly, where many a gallant vessel met her fate, and the behavior of the grand old tub gave me a positive affection for her, such as I have never felt for a ship before or since. There was now a big heap of work for the car- penter, so the skipper decided to run in for the Cocos or Keeling Islands, in order to lay quietly and refit. We had now only three boats sound, the one smashed when poor Bamberger died being still unfinished — of course, the repairs had practically amounted to re- building. Therefore we kept away for this strange assemblage of reefs and islets, arriving off them early the next day. They consist of a trie "atoll," or basin, whose rim is of coral reefs, culminating occasionally in sandy islands or cays formed by the accumulated debris washed up from the reef below, and then clothed upon with all sorts of plants by the agency o| birds £iti(i waves. m \\ I ]\ til 8 I'll ! 1:1 11 ;' '' ■1 f . [- .;■!• . .i ," !•: V: ■ : ^-1 ■ 't '[; ' : \ ;- ' i ; ,.'f( ^ ' , 'L 1 ;.' '»» ■1 .fu' i '•' . il '1 ill! i| 142 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS These islands have lately been so fully described in many different journals, that I shall not burden the reader with any twice-told tales about them, but merely chronicle the fact that for a week we lay at anchor off one of the outlying cays, toiling continuously to get the vessel again in fighting trim. At last the overworked carpenter and his crew got through their heavy task, and the order was given to " man the windlass." Up came the anchor, and away we went again towards what used to be a noted haunt of the sperm whale, the Seychelle Archipelago. Be- fore the French, whose flag flies over these islands, had with their usual short-sighted jjolicy, clapped on prohibitive port charges, Mah^ was a specially favored place of call for the whalers. But when whaleships find that it does not pay to visit a place, being under no compulsion as regards time, they eoon find other harbors that serve their turn. We, of course, had no need to visit any port for some time to come, having made such good use of our opportunities at the Cocos. We found whales scarce and small, so, although wo cruised in this vicinity for nearly two months, six small cow cachalots were all we were able to add to our stock, representing less than two hundred barrels of oil. This was hardly good enough for Captain Slocum. Therefore, we gradually drew away from this beautiful cluster of islands, and crept across the Indian Ocean towards the Straits of Malacca. On the way, we one night encountered that strange phen- omenon, a u milk sea. It was a lovely night, with scarcely any v/ind, the stars trying to make up for the absence of the moon by shining with intense brightness. The water had been more phosphores- cent than usual, so that every little fish left a tracl; ROUND THE COCOS AND SEYCHELLES. 143 of light behind him, greatly disproportionate to his size. As the night wore on, the sea grew brighter and brighter, \v :::A by midnight we appeared to be sailing on an ocean of lambent flames. Every little wave that broke against the ship's side sent up a shower of diamond-like spray, wonderfully beautiful to see, while a passing school of porpoises fairly set the sea blazing as they leaped and gambolled in its glowing waters. Looking up from sea to sky, the latter seemed quite black instead of blue, and the luster of the stars was diminished till they only looked like points of polished steel, having quite lost for the time their radiant sparkle. In that shining flood the blackness of the ship stood out in startling con- trast, and when we looked over the side our faces were strangely lit up by the brilliant glow. For several hours this beautiful appearance per- sisted, fading away at last as gradually as it came. No satisfactory explanation of this curious phenome- non has ever been given, nor does it appear to por- tend any change of weather. It cannot be called a rare occurrence, although I have only seen it thrice myself— once in the Bay of Cavity, in the Philippine Islands ; once in the Pacific, near the Solomon Islands ; and on this occasion of which I now write. But no one who had ever witnessed it could forget so wonder- ful a sight. One morning, a week after we had taken our departure from the Seychelles, the officer at the main crow's-nest reported a vessel of some sort about five miles to windward. Something strange m her ap- pearance made the skipper haul up to intercept her. As we drew nearer, we made her out to be a Malay "prahu; " but, by the look of her, she was deserted. The big three-cornered sail that had been set, hung «! y !;1 m ii \'^\ pill 144 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT,"* li t ii W I ! II' in tattered festoonc from the long, slender yard, which, without any gear to steady it, swung heavily to and fro as the vessel rolled to the long swell. We drew closer and closer, but no sign of life was visible on board, so the captain ordered a boat to go and in- vestigate. In two minutes we were speeding away towards her, and, making a sweep round her stern, prepared to board her. But we were met by a stench so awful that Mr. Count would not proceed, and at once re- turned to the ship. The boat was quickly hoisted again, and the ship maneuvered to pass close to wind- ward of the derelict. Then, from our mast-head, a horrible sight became visible. Lying about the weather-beaten deck, in various postures, were thir- teen corpses, all far advanced in decay, which hor- rible fact fully accounted for the intolerable stench that had driven us away. It is, perhaps, hardly necessary to say that we promptly hauled our wind, and placed a good distance between us and that awful load of death as soon as possible. Poor wretches ! What terrible calamity had befallen them, we could not guess ; whatever it was, it had been complete ; nor would any sane man falling across them run the risk of closer examination into details than we had done. It was a great pity that we were not able to sink the prahu with her ghastly cargo, and so free the air from that poisonous foetor that was a deadly danrer to any vessel getting under her lee. Next day, and for a whole week after, we had a stark calm — such a calm as one realizes who reads sympathetically that magical piece of work, the " Ancient Mariner." What an amazing instance of the triumph of the human imagination ! For Coleridge certainb^ never witnessed such a scene as he there WHICH TREA TS OF THE KRAKEN. US describes with an accuracy of detail that is astound- ing. Very few sailors have noticed the sickening condition of the ocean when the life-giving breeze totally fails for any length of time, or, if they have, they have said but littb about it. Of course, some parts of the sea ov* e evil effects uC stagnation much sooner than others ; but, generally speaking, want of wind at sea, if long continued, produces a condition of things dangerous to the health of any land near by. Whale-ships, penetrating as they do to parts carefully avoided by ordinary trading vessels, often afford their crews an opportunity of seeing things mostly hidden from the sight of man, when, actuated by some mysterious impulse, the uncanny denizens of the middle depths of the ocean rise to higher levels, and show their weird shapes to the sun. m \ ii i. i t ; !!;■ % m CHAPTER XII. WHICH TREATS OF THE KRAKEN, j 4 I ■ J] It has often been a matter for considerable surprise to me, that while the urban population of Great Britain is periodically agitated over the great sea- serpent question, sailors, as a class, have very little to say on the subject. During a considerable sea experience in all classes of vessels, except men-of- war, and in most positions, I have heard a fairly comprehensive catalogue of subjects brought under dog-watch discussion ; but the sea-serpent has never, within my recollection, been one of them. IP \ jf] ^m ■€ M l--- •'■\ \ % i >& 1,1] . .,s.(fl it:^ I 146 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTS The reasons for this abstinence may vary a great deal, but chief among them is — sailors, as a class, "don't believe in no such a pusson." More than that, they do believe that the mythical sea-serpent is " boomed " at certain periods, in the lack of other subjects, which may not be far from the fact. But there is also another reason, involving a disagreeable, although strictly accurate, statement. Sailors are, again taken as a class, the least observant of men. They will talk by the hour of trivialities about which they know nothing; they will spin interminable " cuffers " of debaucheries ashore all over the world ; pick to pieces the reputation of all the officers with whom they have ever sailed ; but of the glories, marvels, and mysteries of the mighty deep you will hear not a word. I can never forget when on my first voyage to the West Indies, at the age of twelve, I v/as one night smitten with awe and wonder at the sight of a vast halo round the moon, some thirty or forty degrees in diameter. Turning to the man at the wheel, I asked him earnestly " what that was." He looked up with an uninterested eye for an instant in the direction of my finger, than listlessly informed me, " That's what they call a sarcle." For a long time I wondered what he could mean, but it gradually dawned upon me that it was his Norfolk pronunci- ation of the word circle. The definition was a typical one, no worse than would be given by the great majority of seamen of most of the natural phenomena they witness daily. Very few seamen could distinguish between one whale and another of a different species, or give an intelligible account of the most ordinary and often-seen-denizens of the sea. Whalers are especially to be blamed for their blind- ness. " Eyes and no Eyes ; or the Art of Seeing " WHICH TREATS OF THE KRAKEN. 147 has evidently been little heard of among them. To this day I can conceive of no more delightful journey for a naturalist to take than a voyage in a southern whaler, especially if he were allowed to examine at his leisure such creatures as were caught. But on board the Cachalot I could get no information at all upon the habits d! the strange creatures we met with, except whales, and very little about them. I have before referred to the great molluscs upon which the sperm whale feeds, portions of which I so frequently saw ejected from the stomach of lying whales. Great as my curiosity naturally was to know more of these immense organisms, all my inquiries on the subject were fruitless. These veterans of the whale-fishery knew that the sperm whale lived on big cuttle-fish ; but they neither knew, nor cared to know, anything more about these marvelous molluscs. Yet, from the earliest dawn of history, observant men have been striving to learn something definite about the marine monsters of which all old legends of the sea have something to say. As I mentioned in the last chapter, we were grad- ually edging across the Indian Ocean towards Sumatra, but had been checked in our course by a calm lasting a whole week. A light breeze then sprang up, aided by which we crept around Achin Head, the northern point of the great island of Sumatra. Like some gigan- tic beacon, the enormous mass of the Golden Mountain dominated tne peaceful scene. Pulo Way, or Water Island, looked very inviting, and I should have been glad to visit a place so well known to seamen by sight, but so little known by actual touching at. Our recent stay at the Cocos, however, had settled the question of our calling anywhere else for some time decidedly in tne negative, unless we might be compelled by ac- M Wx 148 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT,'* tiit ' iiii [■ill' Si;' I m m^ mill'' liulH ''i' ''; 111 i!i iiii mi cident : moreover, even in these days of law and order, it is not wise to go poking about among the islands of the Malayan seas unless you are prepared to fight. Our mission being to fight whales, we were averse to running any risks, except in the lawful and necessary exercise of our calling. It would at first sight appear strange that, in view of the enormous traffic of steamships through the Malacca Straits, so easily " gallied " a creature as the cachalot should care to frequent its waters ; indeed, I should certainly think that a great reduction in the numbers of whales found there must have taken place. But it must also be remembered, that in modern steam navigation certain well-defined courses are laid down, which vessels follow from point to point with hardly any deviation therefrom, and that consequently little disturbance of the sea by their panting propellers takes place, except upon these marine pathways ; as, for instance, in the Red Sea, where the examination of thousands of log-books proved conclusively that, except upon straight lines drawn from point to point between Suez to Perim, the sea is practically unused to day. The few Arab dhows and loitering surveying ships hardly count in this connection, of course. At any rate, we had not entered the straits, but were cruising between Car Nicobar aud Junkseylon, when we " met up " with a full-grown cachalot, as ugly a customer as one could wish. From nine a.m. till dusk the battle raged — for I have often noticed that unless you kill your whale pretty soon, he gets so wary, as well as fierce, that you stand a gaudy chance of being worn down yourselves before you settle accounts with your adversary. This affair certainly looked at one time as if such would be the case with us ; but along about WHICH TREA TS OF THE KRAKEN, 149 five p.m., to our great joy, we got him killed. The ejected food was in masses of enormous size, larger than any we had yet seen on the voyage, some of them being estimated to be of the size of our hatch-house, viz. 8 feet x 6 feet x 6 feet. The whale having been secured alongside, all hands were sent below, as they were worn out with the day's work. The third mate being ill, I had been invested with the questionable honor of standing his watch, on account of my sea experience and growing favor with the chief. Very bitterly did I resent the privilege at the time, I re- member, being so tired and sleepy that I knew not how to keep awake. I did not imagine that anything would happen to make me prize that night's experience for the rest of my life, or I should have taken matters with a far better grace. At about eleven p.m. I was leaning over the lee rail, gazing steadily at the bright surface of the sea, where the intense radiance of the tropical moon made a broad path like a pavement of burnished silver. Eyes that saw not, mind only confusedly conscious of my surroundings, were mine ; but suddenly I started to my feet with an exclamation, and stared with all my might at the strangest sight I ever saw. There was a violent commotion in the sea right where the moon's rays were concentrated, so great that, remem- bering our position, I was at first inclined to alarm all hands ; for I had often heard of volcanic islands sud- denly lifting their heads from the depths below, or disappearing in a moment, and, with Sumatra's chain of active volcanoes so near, I felt doubtful indeed of what was now happening. Getting the night-glasses out of the cabin scuttle, where they were always hung in readiness, I focussed them on the troubled spot, per- fectly satisfied by a short examination that neith^ I; n ■I ISO THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT: 1 volcano nor earthquake had anything to do with what was going on ; yet so vast were the forces engaged that I might well have been excused for my first sup- position. A very large sperm whale was locked in deadly conflict with a cuttle-fish, or squid, almost as large as himself, whose interminable tentacles seemed to enlace the whole of his great body. The head of the whale especially seemed a perfect network of writhing arms — naturally, I suppose, for it appeared as if the whale had the tail part of the mollusc in his jaws, and, in a business-like methodical way, was saw- ing through it. By the side of the black columnar head of the whale appeared the head of the great gc^uid, as awful an object as one could well imagine even in a fevered dream. Judging as carefully as pos- sible, I estimated it to be at least as large as one of our pipes, which contained three hundred and fifty gallons; but it may have been, and probably was, a good deal larger. The eyes were very remarkable from' their size and blackness, which, contrasted with the livid whiteness of the head, made their appearance all the more striking. They were, at least, a foot in diameter, and, seen under such conditions, looked de- cidedly eerie and hobgoblin-like. All around the combatants were numerous sharks, like jackals round a lion, ready to share the feast, and apparently assist- ing in the destruction of the huge cephalopod. So the titanic struggle went on, in perfect silence as far as we were concerned, because, even had there been any noise, our distance from the scene of conflict would not have permitted us to hear it. Thinking that such a sight ought not to be missed by the captain, I overcame my dread of him sufficient- ly to call him, and tell him of what was taking place. He met my remarks with such a furious burst of anger WHICH TREATS OP" THE KRAKEN, >Si at my daring to disturb him for such a cause, that I fled precipitately on deck again, having the remainder of the vision to myself, for none of the others cared sufficiently for such things to lose five minutes' sleej) in witnessing them. The conflict ceased, the sea re- sumed its placid calm, and nothing remained to tell o! the fight but a strong odor of fish, as of a bank of seaweed left by the tide in the blazing sun. Eight bells struck, and I went below to a troubled sleep, wherein al! ihe awful monsters that an over-excited brain could con- jure up pursued me through the gloomy caves of ot can^ or mocked my pigmy efforts to escape. The occasions upon which these gigantic cuttle-fish appear at the sea surface must, I think, be very \zx^. From their construction, they appear fitted only to grope among the rocks at the bottom of the ocean. Their mode of progression is backward, by the forci- ble ejection of a jet of water from an orifice in the neck, beside the rectum or cloaca. Consequently their normal position is head- downward, and with tentacles spread out like the ribs of an umbrella — eight of them at least ; the two long ones, like the antennae of an insect, rove unceasinglv around, seek- ing prey. The imagination can hardly picture a more terrible object than one of these huge monsters brooding in the ocean depths, the gloom of his surroundings increased by the inky fluid (sepia) which he secretes in copious quantities, every cup-shaped disc, of the hundreds with which the restless tentacles are furnished, ready at the slightest touch to grip whatever is near, not only by suction, but by the great claws set all round within its circle. And in the center of this network of living traps is the chasm -like mouth, with its enormous parrot-beak, ready to rend piecemeal what- . I I II " " 'I -« II .... i' If % 152 rifE CRUISE OF THE « CACHALOT:* II m ,1 ^ ever is held by the tentaculae. The very thought of it makes one's fle'-h crawl. Well did Michelet term them " the insatiaDle nightmares of the sea." Yet, but for them, how would such great creatures ^as the sperm whale be fed? Unable, from their bulk, to capture small fish except by accident, and, by the absence of a sieve of baleen, precluded from subsist- ing upon the tiny Crustacea which support the Mysti- cetce^ the cachalots seem to be confined for their diet to cuttle-fish, and, from their point of view, the bigger the latter are the better. How big they may become in the depths of the sea, no man knoweth ; but it is unlikely that even the vast specimens seen are full-sized, since they have only come to the sur- face under abnormal conditions, like the one I have attempted to describe, who had evidently been dragged up by his relentless foe. Creatures like these, who inhabit deep waters, and do not need to come to the surface by the exigencies of their existence, necessarily present many obstacles to accurate investigation of their structure and habits ; but, from the few specimens that have been obtained of late years, fairly comprehensive details have been compiled, and may be studied in various French and German works, of which the Natural History Museum at South Kensington possesses copies. These, through the courtesy of the authorities in charge, are easily accessible to students who wish to prosecute the study of this wonderful branch of the great mollusca family. When we commenced to cut in our whale next morning, the sea was fairly alive with fish of innumer- able kinds, while a vast host of sea-birds, as usual, wailed impatiently for the breaking-up of the huge carcass, which they knew would afford them no end of a feast An untoward accident, which happened soon WHICH TREATS OF THE KRAKEN, 153 after the work was started, gave the waiting myriads immense satisfaction, although the unfortunate second mate, whose shp of the spade was responsible, came in for a hurricane of vituperation from the enraged skipper. It was in detaching the case from the head — always a work of diiificulty, and requiring great pre- cision of aim. Just as Mr. Cruce made a powerful thrust with his keen tool, the vessel rolled, and the blow, missing the score in which he was cutting, fell upon the case instead, piercing its side. For a few minutes the result was unnoticed amidst the wash of the ragged edges of the cut, but presently a long streak of white, wax-like pieces floating astern, and a tremendous commotion among the birds, told the story. The liquid spermaceti was leaking rapidly from the case, turning solid as it got into the cool water. Nothing could be done to stop the waste, which, as it was a large whale, was not less than twenty barrels, or about two tuns of pure spermaceti. An accident of this kind never failed to make our skipper almost unbearable in his temper for some days after- wards ; and, to do him justice, he did not discriminate very carefully as to who felt his resentment besides its immediate cause. Therefore we had all a rough time of it while his angry fit lasted, which was a whole week, or until all was ship shape again. Meanwhile we were edging gradually through the Malacca Straits and around the big island of Borneo, never going very near the land on account of the great and numerous dangers attend- ant upon coasting in those localities to any but those continually engaged in such a business. Indeed, all navigation in those seas to sailing ves- sels is dangerous, and requires the greatest care. Often we were obliged at a minute's notice to let :i) ' ,1 f I' m 'I 'i u ■ l| 154 T/fE CRUISE OF THE '' CACHALOTr IP il • m J .f ■i\ go the anchor, although out oi: sight of land, some rapid current being foand carrying us swiftly towards a shoal or race, where we might come to grief. Yet there was no fuss or hurry, the same leisurely old system was continued, and worked as well as ever. But it was not apparent why we were threading the tortuous and difficult waters of the Ir.dian Archipelago. No whales of any kind were seen for at least a month, although, from our leisurely mode of sailing, it was evident that they were looked for. An occasional native craft came alongside, desirous of bartering fish, which we did not want, being able lo catch ail we needed as readily almost as they were. Fruit and vegetables we could not get at such dis- tances from land, for the small canoes that lie in wait for passing ships do not of course venture far from home. CHAPTER XIII. OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS. Very tedious and trying was our passage northward, although every effort was made by the skipper to expedite it. Nothing of advantage to our cargo was seen for a long time, which, although apparently what was to be expected, did not improve Captain Slocum's temper. But, to the surprise of all, when we had arrived off the beautiful island of Hong Kong, to which we approached closely, we " raised " a grand sperm whale. Many their tra been mi devices b so admir the time perhaps, 1 anything ; we were j ture, who wary did impatient took the f one who ( delay. H not hitheri pooners co it had not was an id heing its darting gu harpoon, r I'lain harpt the paten thickening chamber fi pole, form aforesaid tube, and i flat bit of was held d enough to three or flanges at . the opposit a fo OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS, ^11 Many fishing-junks were in sight, busily plying their trade, and at any other time we should have been much interested in the quaint and cunning devices by which the patient, wily Chinaman succeeds so admirably as a fisherman. Our own fishing, for the time being, absorbed all our attention — the more, perhaps, that we had for so long been unable to do anything in that line. After the usual preliminaries, we were successful in getting fast to the great crea- ture, who immediately showed fight. So skilful and wary did he prove that Captain Slocum, growing impatient at our maneuvering with no result, hiiiiself took the field, arriving on the scene with the air of one who comes to see and conquer without more delay. He brought with him a weapon which 1 have not hitherto mentioned, because none of the har- pooners could be induced to use it, and consequently it had not been much in evidence."* Theorelically, it was an ideal tool for such work, its chief drawback being its cumbrousness. It wis known as " Pierce's darting gun," being a combination of bomb-gun and harpoon, capable of being darted at the whale like a plain harpoon. Its construction was simple ; indeed, the patent was a very old one. A tube of brass, thickening towards the butt, at which was a square chamber firmly welded to a socket for receiving the pole, formed the gun itself. Within the chamber aforesaid a nipple protruded from the base of the tube, and in line with it. The trigger was simply a flat bit of steel, like a piece of clock spri-ng, which was held down by the hooked end of a steel rod long enough to stick out beyond the muzzle of the gun three or four inches, and held in position by two flanges at the butt and muzzle of the barrel. On the opposite side of the tube were two more flanges, fill I I. > '\ ; f t •;!■; ■ If.j I; ' i\ Ill •t ;■' 156 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT,^ ■'Xi' m '%■ \i Blf !'■ ■ mv iiii l!"l ^ -^1 close together, into the holes of which was inserted the end of a specially made harpoon, having an eye twisted in its shank through which the whale line was spliced. The whole machine was fitted to a neat pole, and strongly secured to it by means of a " gun \ warp," or short piece of thin line, by which it could be hauled back into the boat after being darted at a whale. To prepare this weapon for use, the barrel was loaded with a charge of powder and a bomb similar to those used in the shoulder-guns, the point of which jusc protruded from the muzzle. An ordi- nary percussion cap was placed upon the nipple, and the trigger cocked by placing the trigger-rod in position. The harpoon, with the line attached, was firmly set into the socketed flanges prepared for it, and the whole arrangement was then ready to be darted at the ^vhale in the usual way. Supposing the aim to be good and the force sufficient, the harpoon would penetrate the blubber until the end of the trigger-rod was driven backwards by striking the blubber, releasing the trigger arid firing the gun. Thus the whale would be harpooned and bomb-lanced at the same time, and, supposing everything to work satis- factorily, very little more would be needed to finish him. But the weapon was so cumbersome and awk- ward, and the harpooners stood in such awe of it, that in the majority of cases the whale was either missed altogether or the harpoon got such slight hold that the gun did not go off, the result being generally disastrous. In the present case, however, the " Pierce " gun was in the hands of a man by no means nervous, and above criticism or blame in case of failure. So when he sailed in to the attack, and delivered his " swashing blow," the report of the gun was immediately heard, OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS, 157 proving conclusively that a successful stroke had been made. It had an instantaneous and astonishing effect. The sorely- wounded monster, with one tremendous expiration, rolled over and over swift as thought to- wards his aggressor, literally burying the boat beneath his vast bulk. Now, one would have thought surely, upon seeing this, that none of that boat's crew would ever have been seen again. Nevertheless, strange as it may appear, out of that seething lather of foam all six heads emerged again in an instant, but on the other side of the great creature. How any of them escaped instant violent death was, and from the nature of the case must ever remain, an unraveled mystery, for the boat was crumbled into innumerable fragments, and the three hundred fathoms of line, in a perfect maze of entanglement, appeared to be wrapped about the writhing trunk of the whale. Happily, there were two boats disengaged, so that they were able very promptly to rescue the sufferers from their perilous position in the boiling vortex of foam by which they were surrounded. Meanwhile the remaining boat had an easy task. The shot delivered by the captain had taken deadly effect, the bomb having entered the creature's side low down, directly abaft the pectoral fin. It must have exploded within the cavity of the bowels, from its position, causing such extensive in- juries as to make even that vast animal's death but a matter of a few moments. Therefore, we did not run any unnecessary risks, but hauled off to a safe dis- tance and quietly watched the death-throes. They were so brief, that in less than ten minutes from the time of the accident we were busy securing the line through the flukes of our prize. The vessel was an unusually long time working up I {- 1/ . ,: >' 'ii r ■: <1 \ fl. u ■J I m 158 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:' to us, so slow, in fact, that Mr. Count remarked, criti- cally, "Shouldn't wonder if th' ole man ain't hurt; they're taking things so all-fired easy." By the time she had reached us, we had a good few visitors around us from the fishing fleet, who caused us no little anxiety. The Chinese have no prejudices, they would just as soon steal a whale as a herring, if the conveyance could be effected without more trouble or risk to their own yellow skins. If it involved the killing of a few foreign devils — ^well, so much to the good. The ship, however, arrived before the fishermen had decided upon any active steps, and we got our catch alongside without any delay. The truth of Mr. Count's forecast was verified to the hilt, for we found that the captain was so badly bruised about the body that he was unable to move, while one of the hands, a Portuguese, was injured internally, and seemed very bad indeed. Had any one told us that morning that we should be sorry to see Captain Slo- cum with sore bones, we should have scoffed at the notion, and some of us would probably have said that we should like to have the opportunity of making him smart. But under the present circumstances, with some hundreds of perfectly ruthless wretches hovering around us, looking with longing eyes at the treasure we had alongside, we could not help remembering the courage and resource so often shown by the skipper, and wished with all our hearts that we could have the benefit of them now. As soon as dinner was over, we all "turned to" with a will to get the whale cut in. None of us required to be told that to lay all night with that whale alongside would be I extremely unhealthy for us, great doubt existing as toj whether any of us, would see morning dawn again. I'here was, too, just a possibility that when the carcass,! orders, anc overhead, among us, working fo What ! sayj Kong? 01 itself, if op the wharf ', sampan fror be hired. J before a wl book in hari ing a note c his leaving the job eith( and the chai I of value aboi are almost n So good w I were busy at wincihiss were the body. \ I ^^as severed j keeking flesh ^'G saw the p I converging uj ^ose high. I ^0 get in the managed to g OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS, 159 m stripped of its blubber, was cut adrift, those ravenous crowds would fasten upon it, and let us go in peace. All hands, therefore, worked like Trojans. There was no need to drive us, nor was a single harsh word spoken. Nothing was heard but the almost incessant clatter of the windlass pawls, abrupt monosyllabic orders, and the occasional melancholy wail of a gannet overhead. No word had been spoken on the subject among us, yet somehow we all realized that we were working for a large stake — no less than our lives. What ! says somebody, within a few miles of Hong Kong? Oh yes ; and even within Hong Kong harbor itself, if opportunity offers. Let any man go down the wharf at Hong Kong after sunset, and hail a sampan from the hundreds there that are waiting to be hired. Hardly will the summons have left his lips before a white policeman will be at his side, note- book in hand, inquiring his name and ship, and tak- ing a note of the sampan's number with the time of his leaving the wharf. Nothing perfunctory about the job either. .Let but these precautions be omitted, and the chances that the passenger (if he have aught of value about him) will ever arrive at his destination are almost nil. So good was the progress made that by five p.m. we were busy at the head, while the last few turns of the windlass were being taken to complete the skinning of the body. With a long pent-up shout that last piece was severed and swung inboard, as the huge mass of reeking flesh floated slowly astern. As it drifted away we saw the patient watchers who had been waiting converging upon it from all quarters, and our hopes rose high. But there was no slackening of our efforts to get in the head. By the time it was dark we managed to get the junk on board, and by the most il 'A I , I ' I II i t ■■:li \ IIP { '■ I) 9 ■>[ 111 l6o THE CRUISE OF THE ♦' CACHALOTS extraordinary efforts lifted the whole remainder of the head high enough to make sail and stand off to sea. The winti was off the land, the water smooth, and no swell on, so we took no damage from that tremendous weight surging by our side, though, had the worst come to the worst, we could have cut it adrift. When morning dawned we hove- to, the land being only dimly visible astern, and finished taking on board our *' head matter " without further incident. The danger past, we were all well pleased that the captain was below, for the work proceeded quite pleasantly under the genial rule of the mate. Since leaving port we had not felt so comfortable, the work, with all its disagreeables, seeming as nothing now that we could do it without fear and trembling. Alas for poor Jemmy ! — as we always persisted in calling him from inability to pronounce his proper name — his case was evidently hopeless. His fellows did their poor best to comfort his fast-fleeting hours, one after another murmuring to him the prayers of the Church, which, although they did not understand them, they evidently bdieved most firmly to have some marvelous power to open the gates of paradise and cleanse the sinner. Notwithstanding the grim fact that their worship was almost pure superstition, it was far more in accordance with the fitness of things lor a dying man's surround- ings than such scenes as I have witnessed in the fore- castles of merchant ships when poor sailors lay a- dying. I remember well once, when I was second officer of a large passenger ship, going in the fore- castle as she lay at anchor at St. Helena, to see a sick man. Half the crew were drunk, and the beastly kennel in which they lived was in a thick fog of tobacco-smoke and the stale stench of rum. Ribald songs, q pandenK it to the He had horror of mates mt Here, i while all i (not muc was done, afternoon end comi evening, j canvas, wi feet, was I gangway, j American the waist, i run up half The cap niate stepf Prayer bool immediatelj ^ow \i came over all. T note among brevet rank thought. Ij f^eath so oft( become dea of our numb }% be so inevitable fa of us were ab »»til we saw ti OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS. I6l songs, quarreling, and blasphemy made a veritable pandemonium of the place. I passed quietly through it to the sick man's bunk, and found him — dead 1 He had passed away in the midst of that, but the horror of it did not seem to impress his bemused ship- mates much. Here, at any rate, there was quiet and decorum, while all that could be done for the poor sufferer (not much, from ignorance of how he was injured) was done. He was released from his pain in the afternoon of the second day after the accident, the end coming suddenly and peacefully. The same evening, at sunset, the body, neatly sewn up in canvas, with a big lump of sandstone secured to the feet, was brought on deck, laid on a hatch at the gangway, and covered with the blue, star-spangled American Jack. Then all hands were mustered in the waist, the ship's bell was tolled, and the ensign ran up halfway. The captain was still too ill to be moved, so the mate stepped forward with a rusty old Common Prayer book in his hands, whereon my vagrant fancy immediately fastened in frantic endeavor to imagine how it came to be there. The silence of death was over all. True, the man was but a unit of no special note among us, but death had conferred upon him a brevet rank, in virtue of which he dominated every thought. It seemed strange to me that we who faced death so often and variously, until natural fear had become deadened by custom, should, now that one of our number lay a rapidly-corrupting husk before us, be so tremendously impressed by the simple, inevitable fact. I suppose it was because none of us were able to realize the immanence of Death until we saw his handiwork. Mr. Count opened the r 'f. ,' 1 \ "'\ li m ill ESsl .(if If '. !' ! n ml : ^' 1 I 162 rJ7E CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT,"* book, fumbling nervously among the unfamiliar leaves. Then he suddenly looked up, his weather-scarred face glowing a dull brick- red, and said, in a low voice, "This thing's too many fer me; kin any of ye do it? Ef not, I guess we'll hev ter take it as read." There was no response for a moment ; then I stepped for- ward, reaching out my hand for the book. Its con- tents were familiar enough to me, for in happy pre- arab days I had been a choiister in the old Lock Chapel, Harrow Road, and had borne my part in the service so often that I think even now I could repeat the greater part of it tnemoriter. Mr. Count gave it me without a word, and, trembling like a l6af, I turned to the " Burial Service," and began the majestic sentences, " I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord." I did not know my own voice as the wonderful words sounded clearly in the still air ; but if ever a small body of soul-hardened men felt the power of God, it was then. At the words, "We therefore commit his body to the deep," I paused, and, the mate making a sign, two of the harpooners tilted the hatch, from which the remains slid off into the unknown depths with a dull splash. Several of the dead man|s compatriots covered their faces, and murmured prayers for the repose of his soul, while the tears trickled through their horny fingers. But matters soon resumed their normal course ; the tension over, back came the strings of life into position again, to play the same old tunes and discords once more. The captured whale made an addition to our cargo of one hundred and ten barrels — a very fair haul in- deed. The harpooners were disposed to regard this capture as auspicious upon opening the north Pa- cific, where, in spite of the time we had spent, and the fair h we expec Our ne the "Co proved in whales in lieve that t in the Sou ZZ"" and 5 weather ar fishermen. It is son Japan grou should not the cold ci skirting the anese islanc the eastwai Archipelagc found in th of islands, y ward bend This wonde whale-ship, branch of t and Londoi of their nun before first the cachalo After the the favorite British, and from these t annually, toed atsc OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS. 163 the fair luck we had experienced in the Indian Ocean, we expected to make the chief portion of our cargo. Our next cruising-ground is known to whalemen as the " Coast ol Japan " ground, and has certainly proved in the past the most prolific fishery of sperm whales in the whole world. I am inclined now to be- lieve that there are more and larger cachalots to be found in the Southern Hemisphere, between the parallels of 33° and 50° South ; but there the drawback of heavy weather and mountainous seas severely handicaps the fishermen. It is somewhat of a misnomer to call the Coast of Japan ground by that name, since to be successful you should not sight Japan at all, but keep out of range of the cold current that sweeps right across the Pacific, skirting the Philippines, along the coasts of the Jap- anese islands as far as the Kuriles, and then returns to the eastward again to the southward of the Aleutian Archipelago. The greatest number of whales are always found in the vicinity of the Bonin and Volcano groups of islands, which lie in the eddy formed by the north- ward bend of the mighty current before mentioned. This wonderful ground was first < ruised by a London whale-ship, the Syreriy in 18 19, when the English branch of the sperm whale-fishery was in its prime, and London skippers were proud of the fact that one of their number, in the Emilia^ had thirty-one years before first ventured around Cape Horn in pursuit of the cachalot. After the advent of the Syren^ the Bonins became the favorite fishing-ground for both Americans and British, and for many years the catch of oil taken from these teeming waters averaged four thousand tuns annually. That the value of the fishery was main- tained at so high a level for over a quarter of a cen* ^ !■ -i ! , I Ml m \\S\ H ''it i • 1;; ' : ,! ., ■ 1 .'. ' il 164 Tff£ CRUISE OF THE ** CACffALOT** tury was doubtless due to the fact that there was a long, self-imposed close season, during which the whales were quite unmolested. Nothing in the migratory habits of this whale, so far as has ever been observed, would have prevented a profitable fishing all the year round ; but custom, stronger even than profit, ordained that whale-ships should never stay too long upon one fishing-ground, but move on farther until the usual round had been made, unless the vessel were filled in the meantime. Of course, there are whales whose habits lead them at certain seasons, for breeding purposes, to frequent various groups of islands, but the cachalot seems to be quite impartial in his preferences ; if he " uses " around certain waters, he is just as likely to be found there in July as January. The Bonins, too, form an ideal calling-place, from the whaling captain's point of view. Peel Island, the principal one of the cluster, has a perfect harbor in Port Lloyd, where a vessel cannot only lie in comfort, sheltered from almost every wind that blows, but where provisions, wood, and water are plentiful. There (s no inducement, or indeed room, for desertion, and the place is healthy. It is • colonized by Japs from the kingdom so easily reached to the westward, and the busy little people, after their manner, make a short stay very agreeable. Once clear of the southern end of Formosa we had quite a rapid run to the Bonins, carrying a press of I sail day and night, as the skipper was anxious to arrive there on account of his recent injuries. He was still very lame, and he feared that some damage might] have been done to him of which he was ignorant. Besides, it was easy to see that he did not altogether! like anybody else being in charge ot nis ship, no matter! how g( made t clearing islands richest j into a th tain torr all comp canic, an crater of convulsic estate lov I have is no dot nerve as w and the were so b sage in it I getting sti ing coral i ever, and three othei were the 1 of Provide New Bedf had yet see felt to mee and exchan get some n concerned, Jty of the sc isolated hac The sails of the ships pers on boa OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS. i6s how good they were. Such was the expedition we made that we arrived at Port Lloyd twelve days after clearing up our last whale. Very beautiful indeed the islands appeared, with their bold, steep sides clad in richest green, or, where no vegetation appeared, worn into a thousand fantastic shapes by the sea or the moun- tain torrents carving away the lava of which they were all composed. Foi: the whole of the islands were vol- canic, and Port Lloyd itself is nothing more than the crater of a vast volcano, which in some tremendous convulsion of nature has sunk from its former high estate low enough to become a haven for ships. I have said that it was a perfect harbor, but there is no doubt that getting in or out requires plenty of nerve as well as seamanship. There was so little room, and the eddying flaws of wind under the high land were so baffling, that at various times during our pas- sage in it appeared as if nothing could prevent us from getting stuck upon some of the adjacent hungry-look- ing coral reefs. Nothing of the kind happened, how- ever, and we came comfortably to an anchor near three other whaleships which were already there. They were the Diego Ramirez^ of Nantucket ; the CoroneX of Providence, Rhode Island ; and the Grampus^ of New Bedford. These were the first whale-ships we had yet seen, and it may be imagined how anxious we felt to meet men with whom we could compare notes and exchange yams. It might be, too, that we should get some news of that world which, as far as we were concerned, might as well have been at the other extrem- ity of the solar system for the last year, so completely isolated had we been. The sails were hardly fast before a boat from each of the ships was alongside with their respective skip- pers on board. The extra exertion necessary to pilot ;'f li nl 4 t^!l % :■! .;•:; .1 I i %i ^ *i ^ l66 TWi? CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:* the ship in had knocked the old man up, in his present weak state, and he had gone below for a short rest ; so the three visitors dived down into the stuflFy cabin, all anxious to interview the latest comer. Considerate always, Mr. Count allowed us to have the remainder of the day to ourselves, so we set about entertaining our company. It was no joke twelve of them coming upon us all at once, and babel ensued for a short time. They knew^ the system too well to expect refresh- ments, so we had not to apologize for having nothing to set before them. They had not come, however, for meat and drink, but for talk. And talk we did, sometimes altogether, sometimes rationally ; but I doubt whether any of us had ever enjoyed talking so much before. CHAPTER XIV. , UBERIT DAY ^AND AFTER. There is generally current among seamen a notion that all masters of ships are bound by law to give their crews twenty-four hours' liberty and a portion of their wages to spend every three months, if they are in port. I have never heard any authority quoted for this, and do not know what foundation there is for such a belief, although the practise is usually adhered to in English ships. But American whale- ships apparently know no law, except the will of their commanders, whose convenience is always the first consideration. Thus, we had now been afloat for well ovei' a ye ing excui tainly kn( Our pr to desert with subsi to the off< would be the port V twenty-fiv( beach to e didn't knc town and \ men, wher a portion ( smell of wl dividual sic one could \ ashore lasti fortunate ei man who " knew the gated black he was cert took me inl were such Wonderful into innumi shores, hollc ^arge enou^ familiar wit their queer we got some fashion, /. e. the friendly LIBERTY DA Y—AND AFTER, 167 ovCi" a year, during which time, except for our forag' ing excursions at the Cocos and Aldabra, we had cer- tainly known no Hberty for a whole day. Our present port being one where it was impossible to desert without the certainty of prompt recapture, witb subsequent suffering altogether disproportionate to the offense, we were told that one watch at a time would be allowed their liberty for a day. So we of the port watch made our simple preparations, received twenty-five cents each, and were turned adrift on the beach to enjoy ourselves. We had our liberty, but we didn't know what to do with it. There was a native town and a couple of lov/ groggeries kept by China- men, where some of my shipmates promptly invested a portion of their wealth in some horrible liquor, the smell of which was enough to make an ordinary in- dividual sick. There was no place apparently where one could get a meal, so that the prospect of our stay ashore lasting a day did not seem very great. I was fortunate enough, however, to foregather with a Scotch- man who was a beach-comber, and consequently " knew the ropes." I dare say he was an unmiti- gated blackguard whenever he got the chance, but he was certainly on his best behavior with me. He took me into the country a bit to see the sights, which were such as most of the Pacific islands afford. Wonderful indeed were the fantastic rocks, twisted into innumerable grotesque shapes, and, along the shores, hollowed out into caverns of all sizes, some large enough to shelter an army. He was quite familiar with the natives, understanding enough of their queer lingo to get along. By his friendly aid we got some food— yams, and fish cooked in native fashion, 1. e. in heated holes in the ground, for wliich the friendly Kanakas would take no payment, although t;f ' ^ 1^ f>' I m l68 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT: W % %i % ii they looked murderous enough to be cannibals. It does not do to go by looks always. Well, after a long ramble, the Scotchman and I laid our weary bodies down in the shade of a big rock, and had a grand sleep, waking up again a little before sunset. We hastened down to the beach off the town, where all my watchmates were silting in a row, like lost sheep, waiting to be taken on board again. They had had enough of liberty ; indeed, such liberty as that was hardly worth having. It seems hardly credible, but we were actually glad to get on board again, it was so miserable ashore. The natives were most unsociable at the port, and we could not make ourselves understood, so there was not much fun to be had. Even those who were inclined to drink had too little for a spree, which I was not sorry for, since doubtless a very unpleasant reception would have awaited them had they come on board drunk. Next day the starboard watch went on liberty, while we who had received our ghare were told off to spend the day wooding and watering. In this most pleasant of occupations (when the weather is fine) I passed a much more satisfactory time than when wandering about with no objective, an empty pocket, and a hungry belly. No foremast hand has ever enjoyed his opportunities of making the acquaintance of his various visiting places more than 1 have ; but the circumstances attendant upon one's leave must be a little favorable, or I would much rather stay aboard and fish. Our task was over for the day, a goodly stoie of wood and casks of water having been shipped. We were sitting down to supper, when, in answer to a hail from the beach, we were ordered to fetch the liberty men. When we got to them, there was a pretty how-d'ye-do? AU of them were more or less drun Mistah Jo like a maj you could ya-hooing shoulder-o forsaken tl were abusi filthy langi] timents are ity, and rej uncalled fo that the gi| got one. Goliath s ing the fierc the beach, 1 ^is moveme had beachec strides was Further parL est of them ] hand, anothe himself back interveners ri of rock caugl to the groun Mened beyonc the prostrate bife-blade ai with the tille I rushed to th jgiant had hea^ I'^eapons than lexecution am '' '. "1 LIBERTY DA Y—AND AFTER. 169 less drunk, some exceedingly quarrelsome. Now, Mistah Jones was steering our boat, looking as little like a man to take sauce from a drunken sailor as you could imagine. Most of the transformed crowd ya-hooing on the beach had felt the weight of his shoulder-of-mutton fist, yet so utterly had prudence forsaken them that, before we came near them they were abusing him through all the varied gamut of filthy language they possessed. My democratic sen- timents are deeply seated, but I do believe in author- ity, and respect for it being rigidly enforced, ^^o this uncalled for scene upset me, making me feel anxious that the gibbering fools might get a lesson. They got one. Goliath stood like a tower, his eyes alone betray- ing the fierce anger boiling within. When we touched the beach, his voice was mild and gentle as a child's, his movements calm and deliberate. As soon as we had beached the boat he stepped ashore, and in two strides was in the middle of the snarling group. Further parley ceased at once. Snatching liie loud- est of them by the breast of his shirt w>th his right hand, another one by the collar with his left, he ii ung himself backwards towards the boat, knocking the interveners right and left. But a protiuding fragment of rock caught his heel, bringing him with his captives to the ground in a writhing mass. The rest, mad- Idened beyond restraint of fear, flung themselves upon the prostrate man, the glimmer of more than o\\^ knife-blade appearing. Two of us from the boat — one with the tiller, the other brandishing a paddle — mshed to the rescue ; but before we arrived the giant had heaved off his assailants, and, with no other weapons than his bare hands, was doing terrific lexecution among them. Not knowing, 1 suppose, ; !i**8 W \ '■"'. ': 'ill !f i" m ! 170 THE CRUTSE OF THE ''CACHALOrr whether we were friendly to him or not, he shouted to us to keep away, nor dare to interfere. There was no need. Disregarding such trifles as a few superfi- cial cuts — not feeling them perhaps — he so unmerci- fully mauled that crowd that they howled again for mercy. The battle was brief and bloody. Before hostilities had lasted five minutes, six of the aggressors were stretched insensible ; the rest, comprising as many more, were pleading for mercy, completely sober. Such prowess on the part of one man against twelve seems hardly credible ; but it must be remem- bered that Goliath fought, with all the moral force of the ship's officers behind him, against a disorgan- ized crowd without backbone, who would never have dared to face him but for the temporary mania induced by the stuff they had drunk. It was a con- flict between a lion and a troop of jackals, whereof the issue was never in doubt as long as lethal weapons were wanting. Standing erect among the cowering creatures, the I great negro looked every inch a medieval hero. In a stern voice he bade his subjugated enemies to get into the boat, assisting those to do so who were tooj badly hurt to rise. Then we shoved off for the ship- a sorrowful gang indeed. As I bent to my oar, I felt very sorry for what had! happened. Here were half the crew guilty of an aci[ of violence upon an officer, which, according to the severe code under which we lived, merited punishj ment as painful as could be inflicted, and lasting foj the rest of the voyage. Whatever form that punisli ment might take, those of us who were innocen would be almost equally sufferers with the other| because discrimination in the treatment betweel watch and watch is always difficult, aad in ou case Exce expe< very abrup were i aged t boat u As s but we nions 1 doubJe from th ed to ( explanai order w£ I havi between even one opinion c Bering na on board have tdki junior offi of course, "ot be slo' ofl^cer's ca feminine s the captaii will the crc But in a remains an every man, sicippers ha^ to ^row sau( li'i 'f ^/^^;prKz>^K-^^^ ^AT-^^. case it was certnin tu . • '^^ '^' Except as ZZt^sicZlt^ "- ■>« attempted expect to share alike i?„i?'^"''^' '"^ might all ve-y unpleasant. M^ ^"ot'-'^'^^'^ """£» Lke" abruptly terminated bv fh^i ,^ cogitations „ere '^ere alongside. Whow °'''^'u '°"«nrow"-^e fged to scramble o^ botrd T/"'"' ^" l^^"* man! boat up. °" """"J. and assist in hoisting Ihe but^'^eTd Wdfy g'SoTb r *'"'' -ayfonvard, «ons from Goliitfbrotlt ul°'^'''f'"^"'^°"''•'"m double quick. Most of nS^f "^^ again at the f;.0"> the ship, so that but a mS '"'' '^^» «'"°^^ed ed to explain how or h^v TZ °' '^° '^"^ "^ed- explanation had been l. .• ", ^^'m. Directiv that order was issufd fo'the'Sl';' *'''''^'' J'°"«^ *« ^ I have before noticed h" , ° f^P^^''- between the sicippera^fli^^'^ 'J^e '°-^vva. 'ost even once gone so far a» t^ omcers, Goliath havine opinion of hisabou tthr-olf m.,"" V^^>' ^™P''a"c tering nature. And had s,^h ""^ '' "ost unflat- on board an Enghsh shph?'"'^ °' "^'"g^ existed ^ave taKen charge, for thev tf. Tfl "■°"''' «i'np'y Jun.or officers flouted snubbed °n^ •'^"''^ ^^^" 'he of course, what they aw "he c^n 'T^'^ ""' ' a"d. not be slow to improve on W? ^'" ^°' ^^ey would officer's career has^ee„ Wighfed r'''''-°""'''"^^°""« emmme spite of a foolish man un.h, ^ """^ ''^ ">l the captain shows no resnect ,n u L° '^^ '^at if B^TTnT ''.^«^-- eifhe?;' °'''^^"' -'*- remains an office"' h? n^^sf' bT t'°"f." ^" "^-^ every man, under p;in of "roLnf '^?'' "^ ^'^^^ by sk.ppers have far too l^k^JT'f,'''''''- Yankee •o Po. saucy in conseq^t^e^Sr ItSe^ H II ':ir I fl , 1 - h.:.... ■:i! 172 T//£ CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:* after-guard. So now a sort of court-martial was held upon the unfortunates who had dared to attack Goliath, at which that sable hero might have been the apple of Captain Slocum's eye, so solicitous was he of Mistah Jones' honor and the reparation to be made. This sort of thing was right in his line. Naturally cruel, he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself in the prospect of making human beings twist and writhe in pain. Nor would he be balked of a jot of his pleasure. Goliath approached him, and muttered a few words. meant, I felt sure, to appease him by letting him know how much they had suffered at his strong hands : l)iit he turned upon the negro with a savage curse, bid- ding him be silent. Then every one of the culj'iils was stripped, and secured to the lash-rail by tlio wrists ; scourges were made of cotton fish-line^ knotted at intervals, and secured to a stout handle ; the hai- pootiers were told off as executioners, and the flog- ging began. Perhaps it was necessary for the main- tenance of discipline — certainly it was trivial compared with the practise, till recently, in our own army and navy ; but I am glad to say that, compelled to witness it, I felt quite sick — physically sick — trembling so in every limb that my legs -would not support me. It was not fear, ^or T had nothing to fear had I been ever such a «:oward. Whatever it was, I am not sorry either io have felt it or to own it, even while I fully admit that for some forms of wickedness nothing but the lash seems adequate punishment. j Some of the victims fainted, not being in the best condition at the outset for undergoing so severe a trial; but all were treated alike, buckets of salt water being flung over them. This drastic reviver, while adding to their pain, brought them all into a state of 1 sufficien leased, bravado able obje bear fron entertain Having and fresh again for could hoj utterly de affected t\ the skippe constant d of affairs. Whether h on the part not say, bu into his at kept everyfc Hitherto we were no men empIo> general idea is the same some individ to say, are a ship. Wher ground, then as keen on tl considerable " raise " wha! But for a V pus or so, a f lean humpba< LIBERTY DAY— AND AFTER, 173 sufficient stctivity to get forward when they were re- leased. Smarting and degraded, all their temporary bravado effectually banished, they were indeed piti- able objects, their deplorable state all the harder to bear from its contrast to our recent pleasure when we entertained the visiting crews. Having completed our quantum of wood, water, and fresh provisions for the officers, we got under way again for the fishing grounds. I did not see how we could hope for a successful season, knowing the utterly despondent state of the crew, which even affected the officers, who, not so callous or cruel as the skipper, seemed to be getting rather tired of the constant drive and kick, now the normal condition of affairs. But the skipper's vigilance was great. Whether he noted any sign of slackness or indifference on the part of his coadjutors or not, of course I can- not say, but he certainly seemed to put more vigor into his attentions than had been his wont, and so kept everybody up to the mark. Hitherto we had always had our fishing to ourselves ; we were now to see something of the ways of other men employed in the same manner. For though the general idea or plan of campaign against the whales is the same in all American whalers, every ship has some individual peculiarity of tactics, which, needless to say, are always far superior to those of any other ship. When we commenced our cruise on this new ground, there were seven whalers in sight, all quite as keen on the chase as ourselves, so that I anticipated considerable sport of the liveliest kind should we " raise " whales ■• ith such a fleet close at hand. But for a whole week we saw nothing but a gram- pus or so, a few loitering finbacks, and an occasional lean humpback bull certainly not worth chasing. On I' ■ -. , .r 174 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS the seventh afternoon, however, I was in the main crow's-nest with the chief, when I noticed a ship to windward of us alter her course, keeping away three or four points on an angle that would presently bring her across our bows a good way ahead. I was getting pretty well versed in the tricks of the trade now, so I kept mum, but strained my eyes in the direction for which the other ship was steering. The chief was looking astern at some finbacks, the lookout men forward were both staring to leeward, thus for a minute or so I had a small arc of the horizon to my- self. The time was short, but it sufficed, and for the first time that voyage I had the privilege of " raising" a sperm whale. My voice quivered with excitement as I uttered the war-whoop, " Ah blo-o o-o-w ! " Round spun the mate on his heel, while the hands clustered like bees roused from their hive. " Where away — where?" gasped the mate. And I pointed to a spot about half a point on the lee bow, at the same time calling his attention to the fact that tlie stranger to windward was keeping av/ay. In answer to the skipper's hurried queries from below, Mr. Count gave him the general outline of affairs, to which he replied j by crowding every switch of canvas on the vessel that| Was available. The spout I had seen was a good ten miles off,! and, for the present, seemed to belong to a " lone"' whale, as it was the only one visible. There vv^s ai good breeze blowing, as much, in fact, as we couldl carry all sail to, the old barky making a tremendousj commotion as she blundered along under the unusiiaj press of canvas. In the excitement of the race alj our woes were forgotten ; we only thought of th^ possibility of the ship getting there first. We drev gradually nearer to the stranger, who. like us, waj carryii a poin It ^ heard as he ( sounde weathe tage to then sh momen ship wa noted < " smelt Waiting exciting two oth( strung u] when fro "There j a mile av the water such thir Splash! ; Out we si not the sli well as th( a mile awj sails up, b to pull wh] By the boats were were now ( We fairly drenched v more keen] LIBERTY DA Y-^AND AFTER, '75 I 'f carrying all the sail he had got, but, being able to go a point or two free, was outsailing us. It was anybody's race as yet, though, when we heard the skipper's hail, " 'Way down from aloft ! " as he came up to take our place. The whale had sounded, apparently heading to leeward, so that the weather-gage held by our rival was not much advan- tage to him now. We ran on for another two miles, then shortened sail, and stood by to lower away the moment he should reappear. Meanwhile another ship was working up from to leeward, having evidently noted our movements, or else, like the albatross, " smelt whale," no great distance to windward of him. Waiting for that whale to rise was one of the most exciting experiences we had gone through as yet, with two other ships so near. Everybody's nerves seemed strung up to concert pitch, and it was quite a relief when from half a dozen throats at once burst the cry, "There she white-waters! Ah blo-o-o-o-w ! " Not a mile away, dead to leeward of us, quietly beating the water with the flat of his flukes, as if there was no such thing in the watery world as a whale-ship. Splash ! almost simultaneously went the four boats. Out we shot from the ship, all on our mettle ; for was not the skipper's eye upon us from his lofty eerie, as well as the crew of the other ship, now not more than a mile away? We seemed a terrible time getting the ' sails up, but the officers dared not risk our willingness to pull while they could be independent of us. By the time we were fairly off, the other ship's boats were coming like the wind, so that eight boats were now converging upon the unconscious monster. We fairly flew over the short, choppy sea, getting drenched with the flying spray, but looking out far more keenly at the other boats than at the whale i ii II i I I ; 1 i: 1 M 'I :nl 1:1 ii / 176 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* III. ' ^ iii ir"5' ''H ii'i'i • \\ wX'i m Up we came to him, Mr. Count's boat 10 the left, the other mate's boat io the right. Almost at the same moment the irons flew from the hands of the rival harpooners ; but while ours was buried to the hitches in the whale's side, the other man's just plowed up the skin on the animal's back, as it passed over him and pierced our boat close behind the harpooner's leg. Not seeing what had happened to his iron, or knowing that we were fast, the other harpooner promptly hurled his second iron, which struck solidly. It was a very pretty tangle, but our position was rather bad. The whale between us was tearing the bowels of the deep up in his rage and fear ; we were strug- gling frantically to get our sail down; and at any moment that wretched iron through our upper strake might tear a plank out of us. Our chief, foaming at the mouth with rage and excitement, was screeching inarticulate blasphemy at the other mate, who, not knowing what was the matter, was yelling back all his copious vocabulary of abuse. I felt very glad the whale was between us, or there would surely have been murder done. At last, out drops the iron, leaving a jagged hole you could put your arm through. \\'asn't Mr. Count mad ? I rea'ly thought he would split with rage, for it was impossible for us to go on wit'n that hole in our bilge. The second mate came along- side and took our line as the whale was just commenc- ing to sound, thus setting us free. We made at once for the other ship's " fast " boat, and the compliments that had gone before were just casual conversation to what filled the air with dislocated language now. Presently both the champions cooled down a bit from want of breath, and we got our case stated. It was received with a yell of derision from the other side as a splendid effort of lying on our part; because the LIBERTY DAY^AND AFTER, T77 first ship fast claims the whale, and such a prize as this one we were quarreling about was not to be tamely yielded. : However, as '•eason asserted her sway over Mr. Count, he quieted down, knowing full well that th; state of the line belonging to his rival would revc:.! the truth when the whale rose agiin. Therefore \\-..' returned to the ship, leaving our '^e boats busy waiting the whale's pleasure to rise , ^am. When the skipper heard what had happened, he had his own boat manned, proceeding himself to the battle-field ill expectation of complications presently. By the time he arrived upon the scene there were two more boats lying by, which had come up from the third ship, mentioned as working up from to leeward. "Pretty fine ground this's got ter be ? " growled the old man. " Cain't strike whale *thout bein' crowded eout uv yer own propputty by a gang ov bunco steerers like this. Shall hev ter quit it, en keep a pawnshop." And still the whale kept going steadily down, down, down. Already he was on the second boat's lines, and taking them out faster than ever. Had we been alone, this persistence on his part, though annoying, would not have mattered much ; but, with so many others in company, the possibilities of complication, should we need to slip our end, were numerous. The ship kept near, and Mr. Count, seeing how matters were going, had hastily patched his boat, returning at once with another tub of line. He was but just in time to bend on, when to our great delight we saw the end slip from our rival's boat. This in no wise terminated his lien on the whale, supposing he could prove that he struck first, but it got him out of the way for the time. II » .. I. , h . "''■ '*■ ■'■ fii W \t 1^ ■> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I I^|2j8 |25 ■^ Cii 12.2 L25 iu I^iolDgFaphic Sciences Corporation 23 WKT MAIN STRUT WIUTM,N.Y. MSW (71d)t73-4S03 178 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT,^* Meanwhile we were running line faster than ever. There was an enormous length attached to the animal now — some twelve thousand feet — the weight of which was very great, to say nothing of the many " drogues " or " stopwaters " attached to it at inter- vals. Judge, then, of my surprise when a shout of "Blo-0-0 w ! " called my attention to the whale him- self just breaking water about half a mile away. It was an awkward predicament ; for if we let go our end, the others would be on the whale immediately ; if we held on, we should certainly be dragged below in a twinkling ; and our disengaged boats could do nothing, for they had no line. But the difficulty soon settled itself. Out ran our end, leaving us bare of line as pleasure skiffs. The newcomer, who had been prowling near, keeping a close watch upon us, saw our boat jump up when released from the weight. Off he flew like an arrow to the laboring leviathan, now a " free fish," except for such claims as the two first comers had upon it, which claims are legally assessed, where no dispute arises. In its disabled condition, dragging so enormous a weight of line, it was but a few minutes before the fresh boat was fast, while we looked on helplessly, boiling with impotent rage. All that we could now hope for was the salvage of some of our line, a mile and a half of which, in- extricably mixed up ^ith about the same length of our rival's was towing astern of the fast-expiring cachalot. So great had it been the strain upon that hardly- used animal that he did not go into his usual " flurry," but calmly expired without the faintest struggle. In the meantime two of our boats had been sent on board again to work the ship, while the skipper proceeded to try his luck ia the recovery of his gear. On arriv- was no our old discourn At hs affairs h, and retu had by t line eacl leaving t whale, tl What the Nan but I da] New Bee LIBERTY DAY^AND AFTER. 179 ing at the dead whale, however, we found that he had rolled over and over beneath the water so many times that the line was fairly f rapped round him, and the / present possessors were in no mood to allow us the privilege of unrolling it. During the conversation we had drawn very near the carcass, so near, in fact, that one hand was hold- ing the boat alongside the whale's " small " by a bight of the line. I suppose the skipper's eagle eye must have caught sight of the trailing part of the line streaming beneath, for suddenly he plunged over- board, reappearing almost immediately with the line in his hand. He scrambled into the boat with it, cutting it from the whale at once, and starting his boat's crew hauling in. Then there was a hubbub again. The captain of the Narragansett^ our first rival, protested vigorously against our monopoly of the line ; but in grim silence • our skipper kept on, taking no notice of him, while we steadily hauled. Unless he of the Narragansett, choose to fight for what he considered his rights, there was no help for him. And there was something in our old man's appearance eminently calculated to discourage aggression of any kind. At last, disgusted apparently with the hopeless turn affairs had taken, the Narragansetf s boats drew off and returned on board their ship. Two of our boats had by this time accumulated a mountainous coil of line each, with which we returned to our own vessel, leaving the skipper to visit the present holder of the whale, the skipper of ih^John Hampden. What arrangements they made, or how they settled the Narragansetf s claim between them, I never knew, but I dare say there was a costly lawsuit about it in New Bedford years after. -^ il ■ ,:, 1 ''\ m ^1 '1 < I l8o THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTS This was not very encouraging for a start, nor did the next week see us do any better. Several times we saw other ships with whales alongside, but we got no show at all. Now, I had hoped a great deal from our cruise on these grounds, because I had heard whispers of a visit to the icy Sea of Okhotsk, and the [jiospect was to me a horrible one. I never did take any stock in Arctic work. But if we made a good season on the Japan grounds, we should not go north, but gradually work down the Pacific again, on the other side, cruising as we went. Day after day went by without any fresh capture or even sight of fish, until I began to believe that the stories I had heard of the wonderful fecundity of the Coast of Japan waters were fables without foundation, in fact. Had I known what sort of fishing our next bout would be, I should not have been so eager to sight whales again. If this be not a platitude of the worst kind, I don't know the meaning of the word*; but, after all, platitudes have their uses, especially when you want to state a fact baldly. man anti< CHAPTER XV. i WHICH COMES UNCOMFORTABLY NEAR BEING THE LAST. Mj • All unversed as I am in the finer shades of literary craftsmanship, there is great uncertainty in my mind whether it is good or bad " art " to anticipate your next chapter by foreshadowing its contents; but whether good or bad art, the remembrance of my WHICH COMES NEAR BEING THE LAST, i8l miseries on the eventful occasion I wish to describe was so strong upon me as I wrote the last few lines of the previous chapter that I just had to let those few words leak out. Through all the vicissitudes of this strange voyage I had hitherto felt pretty safe, and as the last thing a man anticipates (if his digestion is all right) is the possibility of coming to grief himself, while fully pre- pared to see everybody else go under, so I had got to think that whoever got killed I was not to be — a very pleasing sentiment, and one that carries a man far, enabling him to face dangers with a light heart which otherwise would make a nerveless animal of him. In this optimistic mood, then, I gaily flung myself into my place in the mate's boat one morning, as we were departing in chase of a magnificent cachalot that had been raised just after breakfast. There were no other vessels in sight — much to our satisfaction — the wind was light, with a cloudless sky, and the whale was dead to leeward of us. We sped along at a good rate towards our prospective victim, who was, in his leisurely enjoyment of life, calmly lolling on the surface, occasionally lifting his enormous tail out of water and letting it fall flat upon the surface with a boom audible for miles. We were, as usual, first boat; but, much to the mate's annoyance, when we were a short half-mile from the whale, our main-sheet parted. It became immediately necessary to roll the sail up, lest its flap- ping should alarm the watchful monster, and this de- layed us sufficiently to allow the other boats to shoot ahead of us. Thus the second mate got fast some seconds before we arrived on the scene, seeing which we furled sail, imshipped the mast, and went in on l82 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT,"* him with the oars only. At first the proceedings were quite of the usual character, our chief wielding his lance in most brilliant fashion, while not being fa.st to the animal allowed us much greater freedom in our evolutions; but that fatal habit of the mate's— of allowing his boat to take care of herself so long as he was getting in some good home-thru&ts — once more asserted itself. Although the whale was exceedingly vigorous, churning the sea into yeasty foam over an enormous area, there we wallowed close to him, right in the middle of the turmoil, actually courting disas- ter. He had just settled down for a moment, when, glancing over the gunwale, I saw his tail, like a vast shadow, sweeping away from us towards the second mate, who was laying off the other side of him. Be- fore I had time to think, the mighty mass of gristle leapt into the sunshine, curved back from us like a huge bow. Then with a roar it came at us, released j from its tension of Heaven knows how many tons. Full on the broadside it struck us, sending every soul but me flying out of the wreckage as if fired from catapults. I did not go because my foot was jammed somehow in the well of the boat, but the wrench nearly pulled my thigh-bone out of its socket. I had hardly released my foot, when, towering above me, came the colossal head of the great creature, as he plowed through the bundle of debris that had just been a boat. There was an appalling roar of water in my ears, and darkness that might be felt all around. Yet, in the midst of it all, one thought predominated as clearly as if I had been turning it over in my mindl in the quiet of my bunk aboard — " What if he shouldl swallow me?'* Nor to this day can I understand! how I escaped the portals of his gullet,^ which ofl WHICH COMES NEAR BEING THE LAST, 183 course gaped wide as a church door. But the agony of holding my breath soon overpowered every other feeling and thought, till just as something was going to snap inside my head I rose to the surface. I was surrounded by a welter of bloody froth, which made it impossible for me to see ; but oh, the air was sweet I I struck out blindly, instinctively, although I could feel so strong an eddy that voluntary progress was out of the question. My hand touched and clung to a rope, which immediately towed me in some direc- tion — I neither knew nor cared whither. Soon the motion ceased, and, with a seaman's instinct, I began to haul myself alonp by the rope I grasped, although no definite idea was in my mind as to where it was attached. Presently I came butt up against some- thing solid, the feel of which gathered all my scattered wits into a compact knub of dread. It was the whale ! "Any port in a storm," I murmured, beginning to haul away again on my friendly line. By dint of hard work I pulled myself right up the sloping, slippery bank of blubber, until I reached the iron, which, as luck would liave it, was* planted in that side of the carcass now uppermost. Carcass I said — well, certainly I \ had no idea of there being any life remaining within the vast mass beneath me ; yet I had hardly time to take a couple of turns round myself with the rope (or whale-line, as I had proved it to be), when I felt the great animal quiver all over, and begin to forge ahead. I was now composed enough to remember that help could not be far away, and that my rescue, providing that I could keep above water, was but a question of a few minutes. But I was hardly pre- pared for the whale's next move. Being very near his ead« the boat or boats, lud drawn off a bit, I supposed. ( > f '1 ; f f. i 1 i l!| I , 1S4 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT"* for I could see nothing of them. Then I reraembered the flurry. Almost at the same moment it began-, and there was 1, who with fearful admiration had so often watched the titanic convulsions of a dying cachalot, actually involved in them. The turns were off my body, but I was able to twist a couple of turns round my arms, which, in case of his sounding, I could readily let go. Then all was lost in roar and rush, as of the heart of some mighty cataract, during which I was some- times above, sometimes beneath, the water, but al- ways clinging, with every ounce of energy still left, to the line. Now, one thought was uppermost — " What if he should breach? " I had seen them do so when in flurry, leaping full twenty feet in the air. Then I prayed. Quickly as all the preceding changes had passed came perfect peace. There I lay, still alive, but so weak that, although I could feel the turns slipping off my arms, and knew that I should slide off the slope of the whale's side into the sea if they did, I could make no effort to secure myself. Everything then passed away from me, just as if I had gone to sleep. I do not at all understand how I kept my position, nor how long, but I awoke to the blessed sound of voices, and saw the second mate's boat alongside. Very gently and tenderly they lifted me into the boat, although I could hardly help screaming with agony when they touched me, so bruised and broken up did I feel. My arms must have been nearly torn from their sockets, for the strands of the whale-line had cut deep into their flesh with the strain upon it, while my thigh was swollen enormously from the blow I received at the onset. Mr. Cruce was the most surprised man I think I ever saw. For full ten WHICH COMES NEAR BEING THE LAST. 185 minutes he stared at me with wide-open eyes. When at last he spoke, it was with difficulty, as if wanting words to express his astonishment. At last he blurted out, " Whar you bin all de time, ennyhaow? 'Cawse ef you bin hangin' on to dat ar wale ev' sence you boat smash, w'y de debbil you hain't all ter bits, hey? '* I smiled feebly, but was too weak to talk, and pres- ently went off again into a dead faint. When I recovered, I was snug in my bunk aboard, but aching in every joint, and as sore as if I had been pounded with a club until I was bruised all over. During the day Mr. Count was kind enough to pay me a visit. With his usual luck, he had escaped without the slightest injury ; neither was any other member of the boat's crew the worse for the ducking but myself. He told me that the whale was one of the largest he had ever seen, and as fat as butter. The boat was an entire loss, so completely smashed to pieces that noth- ing of her or her gear had been recovered. After spending about a quarter of an hour wiih me, he left I me considerably cheered up, promising to look aft^r I me in the- way of food, and also to send rae soui< ^ books. He told me that I need not worry myself about my inability to be at work, because the old man was not unfavorably disposed towards me, which piece I of news gave me a great deal of comfort. When my poor, weary shipmates came below from I their heavy toil of cutting in, they were almost in- clined to be envious of my comfort — small blame to them — though I would gladly have taken my place among them again, could I have got rid of my hurts. iBut I was condemned to lie there for nearly three [weeks before I was able to get about once more. In Iray sleep I would undergo the horrible anticipation lof sliding down that awful, cavernous mouth over 11. 'f L ^i ,x% ■hi i86 THE CRUISE OF THE ** CACHALOT:* it' I': again, often waking with a shriek, and drenched with sweat. While I lay there, three whales were caught, all small cows, and I was informed that the skipper was getting quite disgusted with the luck. At last I managed to get on deck, quite a different-looking man to when I went below, and feeling about ten years older. I found the same sullen quiet reigning that I had noticed several times before when we were un- fortunate. I fancied that the skipper looked more morose and savage than ever, though of me, to my great relief, he took not the slightest notice. The third day after my return to duty we sighted whales again. We lowered three boats as promptly as usual ; but when within about half a mile of the " pod " some slight noise in one of the boats gallied them, and away they went in the wind's eye, it blow- ing a stiffish breeze at the time. It was from the first evidently a hopeless task to chase them, but we per- severed until recalled to the ship, dead beat with fatigue. I was not sorry, for my recent adventure seemed to have made quite a coward of me, so much so that an unpleasant gnawing at the pit of my stomach as we neared them almost made me sick. I earnestly hoped that so inconvenient a feeling would speedily leave me, or I should be but a poor creature in a boat. In passing, I would like to refer to the wonderful way in which these whales realize at a great distance, if the slightest sound be made, the presence of danger. I do not use the word " hear," because so abnormally small are their organs of hearing, the external open ing being quite difficult to find, that 1 do not believe j they can hear at all well. But I firmly believe they possess another sense by means of which they are able air or sea possible f( be which quainted most elalx to a whale Our ext the skippe and go noi in those re learned fro as a most f the great . are called I difference, \ between the land seas, b I which there So in leisi I course, a bi cachalots, bi mation that we learned t it being no prowling aroi [whales to be It may be |all pleased w Iconsidered, si lof extreme cc Arctic regions unbearable, a; waste of perp ke should b WHICH COMJiS NEAR BEING THE LAST, 187 to detect any unusual vibration of the waves of either air or sea at a far greater distance than it would be possible for them to hear. Whatever this power may be which they possess, all whalemen are well ac- quainted with their exercise of it, and always take most elaborate precautions to render their approach to a whale noiseless. Our extraordinary want of success at last so annoyed the skipper that he determined to quit the ground and go north. The near approach of the open season in those regions probably hastened his decision, but I learned from Goliath that he had always been known as a most fortunate man among the ** bowheads," as the great Mysticeta of that part of the Arctic seas are called by the Americans. Not that there is any difference, as far as I have been able to ascertain, between them and the " right " whale of the Green- land seas, but from some caprice of nomenclature for which there is no accounting. So in leisurely fashion we worked north, keeping, of course, a bright look-out all the way for straggling cachalots, but not seeing any. From scraps of infor- mation that in some mysterious fashion leaked out, we learned that we were bound to the Okhotsk Sea, it being no part of the skipper's intentions to go prowling around Behring Sea, where he believed the whales to be few and far between. It may be imagined that we of the crew were not at all pleased with this intelligence, our life being, we considered, sufficiently miserable without the addition of extreme cold ; for we did not realize that in the Arctic regions during summer the cold is by no means unbearable, and our imagination pictured a horrible waste of perpetual ice and snow, in the midst ot which we should be compelled to freeze while dodging 1 1 • \ 111 11 1 % 1 1 >■ •4. m <^Wm i1 W ■i 1:1 l88 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTS !i :. whales through the crevices of the floes. But whether our pictures of the prospects that awaited us were caricatures or no made not the slightest difference '• Growl you may, but go you must " is an old sea- jingle of the truest ring ; but, while our going was inevitable, growling was a luxury none of us dare indulge in. We had by no means a bad passage to the Kuriles, V'hich form a natural barrier enclosing the im- mense area of the Okhotsk Sea from the vast stretch of the Pacific. Around this great chain of islands the navigation is exceedingly difficult, and dangerous as well, from the ever-varying currents as from the frequent fogs and sudden storms. But these impedi- ments to swift and safe navigation are made light of by the whalemen, who, as I feel never weary of re- marking, are the finest navigators in the world where speed is not the first consideration. I'he most peculiar features of these inhos^>i^able shores to a seartlan are the vast fields of seaweed snr- rounding them all, which certainly helps to keep the sea down during gales, but renders navigation most difficult on account of its concealment of hidden dangers. These islands are aptly named, the \sw\ " Kurile " being Kamschatkan for smoke ; and whetliv: it be regarded as given in consequence of the numer ous volcanoes which pour their fumes into the air, ci the all- prevailing fog fostered by the Kuro Siwo, o] Japanese counterpart of the Gulf Stream, the design ation is equally appropriate. We entered the Okhotsk Sea by the Nadeshdi Channel, so-named after Admiral Krusenstern's ship] which was the first civilized vessel that passed througl its turbulent waters. It separates the islands Rashai and Mataua by about twenty miles, yet so conflictin] and vio all parti it is mo ward th least no gave all us there. Scarce except tJ we had bomb-gui blubber < harpoons which, un upon a h hold the I none of th weapon as stand by n was no mo slaughterin that accide carelessnes in any way do any one The sea now late in impeded by tered, none any damage shallow to p we used a 1 never furling suddenly spi This anchori WHICH COMES NEAR BEING THE LAST. 189 and violent are the currents which eddy and swirl in all parts of it, that without a steady, strong fair wind it is most dangerous to a sailing vessel. Thencefor- ward the navigation was free from difficulty, or at least none that we could recognize as such, so wc gave all our attention to the business which brougiii us there. Scarcely any change was needed in our equipment, except the substitution of longer harpoons for those we had been using, and the putting away of the bomb-guns. These changes were made because the blubber of the bowhead is so thick that ordinary harpoons will not penetrate beyond it to the muscle, which, unless they do, renders them liable to draw, upon a heavy strain. As for the bombs, Yankees hold the mysticete in such supreme contempt that none of them would dream of wasting so expensive a weapon as a bomb upon them I was given to under- stand by my constant crony, Mistah Jones, that there was no more trouble in killing a bowhead than in slaughtering a sheep ; and that while it was quite true that accidents did occur, they were entirely due to the carelessness or clumsiness of the whalemen, and not in any way traceable to a desire on the victim's part to do any one harm. The sea was little encumbered with ice, it beini; now late in June, so that our progress, was not at all impeded by the few soft, brashy floes that we encoun- tered, none of them hard enough to do a ship's hull any damage. In most places the sea was sufficiently shallow to permit of our anchoring. For this purpose we used a large kedge, with stout hawser for cable, never furling all the sails in case of a strong breeze suddenly springing up, which would cause us to drag. This anchoring was very comfortable. Besides allow- III ; ' m pi M . ''}} 'II \9 Si ■'.■A I- % \i •; Sir's n;!i '1 XOO THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOTS ing us to get much more rest than when on other cruising-grounds, we were able to catch enormous quantities of fish, mostly salmon, of which there were no less than fourteen varieties. So plentiful were these splendid fish that we got quite critical in our appreciation of them, very soon finding that one kind, known as the "nerker," was far better flavored than any of the others. But as the daintiest food palls the quickest, it was not long before we got tired of salmon, and wished most heartily for beef. Mu:hfun has been made of the discontent of sailors with food which is considered a luxury ashore, and wonder expressed that, if, as we assert, the ordi- nary dietary of the seaman be so bad, he should be so ready to rebel when fed with delicacies. But in justice to the sailor, it ought to be remembered that the daintiest food may be rendered disgusting by bud cookery, such as is the rule on board merchant ships. " God sends meat, Imt the devil sends cooks " is a proverb which originated on board ship, and no one who has ever served any time in a ship's forecastle would deny that it is abundantly justified. Besides which, even good food well cooked of one kind only, served many times in succession, becomes very try- ing, only the plainest foods such as bread, rice, pota- toes, etc., retaining their command of the appetite continually. I remember once, when upon the Coromandel coast in a big Greenock ship, we found fowls veiy cheap. At Bimliapatam the captain bought two or three hun died, which, as we had no coops, were turned loose on deck. We had also at the same time prowling about the decks three goats, twenty pigs, and two big dogs. Consequently the state of the ship was filthy, nor WHICH COMES NEAR BEING THE LAST. 191 could all our efforts keep her clean. This farmyard condition of things was permitted to continue for about a week, when the officers got so tired of it, and the captain so annoyed at the frequent loss of fowls by their flying overboard, that the edict went forth to feed tlie foremast hands on poultry till further orders. Great was our delight at the news. Fowl for dinner represented to our imagination almost the apex of high living, only indulged in by such pampered chil- dren of fortune as the officers of ships or well-to-do people ashore. \Vhen dinner-time arrived, we boys made haste to the galley with watering mouths, joyfully anticipating that rare delight of the sailor — a good " feed." The cook uncovered his coppers, plunged his tormentors therein, and produced such a succession of ugly corpses of fowls as I had never seen before. To each man a whole one was allotted, and we bore the steaming heca- tomb into the forecastle. The boisterous merriment became hushed at our approach, and faces grew lengthy when the unwholesome aspect of the " treat " was revealed. Each man secured his bird, and commenced operations. But oh, the disappointment, and the bad words ! What little flesh there was upon the framework of those unhappy fowls was like leather itself, and utterly flavorless. It could not well have been other- wise. The feathers had been simply scalded off, the heads chopped off, and bodies split open to faciltiate drawing (I am sure I wonder the cook took the trouble to do that much), and thus prepared they were cast into a caldron of boiling salt water. There, with the water fiercely bubbling, they were kept for an hour and a half, then pitchforked out into the mess kid and set before us. We simply could not eat them ; no one but a nor ■ Noumean Kanaka could, for his teeth are equal to I! M% m 'in ,. <^' ^ : t 192 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS husking a cocoa-nut, or chopping off a piece of sugar- cane as thick as your wrist. After much heated discussion, it was unanimously resolved to protest at once against the substitution of such a fraud as this poultry for our legitimate rations of " salt horse." So, bearing the disjecta membra of our meal, the whole crowd marched aft, and requested an interview with the skipper. He came cut of the cabin at once, saying, " Well, boys, what's the matter? " The spokesman, a bald-headed Yankee, who had been bo'sun's mate of an American man-of-war, stepped forward and said, offering his kid, " Jest have a look at that, sir." The skipper looked, saying, inquiringly, "Well?" "D'yew think, sir," said Nat, 'Uhefs proper grub for men? " " Proper grub ! Why, you old sinner, you don't mean to say you're goin' to growl about havin' chicken for dinner?" "Well, sir, it depends muchly upon the chicken. All I know is that I've et some dam queer tack in my time, but sence I ben fishin* I never had no such bundles of sticks parcelled with leather served out to me. I hev et boot — leastways gnawed it when I was cast away in a open boat for three weeks — ^but it wa'n't bad boot, as boots go. Now, if yew say that these things is boots, en the^ it's necessary we should eat *em, or starve, w'y, we'll think about it. But if yew call 'em chickens, 'n say you're doin' us a kindness by stoppin* our 'lowance of meat wile we're wrastlin' with em, then we say we don't feel obliged to yew, *n *11 thank yew kindly to keep such lugsuries for yer- self, *n give us wot we signed for." A murmur of assent confirmed this burst of eloquence, which we all considered a very fine effort indeed. A moment's I silence ensued ; then the skipper burst out, " I've often heard of such things, but hang me if I evei believe see yoi When you'll i right, s chaw ai shall wc ary repc Now, some of conduct On ai of a barq skipper t a turtle \\ for twentj be dealt \ as to the At eighi front of th When he s to "have uttered. : protest, for here ! " he dam nonser you do." men, "you yer?" Jusi and could h I dirty heap, j I Esquimaux, civilized ma] *?rtle, hacke «nnply boiled w-mca COMES aeab «*■,., believed 'em tiJl now. v„ ''^ fee you get your whack and ""^^'''f"' beggan, I rj When you get any lUtJe eTtlf r'!,' ^«"n «h« out you'll be thankful for 'em '^ ''^'^ "^^ "hip ag°„ "«K sir." said Nat •Clnn"'^^ '^" you." "10 chaw any more of yer bikd Z.'^ "'" *'°"'' '"^v 1" *all worry along as usnT'- a ^ "°*^' ^ ^essay we "rrreports say, fhe pr^tdin^^fh "" '^' Parliam^em! Now, suppose the sldDDer^ '^en terminated. '»me of his shore friendsTL '^ '"''^ ">« 'tory to conduct would have C marto' '"""^ *« «' ^ of°i^uri:Ldr^'h'-«^'^°^^^^^^ m. "kipper ttt'KutS" '^'°"^'^' ^:^co7he a turtle instead of hl7 f^ '^""omy by buWne for twenty-five cenj and haijS *""'" "'^^ "btaCl be dealt with, particular inc!^ "*'*'' *° ""e cook to "m '\''Pr'''^^ XmZ •"'■"« «'-" h'm ^hen he app^^e \^':Z I" !J'^ "p"*^ fo "have a look at />5»/ •/ ^°'J'Ped invitation -ttered. The skLer wis ' f TV^^' «>>" w« potest, for he began to bmt. •'""''• Prepared for a here ! " he bawled?" f i'^-J^f^^'^'ely. u i^^^ dam nonsense. Yon „^J *^ " .'° '"e any of your you do." « Well, Ca^n r r"'^/"* '^ S'°«'l ^C l«en,«yo„shorelydon'?f?''°J«*' *«« one of"Se I y»J '• Just then I caugh Sr, 'l'" ^"^ "hells, do ' ^?d could hardly res^Sf mvtn"' ""^ '^''''^ ^°»'ent^ dirty heap, the sight of whtVm!!ri'°"- ^'or in a Esquimaux, but was certainTv en* l^''^^ P'^''"^^ an "vilized man, lav the oo^ ^ "°"«h to disgust anv 'Urtle, hacked Kre?u r^^ ,""'^««hell of tSe ""■ply boiled. and°fluKfo A?L '' '"'<^ ^- s into the kid, an unclean, iri: iii. IH: 'I I I 'i "li if '.'d i 194 THE CRUISE OF THE ** CACHALOT,"* disgusting heap of shell, with pieces of dirty flesh attached in ragged lumps. But the skipper, red-faced and angry, answered, " W'y, yer so-and-so ijit, that's wot the Ix>id Mayor of London gives about a guinea a hounce for w'en 'e feeds lords n' dooks. Only the haristocracy at 'orae get a charnce to stick their teeth in such grub as that. An' 'ere are you lot a-growUn' at 'avin' it for a change ! " " That's all right, cap'n," said the man ; " bein' brort up ter such lugsuries, of corse you kin appreshyate it. So if yer keep it fer yer own eatin', an' giv us wot we signed for, we shall be worry much obliged." " Now, I ain't a-goin' to *ave none o' yotir cheek, so you'd better git forrard. You can betcher life you won't get no more fresh messes this voy'ge." So, with grumbling and ill-will on both sides, the conference came to an end. But I thought, and still think, that the mess set before those men, who had been working hard since six a.m., was unfit for the food of a good dog. Out of my own experience I might give many other instances of the kind, but I hope these will suffice to show that Jack's growling is of ten justified, when both ^ides of the story are heard. \ CHAPTER XVL *' BOWHEAD " FISHING. ' Day and night being now only distinguishable by the aid of the clock, a constant lookout aloft was kept all through the twenty-four hours, watch and watch, but whales were apparently very scarce. We iiid a good deal of " pelagic " sealing ; that is, catch- ing sealj was not when a season, o Our seal time in at once It was arrival on two boats great Mys impressed in shape, 1 whale we j some of th The coi marked, so credit then ular ideas from the A^ generally d< water out oi a herring. , ^-P., writin himself to s£ I ^ith a guile fhan a man'i 's also perpe distributed ei Bible. This universally he I yodels now 3ry Muse jto remove it. phat a whale i tag scab swimmW. But th. . » . ''* ^^ not great, for «,JcreftL-«^ """^^ °'>'«««1 "hen at their rocky haS^S^^ "^ """y gregarious season, or among the L !,Tk , "^"""S ">« breedC 0« sealing, the! efore, t^o^vT "^^ 'f*'" "^^ time m the absence of nohi. ^ * "'^ "^ Passing the at once with wh^^s i^^ 3^' «^e, to be ^bandon^* ■It was on the ninth arrival on the grounds th2'a*t!)!^."'°"'«K after our t>vo boats sent after him ?,'^"'head was raised, and great Mys^ce^us. and j « J' ^^™yfct sight of fte impressed by his gigantinulkp^ ^ "^'"S -""ch '"Shape, he looked Sw; /"? ""^ deference "-hale we had yet seen althff^^'"'?* largest sperm some of the yL St !n» •^'' ^^ ^"^ '^oae acroS The contrast beK ^he"^'"" °^ '^''^'- ■»«rked so much sorL fa* thl? '"^"^'^ '^ »<«t credit them with belonging t,^ ""^ """^^ hardly ular ideas of the whate ai r^ "*""" "^"ler. Po/ from the ^^.aV.^":^^ ^^^^ f/»ost invariably tak ^i generaUy defines a ;hX as a V T?«« individual water out of the top of his he^d Lh''' *'^"'' ^Po-t^ aherrmg Indeed, so la eh, 1' tf« '*""'" '^ow , M.P., writing to one of thT r.^ • ' ''^ « Popular h-mself to say that "science wl r^f'P^"' ^"wed with a gullet capable of adm^"°' '"'« of a whale , ban a man's fist "—a n^Lf ? """« anything larger «.aIso perpetrated in thTapnlnr /«°°''«'=«' S distributed edition of the ffi -'i"-.,^ ^'^'y "^dely- B'We. This opinion st«n»^^'^^^'^'°n of the "njvejsally held,'^aItho;6h Kf ^^"^ ^^ alm<^t »?dels now being shSwn ^1 ^K^" admirable I Ji'l 196 7'//&" Cl^CriSB OF TIIK " CACHALOT.^ indeed are the individuals who do not still think that a cetacean possesses a sort of natural fountain on the top of its head, whence, for some recondite reason, it ejects at regular intervals streams of water into the air. But a whale can no more force water through its spiracle or blow-hole than you or I through our nostrils. It inhales, when at the surface, atmospheric air, and exhales breath like ours, which, coming warm into a cooler medium, becomes visible, as does our breath on a frosty morning. Now, the Mysticetus carries his nostrils on the summit of his head, or crown, the orifice being closed by a beautifully-arranged valve when the animal is beneath the water. Consequently, upon coming to the surface to breathe, he sends up a jet of visible breath into the air some ten or twelve feet. The cachalot, on the other hand, has the orifice at the point of his square snout, the internal channel run- ning in a slightly diagonal direction downwards, and back through the skull to the lungs. So when he spouts, the breath is projected forward diagonally, and, from some peculiarity which I do not pretend to explain, expends itself in a short, bushy tuft of vapor, very distinct from the tall vertical spout of the bcwhead or right whale. There was little or no wind when we sighted the in- dividual I am now speaking of, so we did not attempt to set sail, but pulled straight for him " head and head." Strange as it may appear, the Mysticetus' best point of view is right behind, or " in his wake," as we say ; it is therefore part of the code to approach him from right ahead, in which direction he cannot see at all. Some time before we reached him he became aware of our presence, showing by his uneasy actions that he had before upon hi <^ifferen been ac give a h but no ( them. ' it was bu for him t face he j that we e ing the b< tempt to while the if they wei Really, possible tc poor, unwi overgrown of leaving alongside. Upon CO ind as soon " It was, I "' skin a i>ov were certain what seeme marvelous, unlike the able at the whale. I Except fo . ^as effected of the cachal< "BOWHBAD" FISfriUG. ke had his doubts ahonf k- "" *'' before he had mal'™"h> .P^ k'' "»="">. Buc y him. with ourha?pZsbur1j'^V'°u^° ^« '-"e difference in his Ijehav^ »„ L ^^ '" '"^ ''ack. The been accustomed to ^ °L*° *"«* "'e had so long g-e a 'umberingsiTorSkh"? ^^ '^^-^ out no one could Do„,hL k i* '"* immense Hufces them. The water CsL^^^"^''" endangered bv « was but for a verj^fewmi T"^' "^^^ he sounded or him that wa^^^HCa 'h ' *"^ '^«'' »° es^^e fe^e he set off It hifb^" ^^''^^f »™ed to the su^r! Aat we easily hauled up c fet 'u"i.'>' ^^s so slow >ng the boats in that noQW^ ^'^^Sside of him, hold- tempt to guard ^r^TuoT^'-^^ slight^sT^ ^hile the officers searched hr/fP""^ °n his par P^ffioXtyiSe^th"- *- ^' - i«- ■-"Id S'"o^n'!J^ttie"fluk^ *!!*•''''''*' '^^ "^ shortened skma :.owhead in W £?^ ''°^t «hat he could \ere certainly longer7lS.?k'""*1''" ^-d although we what seemed^ a gLn^" .ff *« «lerity with which f,. 1 ^ ;! 41 tiiM t p 'Wl j I '''mB i Ifl 198 THE CRUISE OF THE '* CACHALOTS i!'i tween the quantity of lard enveloping this whale and those we had hitherto dealt with. It was nearly double the thickness, besides being much richer in oil, which fairly dripped from it as we hoisted in the blanket- pieces. The upper jaw was removed for its long plates of whalebone or baleen — that valuable substance which alone makes it worth while nowadays to go after the Mysticetus^ the price obtained for the oil being so low as to make it not worth while to fit out ships to go in search of it alone. "Trying-out" the blubber, with its accompaniments, is carried on pre- cisely as with the sperm whale. The resultant oil, when recent, is of a clear white, unlike the golden- tinted fluid obtained from the cachalot. As it grows stale it develops a nauseous smell, which sperm does not, although the odor of the oil is otto of roses com- pared with the horrible mass of putridity landed from the tanks of a Greenland whaler at the termination of a cruise. For in those vessels, the fishing- time at their disposal being so brief, they do not wait to boil down the blubber, but, chopping it into small pieces, pass it below as it is into tanks, to be rendered down by the oil-mills ashore on the ship's return. This firat bowhead yielded us eighteen tuns of oil and a ton of baleen, which made the catch about equal in value to that 6i a seven- tun cachalot. But the amount of labor and care necessary in order to thoroughly dry and cleanse the baleen was enormous ; in fact, for months after we began the bowhead fishery there was almost always something being done with the wretched stuff — drying, scraping, etc. — ^which, as it was kept below, also necessitated hoisting it up on deck and getting it down again. After this beginning, it was again a considerable time before we sighted any more ; but when we did, there all the this til of se> e a long to supj As it remain] away a being h not at t proximi near tha it had bi were atl bull, exc those of The " but, like that grej particular and lower vore inde enjoying, as compar immunity he is thou^ whalers all having had cannot spe opinion; si with the w] ation both ( But to re of what wa5 "* BOWHEAD'' FISHING. 199 there were quite a number of them — enough to employ all the boats with one each. I was out of the fun this time, being almost incapable of moving by reason of se^ eral boils on my legs — the result, I suppose, of a long abstinence from fresh vegetables, or anything to supply their place. As it happened, however, I lost no excitement by remaining on board; for while all the boats were away a large bowhead rose near the ship, evidently being harassed in some way by enemies, which I could not at first see. He seemed quite unconscious of his proximity to the ship, though, and at last came so near that the whole performance was as visible as if it had been got up for my benefit. Three " killers " were attacking him at once, like wolves worrying a bull, except that his motions were far less lively than those of any bull would have been. The " killer," or Orca gladiator , is a true whale, but, like the cachalot, has teeth. He differs from that great cetacean, though, in a most important particular ; i>. by having a complete set in both upper and lower jaws, like any other carnivore. For a carni- vore indeed is he, the very wolf of the ocean, and enjoying, by reason of his extraordinary agility as well as comparative worthlessness commercially, complete immunity from attack by man. By some authorities he is thought to be identical with the grampus, but whalers all consider the animals quite distinct. Not having had very long acquaintance with them both, I cannot speak emphatically upon this difference of opinion ; so far as personal observation goes, I agree with the whalers in believing that there is much vari- ation both of habits and shape between them. But to return to the fight. The first inkling I got of what was really going on was the leaping of a killer I \% I if ;i I \m 200 TffE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTr high into the air by the side of the whale, and descen ding upon the victim's broad, smooth back with a resounding crash. I saw that the killer was provided with a pair of huge fins — one on his back, the other on his belly — which at first sight looked as if they were also weapons of offense. A little observation convinced me that they were fins only. Again and again the aggressor leaped into the air, falling eacli time on the whale's back, as if to beat him into sub- mission. The sea around foamed and boiled like a cauldron, so that it was only occasional glimpses I was able to catch of the two killers, until presently the worried whale lifted his head clear out of the surrounding smother, revealing the two furies hanging— one on either side — to his lips, as if endeavoring to drag his mouth open — ^which I afterwards saw was their principal object, as whenever during the tumult I caught sight of them, they were still in the same position. At last the tremendous and incessant blows, dealt by the most active member of the trio, seemed actually to have exhausted the immense vitality of the great bowhead, for he lay supine upon the surface. Then the three joined their forces, and succeeded in dragging open his cavernous mouth, into which they freely entered, devouring- his tongue. This, then, had been their sole object, for as soon as they had finished their barbarous feast they departed, leaving him helpless and dying to fall an easy prey to our return- ing boats. Thus, although the four whales captured by the boats had been but small, the day's take, augmented by so great a find, was a large one, and it was a long time before we got clear of the work it entailed. From that time forward we saw no whales for six '''°'^''^^^'' J^fsmjyc. weeks, and fmm *l *°' Still, there wa«! nT^ • ^^ ^^^ry one wa« n»v ^^ vous anH A^ ^"^ "^sn, Decomine daiiw ^ "^«'"ientso again, on our wa^sonf h ^? '^^."'"e Hearing the K„rii "'as sitting on ttTfore ii^^.^ '''^ Sea 5 o£f ? 'uwe and foolish, bo 1 i r' S'-in :( ;' J m ;(oa r//£ CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* doubt, my speculations were, but only in this way could I forget for awhile my surroundings, since the inestimable comfort of reading was denied me. I had been sitting thus absorbed in thought for nearly an hour, when Goliath came and seated himself by my side. We had always been great friends, although, owing to the strict discipline maintained on board, it was not often we got a chance for a " wee bit crack," as the Scotch say. Besides, I was not in his watch, and even now he should rightly have been below. He sat for a minute or two silent ; then, as if compelled to speak, he began in low, fierce whispers to tell me of his miserable state of mind. At last, after recapit- ulating many slights and insults he had received silently from the captain, of which I had previously known nothing, he became strangely calm. In tones quite unlike his usual voice, he said that he was not an American-bom negro, but a pure African, who had been enslaved in his infancy, with his mother, some- where in the "Hinterland" of Guinea. While still a child, his mother escaped with him into Liberia, where he had remained till her death. She was, ac- cording to him, an Obeah woman of great power, venerated exceedingly by her own people for her pro- phetic abilities. Before her death, she had told him I that he would die suddenly, violently, in a struggle with a white man in a far-off country, but that the white man would die too by his hand. She had also told him that he would be a great traveler and hunter! upon the sea. As he went on, his speech becamej almost unintelligible, being mingled with fragments ofl a language I had never heard before ; moreover, he[ spoke as a man who is only half awake. A strange terror got hold of me, for I began to think he wa going mady and perhaps about to run a-mok, as thd grea min( hanc him, he him. boy,; dat is color, bless ] true, ' 'Nw'c real gl ter be doan k held ou while a deck. whirlpoi The drearier ness, wh cessant < relief of and alth( does mal of menta irresistibi night." When calm. TJ busy sen] 'BOmrEAD" F/Sff/JVG. mind him of the estee™ • ?•".*"'''" «»id y to re- hands; even the skfone^ r "''"'' ^^ ""^ held by 2l him although. frof„ Si'iertlhr'f '° '"^' ^*'P««ed he had chosen to be so sneer 2 V"™ °^ iU-humor, h>m. He shook his Ssadfv''"'^^'"''Vi'«« towards boy. youse de only man alSard h"*^ ?"*' " ^^ ''ear dat is~dat don't hate an- 7^ • *'"' shi{>_wite man color, wich /caii't teV ftrr"'. '^'=*'^« ""S bless you fer dat. aJ tl ^- , ^^"^ y"" ''eliebe in •Kn '/r^'^ '^"-v-r ;:^:' eeT '°"= ^°"" ^> wen ^«/ hapnens w'.fc • ^® ^^ ^^^<^ true ^algladtotinkTr^-,,:^,;.!;'"^^ '^ happen. I'se ter be better fer ebervI>V- ., f "^'' '="■ you— ewine held out his S blaclT/ 5"'-^ *^- So long." He -hileabig feaTro,rd^'::f;i;"^^''°°''-"'«eiart"y! deck. And with that he J '^'"''^ ""'' f^" <>" the drearier pfrha^XSe iftZ'^ °»«->onger and ness, which always made it h^^/'''^"" °^ 'he dark- cessant day soon becmnes to thn " '° "'^^P' An i„. relief of the ni«ht a hf.M °?^ accustomed to the and although use cLreconc"/"''°"' '" ''^ hornet ^- Thertch!°u„tr mL:!|1'"".%I» -- a stark ^ -bbin, decks wKe^::::; t^c- ni: Li.! /i fr :' II 204 THE CRUISE OF THE ^CACHALOT." while the captain, barefooted, with trouser-legs and shirt-sleeves rolled up, his hands on his hips and a portentous frown on his brow, was closely looking on. As it was my spell at the crow's-nest, I made at once for the main-rigging, and had got half-way to the top, when some unusual sounds below arrested me. All hands were gathered in the waist, a not unusual thing at the changing of the watch. In the midst of them, as I looked down, two men came together in a fierce struggle. They were Goliath and the skipper. Captain Slocum's right hand went naturally to his hip pocket, where he always carried a revolver ; but before he could draw it, the long, black arms of his adversary wrapped around him, making him helpless as a babe. Then, with a rush that sent everyone jying out of his way, Goliath hurled himself at the bulwarks, which were low, the top of the rail about thirty- three inches from the deck. The two bodies struck the rail with a heavy thud, instantly toppling overboard. That broke the spell that bound everybody, so that there was an instantaneous rush to the side. Only a hardly noticeable ripple remained on the surface of the placid sea. But, from my lofty perch, the whole of the ghastly struggle had been visible to the least detail. The two men had struck the water locked in closest embrace, which relaxed not even when far below the surface. When the sea is perfectly smooth, objects are visible from aloft at several feet depth, though apparently diminished in size. The last thing I saw was Captain Slocum's white face, with its starting black eyes look- ing their last upon the huge, indefinite hull of the ship whose occupants he had ruled so long and rigidly. The whole tragedy occupied such a brief moment of time that it was almost impossible to realize that it mind Nor feared night's impelle had pas justify s matters been, th God in fury. •* BOWHEAD'' FISHING. ao5 was actual. Reason, however, soon regained her posi- tion among the officers, who ordered the closest watch to be kept from aloft, in case of the rising of either or both of the men. A couple of boats were swung, ready to drop on the instant. But, as if to crown the tragedy with completeness, a heavy squall, which had risen unnoticed, suddenly burst upon the ship witli great fury, the lashing hail and rain utterly obscuring vision even for a few yards. So unexpected was the onset of this squall that, for the only time that voyage, we lost some canvas through not being able to get it in quick enough. The topgallant halyards were let go ; but while the sails were being clewed up, the fierce wind following the rain caught them from their con- fining gear, rending them into a thousand shreds. For an hour the squall raged — a tempest in brief — then swept away to the southeast on its furious journey, leaving peace again. Needless perhaps to say, that after such a squall it was hopeless to look for our missing ones. The sudden storm had certainly driven us several miles away from the spot where they dis- appeared, and, although we carefully made what haste was possible back along the line we were supposed to have come, not a vestige of hope was in any one's mind that we should ever see them again. Nor did we. Whether that madness, which I had feared was coming upon Goliath during our previous night's conversation, suddenly overpowered him and impelled him to commit the horrible deed, what more had passed between him and the skipper to even faintly justify so awful a retaliation — these things were now matters of purest speculation. As if they had never been, the two men were blotted out — gone before God in full-blown heat of murder and revengeful fury. Hr A It ■i ■ !■ il 2o6 THE CRUISE OF THE '* CACHALOT. n I I ■I P. IVi : On the same evening Mr. Count mustered all bancs on the quarter-deck, and addressed us thus : " Men, Captain Slocum is dead, and, as a consequence, I com- mand the ship. Behave yourselves like men, not pre- suming upon kindness or imagining that I am a weak, vacillating old man with whom you can do as you like, and you will find in me a skipper who will do hir^ duty by you as far as lies in his power, nor expect more from you than you ought to render. If, however, you do try any tricks, remember that I am an old hand, equal to most of the games that men get up to. I do want — if you will help me — to make this a comfortable as well as a successful ship. I hope with all my heart we shall succeed." In answer to this manly and affecting little speech, which confirmed my previous estimate of Captain Count's character, were he but free to follow the bent of his natural, kindly inclinations, and which I have endeavored to translate out of his usual dialect, a hearty cheer was raised by all hands, the first ebulli- tii a of general good feeling manifested throughout \k e voyage. Hearts rose joyfully at the prospect of co^nfort to be gained by thoughtfulness on the part of the commander ; nor from that time forward did any sign of weariness of the ship or voyage show itself among us, either on deck or below. The news soon spread among us that, in conse- quence of the various losses of boats and gear, the cap- tain deemed it necessary to make for Honolulu, where fresh supplies could readily be obtained. We had heard many glowing accounts from visitors, when " gamming," of the delights of this well-known port of call for whalers, and under our new commander we had little doubt that we should be allowed con- siderable liberty during our stay. So we were quite *' BOWHEAD'* FISHING. 207 onse- cap- «rhere had when port ander con- i impatient to get along, fretting considerably at the persistent fogs which prevented our making much progress while in the vicinity of the Kuriles. But we saw no more bowheads, for which none of us forward were at all sorry. We had got very tired of the stink of their blubber, and the never-ending worry connected with the preservation of the baleen ; besides, we had not yet accumulated any fund of enthusiasm about getting a full ship, except as a reason for shortening the voyage, and we quite understood that what black oil we had got would be landed at Hawaii, so that our visit to the Okhotsk Sea, with its resultant store of oil, had not really brought our return home any nearer, as we at first hoped it would. A great surprise was in store for me. I knew that Captain Count was favorably inclined towards me, for he had himself told me so, but nothing was further from my thoughts than promotion. However, one Sunday afternoon, when we were all peacefully en- J05ring the unusual rest (we had no Sundays in Cap- tain Slocum's time), the captain sent for me. He informed me that, after mature consideration, he had chosen me to fill the vacancy made by the death of Mistah Jones. Mr. Cruce was now mate ; the wasp- ish little third had become second ; Louis Silva, the captain's favorite harpooner, was third : and I was to be fourth. Not feeling at all sure of how the othet harpooners would take my stepping over their heads, I respectfully demurred to the compliment offered me, stating my reasons. But the captain said he had fully made up his mind, after consultation with the other officers, and that I need have no apprehension on the score of the harporners* jealousy ; that they had been spoken to on the subject, and they were all a|;reed that the captain's choice was the bes^ 1.1 '^i 1^ ■i i if'. I P ',; I 2o8 THE CRUISE OF THE " C iCHALOTr r Hem 1 i especially as none of them knew anything of naviga- tion, or could write their own names. In consequence of there being none of the crew fit to take a harpooner's place, 1 was now really har- pooner of the captain's boat, which he would continue to work, when necessary, until we were able to ship a harpooner, which he hoped to do at Hawaii. The news of my promotion was received in grim silence by the Portuguese forward, but the white men all seemed pleased. This was highly gratifying lo me, for I had tried my b6st to be helpful to all, as far as my limited abilities would let me ; nor do I think I had an enemy in the ship. Behold me, then, a full-blown " mister," with a definite substantial in- crease in my prospects of pay of nearly one- third, in addition to many other advantages, which, under the new captain, promised exceedingly well. More than half the voyage lay behind us, looking like the fast-settling bank of storm-clouds hovering above the tempest-tossed sea so lately passed, while ahead the bright horizon was full of promise of fine weather for the remainder of the journey. CHAPTER XVII. VISIT TO HONOLULU. ! Right glad were we all when, after much fumbling and box-hauling about, we once more felt the long, familiar roll of the Pacific swell, and saw the dim fastnesses of the smoky islands fading into the lower- ing gloom astern. Most deep-water sailors are n( familiarj beauties to visit liad bee number regions founded indulge; ary" isla sionaries as well as No on< assert tlia godly mei that so mi proportior supposed off and m< been at ho ary enterp] dangers ar portion of ever, the n a hard one, preferred tc cities. liut when the missions in conseque I of the popul and where v to the hind efforts of th( drels who vil *^ty woulc VISIT TO HONOLULU. 209 familiar, by report if not by actual contact, with the beauties of the Pacific islands, and I had often longed to visit them to see for myself whether the half that had been told me was true. Of course, to a great number of seafaring men, the loveliness of those regions counts for nothing, their desirability being founded upon the frequent opportunities of unlimited indulgence in debauchery. To such men, a " mission- ary" island is a howling wilderness, and the mis- sionaries themselves the subjects of the vilest abuse as well as the most boundless lying. No one who has traveled with his eyes open would assert that all missionaries were wise, prudent, or even godly men ; while it is a great deal to be regretted that so much is made of hardships which in a large proportion of cases do not exist, the men who are supposed to be enduring them being immensely better off and more comfortable than they would ever have been at home. Undoubtedly the pioneers of mission- ary enterprise had, almost without exception, to face dangers and miseries past telling, but that is the portion of pioneers in general. In these days, how- ever, the missionary's lot in .dynesia is not often a hard one, and in many cases it is infinitely to be preferred to a life among the ver)' poor of our great cities. But when all has been said that can be said against the missionaries, the solid bastion of fact remains that, in consequence of their labors, the whole vile character of the populations of the Pacific has been changed, and where wickedness runs riot to-day, it is due largely to the hindrances placed in the way of the noble efforts of the missionaries by the unmitigated scoun- drels who vilify them. The task of spreading Chris- tianity would not, after all, be so difficult were it not 14 il: 1 J Ml !l I'll v' %\ ; ,1. ii- ; _ !: % .i '%. 'k. i 210 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT." for the efforts of those apostles of the devil to keep the islands as they would like them to be — places where lust runs riot day and night, murder may be done with impunity, slavery flourishes, and all evil may be indulged in free from law, order, or restraint. It speaks volumes for the inherent might of the Gospel that, in spite of the object-lessons continually provided for the natives by white men of the negatioa of all good, that it has stricken its roots so deeply into the soil of the Pacific islands. Just as the best proof of the reality of the Gospel here in England is that it survives the incessant assaults upon it from within by its professors, by those who are paid, and highly paid, to propagate it, by the side of whose deadlv doings the efforts of so-called infidels are but as the battery of a summer breeze ; so in Polynesia, were not the principles of Christianity vital with an immortal and divine life, missionary efforts might long ago have ceased in utter despair at the fruitlessness of the field. We were enjoying a most uneventful passage, free from any serious changes either of wind or weather, which quiet time was utilized to the utmost in making many much-needed additions to running gear, repair- ing rigginp^, etc. Any work involving the use of new material had been put off from time to time during the previous part of the voyage till the ship aloft was really in a dangerous condition. This was due entirely to the peculiar parsimony of our late skipper, who could ^ arcely bring himself to broach a coil of rope, excep 3r whaling purposes. The same false economy I had pi availed with regard to paint and varnish, so that | the vessel, while spotlessly clean, presented a worn- out, weather-^beaten appearance. Now, while the con- dition of life on board was totally different to what it I stoning, degree, of makir fact — be unpaid, i So, wh lenged c( and neat) that the) " hazed " ing them work was quite una sails and : mon laboi or woman Of this but when sailors do to rememl machine, i be efficiei M O] to be defin and steer." mean furlii steering thi VISIT TO HONOLULU, 211 had been, as regards comfort and peace, discipline and order were maintained at the same high level as always, though by a different method — in fact, I be- lieve that a great deal more work was actually done, certainly much more that was useful and productive ; for Captain Count hated, as much as any foremast hand among us, the constant, remorseless grind of iron-work polishing, paint-work scrubbing, and holy- stoning, all of which, though necessary in a certain degree, when kept up continually for the sole purpose of making work — a sort of elaborated tread- mill, in fact — becomes the refinement of cruelty to underfed, unpaid, and hopeless men. So, while the Cachalot could have fearlessly chal- lenged comparison with any ship afloat for cleanliness and neatness of appearance, the hands no longer felt that they were continually being "worked up" or " hazed " for the sole, diabolical satisfaction of keep- ing them "at it." Of course, the incidence of the work was divided, since so many of the crew were quite unable to do any sailorizing, as we term work in sails and rigging. Upon them, then, fell all the com- mon labor, which can be done by any unskilled man or woman aflo^it or ashore. Of this work a sailor's duties are largely made up, but when good people ashore wonder "whatever sailors do with their time," it would be useful for them to remember that a ship is a huge and complicated machine, nee<'ing constant repairs, which can only be efficiently performed by skilled workmen. An " A. B." or ab'e seaman's duties are legally supposed to be defined by the three expressions, " hand, reef, and steer." If he can do those three things, which mean furling ^f making fast sails, reefing them, and steering the ship, his wages cannot be reduced for in- •ri i: I: ill \\\[ l|i*''. i t 212 THE CRUISE OF THE '' CACHALOT"* ! ; competency. Yet these things are the A B C of sea- manship only. A good seaman is able to make all the various knots, splices, and other arrangements in hempen or wire rope, without which a ship cannot be rigged ; he can make a sail, send up or down yards and masts, and do many other things, the sum total of which needs several years of steady application to learn, although a good seaman is ever learning. Such seamen are fast becoming extinct. They are almost totally unnecessary in steamships, except when the engines break down in a gale of wind, and the crowd of navvies forming the crew stand looking at one another when called upon to set sail or do any other job aloft. TJien the want of seamen is rather severely felt. But even in sailing ships — the great, overgrown tanks of two thousand tons and upwards — mechanical genius has utilized iron to such an ex- tent in their rigging that sailor-work has become very largely a matter of blacksmithing. I make no com- plaint of this, not believing that the " old was better ; " but, since the strongest fabric of man's invention comes to grief sometimes in conflict with the irre- sistible sea, some provision should be made for having I a sufficiency of seamen who could exercise their | skill in refitting a dismasted ship or temporarily re- placing broken blacksmith work by old-fashioned rope| and wood. But, as the sailing ship is doomed inevitably to (lis appear before steam, perhaps it does not matter much. I The economic march of the world's progress willl never be stayed by sentimental considerations, norl will all the romance and poetry in the world savel the seaman from extinction, if his place can be morel profitably filled by the engineer. From all appear-l ances, it soon will be, for even now marine super-j VISIT TO HONOLULU, 213 '!, 1 intendents of big lines are sometimes engineers, and in their hands lie the duty of engaging the officers. It would really seem as if the ship of the near future would be governed by the chief engineer, under whose direction a pilot or sailing-master would do the necessary navigation, without power to interfere in any matter of the ship's economy. Changes as great have taken place in, other professions; seafaring can- not hope to be the sole exception. So, edging comfortably along, we gradually neared the Sandwich Islands without having seen a single spout worth watching since the tragedy. At last the lofty summits of the island mountains hove in sight, and presently we came to an anchor in that paradise of whalers, missionaries, and amateur statesmen — Honolulu. As it is as well known to most reading people as our own ports — better, perhaps — I shall not attempt to describe it, or pit myself against the able writers who have made it so familiar. Yet to me it was a new world. All things were so strange, so delightful, especially the lovable, lazy, fascinating Kanakas, who could be so limply happy over a dish of poe, or a green cocoa-nut, or even a lounge in the sun, that it seemed an outrage to expect them to work. In their sports they could be energetic enough. I do not know of any more delightful sight than to watch them bathing in the tremendous surf, simply intoxi- cated with the joy of living, as unconscious of danger as if swinging in a hammock while riding triumphantly upon the foaming summit of an incoming breaker twenty feet high, or plunging with a cataract over the dizzy edge of its cliff, swallowed up in the hissing vortex below, only to reappear with a scream of riotous laughter in the quiet eddy beyond. As far as I could judge, they were the happiest of ':li \ til 3' 'I I: ^;i 214 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:* people, literally taking no thought for the morrow, and content with the barest necessaries of life, so long as they were free and the sun shone brightly. We had many opportunities of cultivating their acquaintance, for the captain allowed us much liberty, quite one-half of the crew and officers being ashore most of the time. Of course, the majority spent all their spare time in the purlieus of the town, which, like all such places anywhere, were foul and filthy enough ; but that was their own faults. I have often wondered m.ich to see men, who on board ship were the pink of cltanliness and neatness, fastidious to a fault in all they did, come ashore and huddle in the most horrible of kennels, among the very dregs and greaves of the 'long-shore district. It certainly wants a great deal of explana- tion ; but I suppose the most potent reason is, that sailors, as a class, never learn to <>'r.joy themselves ra- tionally. They are also morbidly suspicious of being | taken in hand by anybody who would show them any- thing worth seeing, preferring to be led by the human | sharks that infest all seaports into ways of strange nas- tiness, and so expensive withal that one night of such I wallowing often costs them more than a month's sane recreation and good food would. All honor to the devoted men and women who labor in our seaports for the moral and material benefit of the sailor, passing] their lives amidst sights and sounds shocking and sick- ening to the last degree, reviled, unthanked, unpaid.! Few are the missionaries abroad whose lot is so hard as| theirs. We spent ten happy days in Honolulu, marred only! by one or two drunken rows among the chaps forward,! which, however, resulted in their getting a severe dress-[ ing-down in the forecastle, where good order was nov kept. There had been no need for interference or ON THE ''LINE'' GROUNDS. 215 the part of the officers, which I was glad to see, re- membering what would have happened under such cir- cumstances not long ago. Being short-handed, the captain engaged a number of friendly islanders for a limited period, on the understanding that they were to be discharged at their native place, V^u Vau. There were ten of them, fine, stalwart fellows, able- bodied, and willing as possible. They were cleanly in their habits, and devout members of the Wesleyan body, so that their behavior was quite a reproach to some of our half-civilized crew. Berths were found for them in the forecastle, and they took their places among us quite naturally, being fairly well used to a whale-ship. r! \ .. CHAPTER XVra. ON THE " LINE " GROUNDS. We weighed at last, one morning, with :. beautiful breeze, and bidding a long farewell to the lovely isles and their amiable inhabitants, stood to sea, bound for the "line" or equatorial grounds on our legitimate business of sperm- whaling. It was now a long while since we had been in contact with a cachalot, the last one having been killed by us on the coast of Japan some six months before. But we all looked forward to the coming campaign with considerable joy, for we were now a happy family, interested in the work and, best of all, even if the time was still distant, we were, in a sense, homeward bound. At any rate, we all chose so to think, from the circumstance that we were I '' 8i6 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:* now working to the southward, towards Cape Horn, the rounding of which dreaded point would mark the final stage of our globe-encircling voyage. - We had, during our stay at Honolulu, obtained a couple of grand boats in addition to our stock, and were now in a position to man and lower five at once, if fjccasion should arise, still leaving sufficient crew on IjOiird to work the vessel. The captain had also en- gaged an elderly seaman of his acquaintance — out of pure philanthropy, as we all thought, since he was in a state of semi-starvation ashore — to act as a kind of sailing-master, so as to relieve the captain of ship duly at whaling time, allowing him still to head his boat. This was not altogether welcome news to me, for, much as I liked the old man and admired his pluck, I could not help dreading his utter recklessness when on a whale, which had so often led to a smash-up that might have been easily avoided. Moreover, I reasoned that if he had been foolhardy before, he was likely to l)e much more so now, having no superior to look black or use language when a disaster occurred. For, now 1 was his harpooner, bound to take as many risks as he chose to incur, and anxious also to earn a reputation among the more seasoned whalemen for smartness sufficient to justify my promotion. The Kanakas shipped at Honolulu were distributed among the boats, two to each, being already trained whalemen, and a fine lot of fellows they were. My two — Samuela and Polly — were not very big men, but sturdy, nimble as cats, as much at home in the water as on deck, and simply bubbling over with fun and good-humor. From my earliest sea-going I have al- ways had a strong liking for natives of tropical coun- tries, finding them alTectionate and amenable to kind- ness. Why, I think, white men do not get on with »»» ^orn, the the finai ained a ck, and once, if :rew on dso en- -out of I was ill kind of ip duly s boat. ', much [ could 1 on a : might id that ' to be : black now I as he itation irtness darkies well, as a rnU • .. ^'^ weal to the .Jt\^J^'\!^y «<^Wom make an "I wnat mducement havt* *u . "^' they are hzv • 'hat ever dozed under a h? "' '^^^ ^ any Kanak, kind treatment by a ereat TV° ^ ""Pervious to °rmer appearing incaS ^r^' °^ '^'taesses" the somebody. NotknowinAnwM '^"P'^tion to kill of these races, I can say ^otWn'ffP"'"""''^"^ either All the colored indiviraIsfhf/T°l ''«'''"" 'hem. "^ith have amply renaid ,„ v/,' ^ ''^^« had to do J.^™ with fidelity and 'iC;n"K '^'"""^^ =ho^ I *>s been the case with r ,' '"" especially hS melodious language si^l^n ■^^"j"''^'- The soft and '"d is so pleaSto Sa» tjhem '^ easy to acq u^Te K-^^chdoesd^-rte^^r^^^ i i:i ■I 2l8 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:* What I specially longed for now was a harpooner, or even two, so that I might have my boat to myself, the captain taking his own boat with a settled har- pooner. Samuela, the biggest of my two Kanakas, very earnestly informed me that he was no end of a '* number one " whale slaughterer ; but I judged it best to see how things went before asking to have him promoted. My chance, and his, came very promptly ; so nicely arranged, too, that I could not have wished for anything better. The skipper had got a fine, healthy boil on one knee-cap, and another on his wrist, so that he was, as you may say, hors de combat. While he was impatiently waiting to get about once more, sperm whales were raised. Although nearly frantic with annoyance, he was compelled to leave the. direction of things to Mr. Cruce, who was quite puffed up with the importance of his oppor- tunity. Such a nice little school of cow-whales, a lovely breeze, clear sky, warm weather — I felt as gay as a lark at the prospect. As we were reaching to wind- ward, with all boats ready for lowering, the skipper called me aft and said, " Naow, Mr. BuUen, I cain't lower, because of this condemned leg 'n' arm of mine ; but how'r yew goin' ter manage 'thout a harpooner?" I suggested that if he would allow me to try Samuela, who was suffering for a chance to distinguish himself, we would " come out on top." " All right," he said ; " but let the other boats get fast first, 'n* doan be in too much of a hurry to tie yerself up till ye see what's doin*. If everythin's goin' bizness-fashion, 'n' yew git a chance, sail right in ; yew got ter begin some time. But if thet Kanaka looks skeered goin' on, take the iron frum him ter onct.'' I promi$ed| and the interview ended. When himself v was man prospect able to c( almost en of responi what depi We gai lowered fc had bare! the school it, but un( dead to w We had tl lay to oui and strong But I fane had it no whose eag( running oi cut them c Two anc of us befor but at last sounding r prise, but spouted tw ing out, in was almost dition of anything bi up alongsic was needec git fas', if ) t ON^ THE ^'LINE** GROUNDS. 219 When I told Samuela of his chance, he was beside himself with joy. As to his being scared, the idea was manifestly absurd. He was as pleased with the prospect as it was possible for a man to be, and hardly able to contain himself for impatience to be off. 1 almost envied him his exuberant delight, for a sense of responsibility began to weigh upon me with some- what depressing effect. We gained a good weather-gage, rounded to, and lowered four boats. Getting away in good style, we had barely got the sails up, when something gallied the school. We saw or heard nothing to account for it, but undoubtedly the " fish " were off at top speed dead to windward, so that our sails were of no use. We had them in with as little delay as possible, and lay to our oars for all we were worth, being fresh and strong, as well as anxious to get amongst them. But I fancy all our efforts would have availed us little had it not been for the experience of Mr. Cruce, whose eager eye detected the fact that the fish were running on a great curve, and shaped our course to cut them off along a chord of the arc. Two and a half hours of energetic work was required of us before we got on terms with the fleeing monsters ; but at last, to our great joy, they broke water from sounding right among us. It was a considerable sur- prise, but we were all ready, and before they had spouted twice, three boats were fast, only myself keep- ing out, in accordance with my instructions. Samuela was almost distraught with rage and grief at the con- dition of things. I quite pitied him, although I was anything but pleased myself. However, when I ranged up alongside the mate's fish, to render what assistance was needed, he shouted to me, " VVe's all right ; go 'n' git fas', if yew kin." lliat was enough, and away we ; 1 '1 ..1 'I nl '^ il ii jit 220 THE CRUISE OF THE ^ CACHALOT."* flew after a retreating spout to leeward. Befoie we got there, though, there was an upheaval in the water just ahead, and up came a back like a keelless ship bottom up. Out came the head belonging to it, and a spout like an explosion burst forth, denoting the presence of an enormous bull-cachalot. Close by his side was a cow of about one-third his size, the favored sultana of his harem, 1 suppose. Prudence whispered, " Go for the cow ; " Ambition hissed, " All or none— the bull, the bull.'* Fortunately emergencies of this kind leave one but a second or two to decide, as a rule ; in this case, as it happened, I was spared even that mental conflict, for as we ran up between the two vast creatures, Samuela, never even looking at the cow, hurled his harpoon, with all the energy that he had been bursting with so long, at the mighty bull. I watched its flight — saw it enter the black mass and disappear to the shaft, and almost immediately came the second iron, within a foot of the first, burying it- self in the same solid fashion. " Stam — stam all ! *' I shouted ; and we backed slowly away, considerably hampered by the persistent attentions of the cow, who hung round us closely. The temptation to lance her was certainly great, but I remembered the fate that had overtaken the skipper on the first occasion we struck whales, and did not meddle with her ladyship. Our prey was not appar- ently disposed to kick up much fuss at first, so, anx- ious to settle matters, I changed ends with Samuela, and pulled in on the whale. A good, steady lance- j thrust — the first I had ever delivered — was obtained, sending a thrill of triumph through my whole body. The recipient, thoroughly roused by this, started off at a gr^at lick, accompanied, somewhat to my surprise, by the cow. Thenceforward for another hour, in spite y^^^y „.„.^. t^itta-ji. I OAT THE " LINK " GROUNDS. 221 of all our efforts, we could not get within striking dis- tance, mainly because of the close attention of the cow, which stuck to her lord like a calf to its mother. I was getting so impatient of this hindrance, that it \v:is all I could do to restrain myself from lancing the ( o.v, though I felt convinced that, if I did, I should •jjoil a good job. Suddenly I caught sight of the ship 1 i^iht ahead. We were still flying along, so that in a short time we were comparatively close to her. My heart beat high, and I burned to distinguish myself under the friendly and appreciative eye of the skipper. None of the other boats were insight, from our level at least, so that I had a reasonable hope of be- ing able to finish my game, with all the glory there- unto attaching, unshared by any other of my fellow- officers. As we ran quite closely past the ship, call- ing on the crew to haul up for all they were worth, we managed actually to squeeze past the cow, and I got in a really deadly blow. The point of the lance i entered just between ' the fin and the eye, but higher up, missing the broad plate of the shoulder-blade, and sinking its whole four feet over the hitches right down into the animal's vitals. Then, for the first time, he threw up his flukes, thrashing them from side to side almost round to his head, and raising such a turmoil that we were half full of water in a moment. But Samuela was so quick at the steer-oar, so lithe and forceful, and withal appeared so to anticipate every move of mine, that there seemed hardly any danger. After a few moments of this tremendous exertion, lour victim settled down, leaving the water deeply stained with his gushing blood. With him disappeared his constant companion, the faithful cow, who had never left his side a minute since we first got fast, Down, down they went, until my line began to look ■ti ■y 1 , :i iii 222 THE CRUISE OF THE « CACHALOT:* very low, and I was compelled to make signals to the ship for more. We had hardly e'evated the oars, when down dropped the last boat with four men in hev, arriving by my side in a few minutes with two fresh tubs of tow-line. We took them on board, and the boat returned agaii^. By the time the slack came we had about four hundred and fifty fathoms out — a goodly heap to pile up loose in our stem-sheets. I felt sure, however, that we should have but little more trouble with our fish ; in fact, I was half afraid that he would die before getting to the surface, in which case he might sink and be lost. We hauled steadily away, the line not coming in very easily, until I judged there was only about another hundred fathoms out. Our amazement may be imagined, when sud- denly we were compelled to slack away again, the sudden weight on the line suggesting that the fish was again sounding. If ever a young hand was perplexed, it was I. Never before had I heard of such unseemly behavior, nor was my anxiety lessened when I saw, a short distance away, the huge body of my prize at the surface spouting blood. At the same time, I was paying out line at a good rate, as if I had a fast fish on which was sounding briskly. The skipper had been watching me very closely from his seat on the taff rail, and had kept the ship within easy distance. Now, suspecting something out of the common, he sent the boat again to my assistance, in charge of the cooper. When that worthy ariived, he said, " Th* oP man reckens yew've got snarled erp 'ith thet ar' loose keow, 'n' y'r irons hev draw'd from th' other. I'm gwine ter wait on him, *n' get him 'longside 'soon's he's out'er his flurry. Ole man sez yew'd best wait on what's fast t' yer an' nev' mine th* other." Away he went, reaching my prize 'I ffll ON THE ''LINE'' GROUNDS. 223 just as the last feeble spout exhaled, leaving the dregs of that great flood of life trickling lazily down from the widely-expanded spiracle. To drive a harpoon into the carcass, and run the line on board, was the simplest of jobs, for, as the captain had foreseen, my irons were drawn clean. I had no leisure to take any notice of them now, though, for whatever was on my line was coming up hand-over-fist. With a bound it reached the surface — the identical cow so long attendant upon the dead whale. Having been so long below for such a small whale, she was quite exhausted, and before she had recovered we had got alongside of her and lanced her, so thoroughly that she died without a struggle. The ship was so close that we had her alongside in a wonderfully short time, and with scarcely any trouble. When I reached the deck, the skipper called me, and said several things that made me feel about six inches taller. He was, as may be thought, exceedingly pleased, saying that only once in his long career had he seen a similar case ; for I forgot to mention that the line was entangled around the cow's down-hanging jaw, as if she had actually tried to bite in two the rope that held her consort, and only succeeded in sharing his fate. I would not like to say that whales do not try to thus sever a line, but, their teeth being several inches apart, conical, and fitting into* sockets in the upper jaw instead of meeting the opposed surfaces of other teeth, the accomplishment of such a feat must, I think, be impossible. The ship being now as good as anchored by the vast mass of flesh hanging to her, there was a tremendous j task awaiting us to get the otiier fish alongside. Of course they were all to windward ; they nearly always I are, unless the ship is persistentiy "turned to wind- 1^ i. 15 n ;i il I •5i ■•!j 224 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* ward " while the fishing is going on. Whalers believe that they always work up into the wind while fast, and, when dead, it is certain that they drift at a pretty good rate right in the " wind's eye." This is account- ed for by the play of the body, which naturally lies head to wind ; and the wash of the flukes, which, acting somewhat like the "sculViig '' of an oar at the stern of a boat, propel the carcass in the direction it is pointing. Consequently we had an awful amount of towing to do before we got the three cows alongside. Many a time we blessed ourselves that they were no bigger, for of all the clumsy thing to tow with boats, a sperm whale is about the worst. Owing to the great square mass of the head, they can hardly be towed head-on at all, the practise being to cut off the tips of the flukes, and tow them tail first. But even then it is slavery. To dip your oar about three times in the same hole from whence you withdrew it, to tug at it with all your might, apparently making as much progress as though you were fast to a dock-wall, and to continue this fun for four or five hours at a stretch, is to wonder indeed whether you have not mistaken your vocation. However, " it's dogged as does it," so by dint of sheer sticking to the oar, we eventually succeeded in getting all our prizes alongside before eight bells that evening, securing them around us by hawsers to the cows, but giving the big bull the post of honor along- side on the best fluke-chain. We were a busy company for a fortnight thence, until the last of the oil was run below — two hundred and fifty barrels, or twenty-five tuns, of the valuable fluid having rewarded our exfertions. During these opera- tions we had drifted night and day, apparently with- out Anybody taking the slightest account of the direc- 01^ THE "LINE"' GROUNDS, 22$ tion we were taking ; when, therefore, on the day alter clearing up the last traces of our fishing, the cry of " Land ho 1 " came ringing down from the crow's- nest, no one was surprised, although the part of the Pacific in which we were cruisir'^ has but few patches of terra firma scattered abci* o'^er its immense area when compared with the crowded archipelagoes lying farther south and east. Wc could not see the reported land from the deck for two hours after it was first seen from aloft, although the odd spectacle of a scattered group of cocoa-nut trees apparently growing out of the sea was for some time presented to us before the island itself came inlo view. It was Christmas Island, where the indefati- gable Captain Cook landed on December 24, 1777, for the purpose of making accurate obser\'ations of an eclipse of the sun. He it was who gave to this lonely atoll the name it has ever since borne, with charac- teristic modesty giving his own great name to a tiny patch of coral which almost blocks the entrance to the central lagoon. Here we lay " ciT and on " for a cou]>le of days, while foraging parties went ashore, returning at intervals with abundance of turtle and sea-fowls' eggs. But any detailed account of their proceedings must be ruthlessly curtailed, owing to the scanty limits of space remaining. *5 i 'I it ,'; li I I,: % ifi 226 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT,'' CHAPTER XDC EDGING SOUTHWARD. The line whaling grounds embrace an exceedingly extensive area, over the whole of which sperm whales may be found, generally of medium size. No means of estimating the probable plenty or scarcity of them in any given part of the grounds exist, so that falling in with them is purely a matter of coincidence. To me it seems a conclusive proof of the enormous num- bers of sperm whales frequenting certain large breadths of ocean, that they should be so often fallen in with, remembering what a little spot is represented by a day's cruise, and that the signs which denote almost infallibly the vicinity of right whales are entirely absent in the case of the cachalot. In the narrow waters of the Greenland seas, with quite a small number of vessels seeking, it is hardly possible for a whale of any size to escape being seen ; but in the open ocean a goodly, fleet may cruise over a space of a hundred thousand square miles without meeting any of the whales that may yet be there in large numbers. So that when one hears talk of the extinc- tion of the cachalot, it is well to bear in mind that such a thing would take a long series of years to effect, even were the whaling business waxing instead of waning. While, however. South Sea whaling is con- ducted on such old-world methods as still obtain; while steam, with all the power it gives of rapidly flealing with a catch, is not made use of, the art and \M EDGING S JTHWARD. 327 mystery of the whale-fisher must continually decrease. No such valuable lubricant has ever been found as sperm oil ; but the cost of its production, added to the precarious nature of the supply, so handicaps it in the competition with substitutes that ,it has been practically eliminated from the English markets, ex- cept in such greatly adulterated forms as to render it a lie to speak of the mixture as sperm oil at all. Except to a few whose minds to them are king- doms, and others who can hardly be said to have any minds at all, the long monotony of unsuccessful seek- ing for whales is very wearying. The ceaseless motion of the vessel rocking at the center of a circular space of blue, with a perfectly symmetrical dome of azure enclosing her above, unfiecked by a single cloud, becomes at last almost unbearable from its change- less sameness of environment. Were it not for the trivial round and common task of everyday ship duty, some of the crew must become idiotit, or, in sheer rage at the want of interest in their lives, commit mutiny. Such a weary time was ours for full four weeks after sighting Christmas Island. The fine haul we had obtained just previous to that day seemed to have exhausted our luck for the time being, for never a spout did we see. And it was with no ordinary delight that we hailed the advent of an immense school of black-fish, the first we had run across for a long time. Determined to have a big catch, if possible, we lowered all five boats, as it was a beautifully calm day, and the ship might almost safely have been left to look after herself. After what we had recently been ac- customed to, the game seemed trifling to get up much excitement over; but still, for a good day's sporty commend me to a few lively black-fish. ■I hi 1 I'l: A 228 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT"^ In less than ten minutes we were in the thick of the crowd, with harpoons fiying right and left. Such a scene of wild confusion and uproarious merriment ensued as I never saw before in my life. The skip- per, true to his traditions, got fast to four, all running different ways at once, and making the calm sea boil again with their frantic gyrations. Each of the other boats got hold of three ; but, the mate getting too near me, our fish got so inextricably tangled up that it was hopeless to try and distinguish between each other's prizes. However, when we got the lances to work among them, the hubbub calmed down greatly, and the big bodies one by one ceased their gambols, floating supine. So far, all had been gay ; but the unlucky second mate must needs go and do a thing that spoiled a day's fun entirely. The line runs through a deep groove in the boat's stem, over a brass roller so fitted that when the line is running out it remains fixed, but when hauling in it revolves freely, assisting the work a great deal. The second mate had three fish fast, like the rest of us — the first one on the end of the main line, the other two on " short warps," or pieces of whale-line some eight or ten fathoms long fastened to harpoons, with the other ends running on the mail! line by means of bowlines round it. By some mistake or other he had allowed the two lines to be hauled together through the groove in his boat's stem, and before the error was noticed two fish spurted off in opposite directions, ripping the boat in two halves lengthways, like a Dutchman splitting a salt herring. Away went the fish with the whole of the line, nobody being able to get at it to cut ; and, but for the presence of mind shown by the crew in striking out and away from the tangle^ a most ghastly mis- fortu occu outw incor grour Th and s say, d want being just re the w someu corrob my ow fullest Hap would shipma fish, af whales, necessa saved, time w( deck w( new rkg not troi the balr doubly 5 Our r haul we board w noon, this occi great siz EDGING SOUTHWARD, aa9 fortune, involving the loss of several lives, must have occurred. As it was, the loss was considerable, almost outweighing the gain on the day's fishing, besides the inconvenience of having a boat useless on whaling grounds. The accident was the fruit of gross carelessness, and should never have occurred ; but then, strange to say, disasters to whale-boats are nearly always due to want of care, the percentage of unavoidable casualties being very small as compared with those like the one just related. When the highly dangerous nature of the work is remembered, this statement may seem somewhat overdrawn ; but it has been so frequently corrobonted by others, whose experience far outweighs my own, that I do not hesitate to make it with the fullest confidence in its truth. Happily no lives were lost on this occasion, for it would have indeed been grievous to have seen our shipmates sacrificed to the manes of a mere black- fish, after successfully encountering so many mighty whales. The episode gave us a great deal of un- necessary work getting the two halves of the boat saved, in addition to securing our fish, so that by the time we got the twelve remaining carcasses hove on deck we were all quite fagged out. But under the new rkgime we were sure of a good rest, so that did not trouble us ; it rather made the lounge on beck in the balmy evening air and the well-filled pipe of peace doubly sweet. Our next day*s work completed the skinning of the haul we had made, the last of the carcasses going over- board with a thunderous splash at four in the after- noon. The assemblage of sharks round the ship on this occasion was incredible for its number and the great size of the creatures. Certainly no mariners see \ :i: 230 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTS SO many or such huge sharks as whalemen ; but, in spite of all our previous experience, this day touched high-water mark. Many of these fish were of a size undreamed of by the ordinary seafarer, some of them full thirty feet in length, more like whales than sharks. Most of them were striped diagonally with bands of yellow, contrasting curiously with the dingy gray of their normal color. From this marking is derived their popular name — " tiger sharks," not, as might be supposed, from their ferocity. That attribute can- not properly be applied to the squalus at all, which is one of the most timid fish afloat, and whose ill name, as far as regards bloodthirstiness, is quite underserved. Rapacious the shark certainly is ; but what sea-fish is not ? He is not at all particular as to his diet ; but what sea-fish is ? With such a great bulk of body, such enormous vitality and vigor to support, he must needs be ever eating ; and since he is not constructed on swift enough lines to enable him to prey upon living fish, like most of his neigh- bors, he is perforce compelled to play the humble but useful part of a sea-scavenger. He eats man, as he eats anything else eatable, because in the water man is easily caught, and not from natural depravity br an acquired taste begetting a decided preference for human flesh. All natives of shores infested by sharks despise him and his alleged man-eating propensities, knowing that a very feeble splashing will suffice to frighten him away even if ever so hungry. Demerara River literally swarms with sharks, yet I have often seen a negro, clad only in a beaming smile, slip into its muddy waters, and, after a few sharp blows with his open hand upon the sur- face, calmly swim down to the bottom, clear a ship's anchor, or do whatever job was required, coming up agaii disre ular amoi ties \ the n most besai amon then i where his to] similai will liv I 01 hauled tail. : motion my int< article ; shark's vertebn side to Beneath normal come a this shai wrenchii body in pletely. by natur many tii course, ii perience have bee EDGING SOUTHWARD, 231 again as leisurely as if in a swimming-bath. A similar disregard of the dangerous attributes awarded by pop- ular consent to the shark may be witnessed everywhere among the people who know him best. The cruel- ties perpetrated upon sharks by seamen generally are the result of ignorance and superstition combined, the most infernal forces known to humanity. What would be said at home of such an act, if it could be witnessed among us, as the disemboweling of a tiger, say, and then letting him run in that horrible condition some- where remote from the possibility of retaliating upon his torturers ? Yet that is hardly comparable with a similar atrocity performed upon a shark, because he will live hours to the tiger's minutes in such a condition. I once caught a shark nine feet long, which we hauled on board and killed by cutting oflf its head and tail. It died very speedily — for a shark — all muscular motion ceasing in less than fifteen minutes. It was my intention to prepare that useless and unornamental article so dear to sailors — a walking-stick made of a shark's backbone. But when I came to cut out the vertebra, I noticed a large scar, extending from one side to the other, right across the center of the back. Beneath it the backbone was thickened to treble its normal size, and perfectly rigid ; in fact, it had be- come a mass of solid bone. At some time or other this shark had been harpooned so severely that, in wrenching himself free, he must have nearly torn his body in two halves, severing the spinal column com- pletely. Yet such a wound as that had been healed by natural process, the bone knit together again with many times the strength it had before — minus, of course, its flexibility — and I can testify from the ex- perience of securing him that he could not possibly have been more vigorous than he was. >^ I IT 232 THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* A favorite practise used to be — I trust it is so no longer — to catch a shark, and, after driving a sharpened stake down through his upper jaw and out underneath the lower one, so' that its upper portion pointed diagonally forward, to let him go again. The consequence of this cruelty would be that the fish was unable to open his mouth, or go in any direction with- out immediately coming to the surface. How long he might linger in such torture, one can only guess ; but unless his fellows, finding him thus helpless, came along and kindly devoured him, no doubt he would exist in extreme agony for a very long time. Two more small cows were all that rewarded our search during the next fortnight, and we began to feel serious doubts as to the success of our season upon the line grounds, after all. Still, on the whole, our voyage up to the present had not been what might fairly be called unsuccessful, for we were not yet two years away from New Bedford, while we had con- siderably more than two thousand barrels of oil on board — more, in fact, than two-thirds of a full cargo. But if a whale were caught every other day for six months, and then a month elapsed without any being seen, grumbling would be loud and frequent, all the previous success being f,orgotten in the present stag- nation. Perhaps it is not so different in other pro- fessions nearer home ? Christmas day drew near, beloved of Englishmen all the world over, though thought little of by Americans. The two previous ones spent on board the Cachalot have been passed over without mention, absolutely no notice being taken of the season by any one on board, to all appearance. In English ships some attempt is always made to give the day somewhat of a festive character, and to maintain the national tradition of EDGING SOUTHWARD, 233 good-cheer and goodwill in whatever part of the worid you may happen to be. For some reason or other, perhaps because of the great increase in comfort we had all experienced lately, I felt the approach of the great Christian anniversary very strongly ;. although, had I been in London, I should probably have spent it in lonely gloom, having no relatives or friends whom I might visit. But what of that? Christmas is Christ- mas ; and, if we have no home, we think of the place where our home should be ; and whether, as cynics sneer, Dickens invented the English Christmas or not, its observance has taken deep root among us. May its shadow never be less ! On Christmas morning I mounted to the crow*s- aest at daybreak, and stood looking with never-failing iwe at the daily marvel of the sunrise. Often and oiten have I felt choking for words to express the tumult of thoughts aroused by this sublime spectacle. Hanging there in cloudland, the tiny microcosm at one's feet forgotten, the grandeur of the celestial out- look is overwhelming. Many and many a time I have bowed my head and wept in pure reverence at the majesty manifested around me while the glory of the dawn increased and brightened, till with one exultant bound the sun appeared. For some lime I stood gazing straight ahead of me with eyes mar saw not, filled with wonder and admira- tion. I must nave been looking directly at the same spot for quite a .quarter of an hour, when suddenly, as if I had but just opened my eyes, I saw the well-known bushy spout of a sperm whale. I raised the usual yell, which rang througn ihe stillness discordantly, startling all hands out of their letnargy like bees out of a hive. After the usual preliminaries, we were all afloat with sails set, gliding slowly over the sleeping sea towards II • 1). % X ■\ "\ 234 "^^^ CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT:* the unconscious objects of our attention. The captain did not lower this time, as there only appeared to be three fish, none of them seeming large. Though at any distance it is extremely difficult to assess the size of whales, the spout being very misleading. Some- times a full-sized whale will show a small spout, while a twenty-barrel cow will exhale a volume of vapor ex- tensive enough for two or three at once. Now although, according to etiquette, I kept my position in the rear of my superior officers, I had fully determined in my own mind, being puffed up with previous success, to play second fiddle to no one, if I could help it, this time. Samuela was decidedly of the same opinion ; indeed, I believe he would have been delighted to uckle a whole school single-handed, while my crew were all willing and eager for the fight. We had a long, tedious journey before we came up with them, the wind being so light that even with the occasional assistance of the paddles our progress was wretchedly slow. When at last we did get into their water, and the mate's harpooner stood up to dart, his foot slipped, and down he came with a clatter enough to scare a cachalot twenty miles away. It gallied our friends effectually, sending them flying in different directions at the top of their speed. But being some distance astern of the other boats, one of the fish, in his headlong retreat, rose for a final blow some six or seven fathoms away, passing us in the opposite direc- tion. His appearance was only momentary, yet in that moment Samuela hurled his harpoon into the air, where it described a beautiful parabola, coming down upon the disappearing monster's back just as the sea was closmg over it. Oh, it was a splendid dart, worthy of the finest harpooner that ever lived I There was no time for congratulations^ however^ for we spun EDGING SOUTHWARD, ^1% round as on a pivot, and away we went in the wake of that fellow at a great rate. I cast one look astern to see whether the others had struck, but could see nothing of them ; we seemed to have sprung out of their ken in an instant. The speed of our friend was marvelous, but 1 com- forted myself with the knowledge that these animals usually run in circles — sometimes, it is true, of enor- mous diameter, but seldom getting far away from their starting-point. But as the time went on, and we seemed to fly over the waves at undiminished speed, I began to think this whale might be the exceptiori necessary to prove the rule, so 1 got out the compass au.^ watched his course. Due east, not a degree to tiO^ o • south of it, straight as a bee to its hive. Th" -i^p was now far out of sight astern, but I knew that keen eyes had been watching our movements ftom the masthead, and that every effort possible would be made to keep the run of us. The speed of our whale was not only great, but unflagging. He was more like a machine than an animal capable of tiring ; and though we did our level best, at the faint- est symptom of slackening, to get up closer and lance him, it was for some time impossible. After, at a rough estimate, running in a direct easterly course for over two hours, he suddenly sounded, without having given us the ghost of a chance to " land him one where he lived." Judging from his previous exertions, though, it was hardly possible he would be able to stay down long, or get very deep, as the strain upon these vast creatures at any depth is astonishingly ex- hausting. After a longer stay below than usual, when they have gone extra deep, they often arrive at the surface manifestly " done up " for a time. Then, If the whaleman be active and daring, a few well- "3 i: !'' I ; i ; i 't' 236 THE CRUISE OF THE '' CACHALOT"* directed strokes may be got in which will promptly settle the business out of hand. Now, when ray whale sounded he was to all appear- ance as frightened a beast as one could wish — one who had run himself out endeavoring to get away from his enemies, and as a last resource had dived into the quietness below in the vain hope to get away. So I regarded him, making up my mind to wait on him with diligence upon his arrival, and not allow him to get breath before I had settled him. But when he did return there was a mighty difference in him. He seemed as if he had been getting some tips on the subject from some school below where whales are trained to hunt men ; for his first move was to come straight for me with a furious rush, carrying the war into the enemy's country with a vengeance. It must be remembered that I was but young, and a compara- tively new hand at this sort of thing ; so when I con- fess that I felt more than a little scared at this sudden change in the tactics of my opponent, I hope I shall be excused. Remembering, however, that all our lives depended on keeping cool, I told myself that even if I was frightened I must not go all to pieces^ but compel myself to think and act calmly, since I was responsible for others. If the animal had not been in so blind a fury, I am afraid my task would have been much harder ; but he was mad, and his savage rushes were, though disquieting, unsystematic and clumsy. It was essential, however, that he should not be allowed to persist too long in his evil courses , for a whale learns with amazing rapidity, developing such cunning in an hour or two that all a man's smartness may be unable to cope with his newly-acquired experience. Happily, Samuela was perfectly unmoved. Like a machine, he obeyed every gesture, every look even. EDGING SOUTHWARD, 237 swinging the boat " off " or " on " the whale with such sweeping strokes of his mighty oar that she revolved as if on a pivot, and encouraging the other chaps with his cheerful cries and odd grimaces, so that the danger was hardly felt. During a momentary lull in the storm, I took the opportunity to load my bomb- gun, much as I disliked handling the thing, keeping my eye all the time on the water around where I expected to see mine enemy popping up murderously at any minute. Just as I had expected, when he rose, it was very close, and on his back, with his jaw in the first biting position, looking ugly as a vision of death. Finding us a little out of reach, he rolled right over towards us, presenting as he did so the great rotundity of his belly. We were not twenty feet away, and I snatched up the gun, leveled it, and fired the bomb point-blank into his bowels, Then all was blank. I do not even remember the next moment. A rush of roaring waters, a fighting with fearful, desperate energy for air and life, all in a hurried, flurried phantasmagoria about which there was nothing clear except the prim- itive desire for life, life, life ! Nor do I know how long this struggle lasted, except that, in the nature of things, it could not have been very long. When I returned , to a consciousness of external things, I was for some time perfectly still', looking at the sky, totally unable to realize what had happened or where I was. Presently the smiling, pleasant face of Samuela bent over me. Meeting my gratified look of recognition, he set up a perfect yell of delight. " So glad, so glad you blonga life ! No go Davy Jonesy dis time, hay? " I put my hand out to help myself to a sitting posture, and touched blubber. That startled mo so that I sprung up as if shot. Then I took in the situation at a glance. There were all i. m 11^ I 'i ti 238 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT** my poor fellows with me, stranded upon the top of our late antagonist, but no sign of the boat to be seen. Bewildered at the state of affairs, 1 looked appealingly from one to the other for an explanation. I got it from Abner, who said, laconically, " When yew fired thet ole gun, I guess it mus' have bin loaded fer bear, fer ye jest tumbled clar head over heels backwards outen the boat. Et that very same moment I suspicion the bomb busted in his belly, fer he went clean rampageous loony. He rolled right over an' over to'rds us, n' befo* we c'd rightly see wat wuz comin', we cu'dnt see anythin' 'tall ; we wuz all grabbin' at nothin', some'rs underneath the whale. When I come to the top, I lit eout fer the fust thing I c'd see to lay holt of, which wuz old squarhead himself, deader 'n pork. I guess thet ar bomb o' yourn kinder upset his commissary department. Anyway, I climed up onto him, 'n bime-by the rest ov us histed themselves along- side ov me. Sam Weller here ; he cum last, towin' you 'long with him. I don'no whar he foun' ye, but ye was very near a goner, 'n's full o' pickle as ye c'd hold." I turned a grateful eye upon my dusky har- pooner, who had saved my life, but was now appar- ently blissfully unconscious of having done anything meritorious. Behold us, then, a half-drowned row of scarecrows perched, like some new species of dilapidated birds, upon the side of our late foe. The sun was not so furiously hot as usual, for masses of rain-laden nimbi were filling the sky, so that we were comparatively free from the awful roasting we might have expected ; nor was our position as precarious for a while as would be thought. True, we had only one harpoon, with its still fast line, to hold on by ; but the side of the whale was somehow hollowed, so that, in spite of EDGING SOUTHWARD, 239 the incessant movement imparted to the carcass by the swell, we sat fairly safe, with our feet in the said hollow. We discussed the situation in all its bearings, unable to extract more than the faintest gleam of hope from any aspect of the case. The only reason- able chance we had w?s, that the skipper had almost certainly taken ' \r irings, and would, we were sure, be anxiously seeki^^' us on the cou « thus indi- cated. Meanwhile, we were ravenously hungry and thirsty. Samuela and Polly set to work with their sheath-knives, and soon excavated a space in the blubber to enable them to reach the meat. Then they cut off some good -sized junks, and divided it up. It was not half bad ; and, as we chewed on the tough black fiber, I could hardly help smiling as I thought how quee^ a Christmas dinner we were having. But eating soon heightened our thirst, and our real sufferings then began. We could eat very little once the want of drink made itself felt. Hardly two hours had elapsed, though, before one of the big- bellied clouds which had been keeping the sun off us most considerately emptied out upon us a perfect torrent of rain. It filled the cavity in the whale's side in a twinkling ; and though the water was greasy, stained with blood, and vilely flavored, it was as welcome a drink as I have ever tasted. Thus fed, and with our thirst slaked, we were able to take a more hopeful view of things, while the prospect of our being found seemed much more probable than it had done before the rain fell. Still, we had to endure our pillory for a long while yet. The sharks and birds began to worry us, especi- ally the former, who in their eagerness to get a portion of the blubber fought, writhed, and tore at the carcass with tireless energy. Ooce^ one of the smaller ones 1 i ■ I; 1 i;i 240 T/f£ CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOTS actually came sliding up right into our hollow ; but Samuela and Polly promptly despatched him with a cut throat, sending him back to encourage the others. The present relieved us of most of their attentions for a short time at least, as they eagerly divided the remains of their late comrade among them. To while away the time we spun yams — without much point, I am afraid ; and sung songs, albeit we did not feel much like singing — till after a while our poor attempts at gaiety fizzled out like a damp match, leaving us silent and depressed. The sun, which had been hidden for some time, now came out again, his slanting beams revealing to us ominously the flight of time and the near approach of night. Should dark- ness overtake us in our present, position, we all felt that saving us would need the performance of a miracle ; for in addition to the chances of the accumu- lated gases within the carcass bursting it asunder, the unceasing assault of the sharks made it highly doubt- ful whether they would not in a few hours more have devoured it piecemeal. Already they Lad scooped out some deep furrows in the solid blubber, making it easier to get hold and tear off more, and their numbers were increasing so fast that the surrounding sea was fairly alive with them. Lower and lower sank the sun, deeper and darker grew the gloom upon our faces, till suddenly Samuela leaped to his feet in our midst, and emitted a yell so ear-piercing as to nearly deafen us. He saw the ship ! Before two minutes had passed we all saw her — God bless her ! — coming down upon us like some angelic messenger. There were no fears among us that we should be over- looked. We knew full well how anxiously and keenly many pairs of eyes had been peering over the sea in search of us^ and we felt perfectly sure they had EDGING SOUTHWARD. 241 but we sighted us long ago. On she came, gilded by the evening glow, till she seemed glorified, moving in a halo of celestial light, all her homeliness and clumsy build forgotten in what she then represented to us. Never before or since has a ship looked like that to me, nor can I ever forget the thankfulness, the de- light, the reverence, with which I once more saw her approaching. Straight down upon us she bore, round- ing to within a cable's length, and dropping a boat simultaneously with her windward sweep. They had no whale — well for us they had not. In five minutes we were on board, while our late resting-pV ce was being hauled alongside with great glee. The captain shook hands with me cordially, pooh- poohing the loss of the boat as an unavoidable in- cident of the trade, but expressing his heartfelt de- light at getting us all back safe. The whale we had killed was ample compensation for the loss of several boats, though such was the vigor with which the sharks were going for him, that it was deemed advisable to cut in at once, working all night. We who had been rescued, however, were summarily ordered below by the skipper, and forbidden, on pain of his severe dis- pleasure, to reappear until the following morning. This great privilege we gladly availed ourselves of, awaking at daylight quite well and fit, not a bit the worse for our queer experience of the previous day. The whale proved a great acquisition, for although not nearly so large as many we had caught, he was so amazingly rich in blubber that he actually yielded twelve and a half tons of oil, in spite of the heavy toll taken of him by the hungry multitudes of sharks. In addition to the oil, we were fortunate enough to secure a lump of ambergris,' dislodged perhaps by the explosion of my bomb in the animal's bowels. It was 16 ■u ■ I 1. 1| -■':t 'U 242 THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTS nearly black, wax-like to the touch, and weighed seven pounds and a half. At the current price, it would be worth about ;£200, so that, taken altogether, the whale very nearly approached in value the largest one we had yet caught. I had almost omitted to state that incorporated with the substance of the ambergris were several of the horny cuttle-fish beaks, which, in- capable of being digested, had become in some manner part of this peculiar product. CHAPTER XX. **HUMPBACKING " AT VAU VAU, Another three weeks' cruising brought us to the end of the season on the line, which had certainly not answered all our expectations, although we had per- ceptibly increased the old barky 's draught during our stay. Whether from love of change or belief in the possibilities of a good haul, I can hardly say, but Captain Count decided to make the best of his way south, to the middle group of the " Friendly " Archi- pelago, known as Vau Vau, the other portions being called Hapai and Toogataboo respectively, for a season's " humpbacking." From all I could gather, we were likely to have a good time there, so I looked forward to the visit with a great deal of pleasurable anticipation. We were bound to make a call at Vau Vau, in any case, to discharge our Kanakas shipped at Honolulu, although I fervently honed to be able to keep my brave haipooner Ssimuela. So when I heard of our *'HUMPBACKING'' AT VAC/ VAU. 243 destination, I sounded him cautiously as to his wishes in the matter, finding that, while he was both pleased with and proud of his position on board, he was long- ing greatly for his own orange grove and the embraces of a certain tender " fafin^ " that he averred was there awaiting him. With such excellent reasons for his leaving us, I could but forbear to persuade him, sympathizing with him too deeply to wish him away from such joys as he described to me. So we bade farewell to the line grounds, and com- menced another stretch to the south, another mile- stone, as it were, on the long road home. Prosaic and uneventful to the last degree was our passage, the only incident worth recording being our " gamming " of the Passamaquoddy^ of Martha's Vineyard, South Sea whaler ; eighteen months out, with one thousand barrels of sperm oil on board. We felt quite veterans alongside of her crew, and our yarns laid over theirs to such an extent that they were quite disgusted at their lack of experience. Some of them had known our late skipper, but none of them had a good word for him, the old maxim, " Speak nothing but good of the dead," being most flagrantly set at nought. One of her crew was a Whitechapelian, who had been roving about the world for a good many years. Amongst other experiences, he had, after " jump- ing the bounty " two or three times, found himself a sergeant in the Federal Army before Gettysburg. During that most bloody battle, he informed me that a " Reb " drew a bead on him at about a dozen yards distance, and fired. He said he felt just as if some- body had punched him in the chest, and knocked him flat on his back on top of a sharp stone — no pain at all, nor any further recollection of what had hap- pened, until he found himself at the base, in hospital. Si I '■ ill li 1:. :i I ! i i| -nil 11 244 ^-^^ CRUISE OF THE » CACHALOT** When the surgeons came to examine him for the bullet, they found that it had struck the broad brass plate of his cross-belt fairly in the middle, penetrat- ing it and shattering his breast bone. But after tor- turing him vilely with the probe, they were about to give up the search in despair, when he told them he felt a pain in his back. Examining the spot in- dicated by him, they found a bullet just beneath the skin, which a touch with the knife allowed to tumble out. Further examination revealed the strange fact that the bullet, after striking his breastbone, had glanced aside and traveled round his body just be- neath the skin, without doing him any further harm. In proof of his story, he showed me the two scars and the perforated buckle-plate. At another time, being in charge of a picket of Germans, he and his command were captured by a party of Confederates, who haled him before their colonel, a southern gentleman of the old school. In the course of his interrogation by the southern officer, he was asked where he hailed irom. He replied, "London, England." "Then," said the colonel, " how is it you find yourself fighting for these ac- cursed Yankees? " The cockney faltered out some feeble excuse or another, which his captor cut short by saying, " Fve a great respect for the English, and consequently I'll let you go this time. But if ever I catch you again, you're gone up. As for those d d Dutchmen, they'll be strung up inside of five minutes." And they were. So with yarn, song, and dance, the evening passed pleasantly away ; while the two old hookers jogged amicably along side by side, like two market-horses whose drivers are having a friendly crack. Along about midnight we exchanged ciews again, and parted ""HUMPBACKINC* AT VAU VAU. 245 with many expressions of good- will — we to the south- ward, she to the eastward, for some particular preserve believed in by her commander. In process of time we made the land of Vau Vau, a picturesque densely wooded, and in many places precipitous, group of islands, the approach being singularly free from dangers in the shape of partly hidden reefs. Long and intricate where the pas- sages we threaded, until we finally came to ancnor in a lovely little bay perfectly sheltered from all winds. We moored, within a mile of a dazzling white berch, in twelve fathoms. A few native houses embowered in orange and cocoa-nut trees showed her^ and there, while the two horns of the bay were steep-to, and covered with verdure almost down to the water'., edge. The anchor was hardly down before a ^cT^ect fleet of canoes flocked around us, all carryi'ig the familiar balancing outrigger, without which those narrow dugouts cannot possibly keep upright. Their occupants swarmed on board, laughing and playing like so many children, and with all sorts of v inning gestures and tones besought our friendship. " You my flem ? " was the one question which all asked ; but what its import might be we could not guess for some time. By and by it appeared that when once you had agreed to accept a native Tor your " flem," or friend, he from henceforward feit \\\ duty bound to attend to all your wants which it lay within his power to supply. This important preliminary settled, fruit and provisions of various kinds appeared as if by magic. Huge baskets of luscious oranges, mas- sive bunches of gold and green bananas, clusters of green cocoa-nuts, conch-shells full of chillies, fowls loudly protesting against their hard fate, gourds full of eggs, and a few vociferous swine — all came tumbling M