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THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT"

• *•■• • •- ..

V*-

Fni)\ri:*piKCK.

THE "CACHALOT."

(-See page 3.)

<PIKCK.

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SI' '.'i .'."1.1 i ir i: l'i:i,M WIIAI.KS

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'; I

THE CRUISE OF THE

CACHALOT "

liOUNlJ THE WOllLli AFTEI! SI'EliM WHALES

FRANK T. BULLEN

FlllUT HATE

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON
SMITH, ELDER & CO., If), WATERLOO PLACE

1898

{All riylttt reserved)

^; ■>

TO .

Miss KMIhY HENSLRY
m

• iUATEKll. UKMKMHUAXCE OK
TIURTY YKAUS' CONSTANT KKIENDSHII' AND I'UACTICAI, IIEI.I'

THIS WOIIK
IS AKKKCTIONATF.I.Y DKDICATEl)
BY HEll HL'MHIJ; PUl'IL

•, ';

I^ii3m

LETTEJl rrcdmf /,>/ the. Atdhor from Mr. RUDYARD
KfPLINd, II n fhi' hanh ii'o.K passing through the

Dbak Mtt, BtMJ.Kx,—

It in immotiHe — there is no other word.
I've never rtwl anything that equals it in its deep-
sea wonder and my«tcry; nor do I think that any
hook hefore \\m ho completely covered the whole
husinesH of wbalc-fiHhing, 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,

RUDYAED KIPLING.

l{orriK«ii>i;.\>r, Son. '1% 18!»H,

PREFACE.

Is the following pages an attempt has been made — it is
believed for the first time — to give an account of the
cruise of a South Sea whaler from the seaman's stand-
point. Two very useful books * have been published —
both of them over half a centmy ago — on the same sub-
ject ; but, being written by the surgeons of whale-ships
for scientific purposes, neither of them was interesting
to the general reader. They have both been long out
of print ; but their value to the student of natural history
has been, and still is, very great, Dr. Beale's book, in
particular, being still the authority on the sperm whale.
This book does not pretend to compete with either
of the above valuable works. Its aim is to present to
the general reader a simple account of the methods
employed, and the dangers met with, in a calling about
which the great mass of the public knows absolutely
nothing. Pending the advent of some great writer
who shall see the wonderful possibilities for litera-
ture contained in the world-wide wanderings of the
South Sea whale-fishers, the author has endeavoured

* "Narrative of a Whaling Voyage rouiitl the Globe," In- !•'. Debell
Bennett, F.U.C.S. (2 vols.). Bentley, London (1840). "The Sperm
'Vliale Fishery," by Tiiomas Beale, M.R.C.S. London : IS.'JO;.

VIII

PREFACE.

to Rummarize his experiences so that they may be read
without weariness, and, it is hoped, with profit.

The manifold shortcomings of the work will not, it is
trusted, be laid to the account of the subject, than which
none more interesting could well be imagined, but to the
limitations of the writer, whose long experience of sea
life has done little to foster the literary faculty.

One claim may be made with perfect confidence —
that if the manner be not all that could be wished,
the matter is entirely trustworthy, being compiled from
actual observation and experience, and in no case at
second-hand. An endeavour has also been made to
exclude 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.

F. T. B.

DiLWicii, Julyy 1897.

CONTENTS.

CIIArTEU I.

OUTWAUn HOUND,

Adrift in Now Bedford — I get a ship— A motley crowd — '• Built
by the mile, and cut oft* as you want 'em " — Mistnh Jones — •
Grcenies — Ott' to sea .......

PAUK

CIIAITKR 11.

I'KKl'AltrNC FOU ACTION.

I'riniitive steering-gear — Strange drill — Misery below — Sliort
commons — Goliath rigs the " crow's-nest" — Useful informa-
tion—Preparing for war — Strange weapons — A boat-load . 7

CHAPTER III.

FI.SIIIN'U HEOIXS.

The cleanliness of a whale-ship — No skiilknij^ — Porpoise-fishing
— Cannibals — Cooking operations — Boat-drill — A good look-
out — "Black-fishing" — Roguery in all trades — Plenty of
fresh beef — The nursery of American whalemen . . If)

CHAPTER IV.

nAD WEATIlElt.

Nautical routine — The first gale — Comfort versus speed — A grand
sea-boat — The Sargasso Sea — Natural history pursuits —
Dolphin — Unconventional fishing — Rumours 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

•>r.

VOS'ThWTS.

CHAl'TKU V.

ACTL'AL WAIIKAKK. OLK KIUST WIIALiC.

Premonitions — DiscusHion on wlmling from unknown preraiHses —
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 " outting-stngc " — Securing the whale alongside ,

CHAl'TEIl VI.

" DIKTY WOKK Foil CLKAX MONEY."

Goliath in trouble — Commence " cutting in " — A heavy head —
A tank of spermaceti — Decks running with oil — A " patent "
mincing-machine — Extensive cooking — Dangerous work —
Three tuns of oil — A horrible mess — A thin-skinned monster
— A fine mouth of teeth ......

r.toK

CIIAPTKR VII.

«iErriXG SOL'TIIWAKD.

Captain Slocum's amenities — Expensive beer — St. Paul's Rocks
" Bonito " — " Showery " weather — Waterspouts — Calms —
A friendly finback — A disquisition on whales by Mistali
Jones — Flying-fishing ....... 55

CHAPTER VIII.

auxek's whale.

Abner in luck — A big " fish " at last — A feat of endurance —
A fighting whale — The sperm whale's food — Ambergiis
— A good reception — Hard labour — Abner's reward —
"Scrimshaw" <i8

CHAPTEIl IX.

OLK FIRST CALLIXG-PLACE.

A forced march — Tristan d'Acunha — Visitors — Fresh provisions
— \ warm welcome — Goliath's turn — A feathered host —
Good gear — A rough time — Creeping north — Uncertainty —
" Rule of thumb " navigation — The Mozambique Chaiuiel . H5

VOMEXTS,

(JHAPTEU X.

A VISIT TO HUMK STKAXOK IM.ACK.S.

Tropical thuiulerstorms — A " record " Jay's fishiiif?— (Jctaceaii
frivolities — Mistah Jones moralizes — A smip harbour —
Woodini; and watering — Catching a turtle — Catching a
"Tartar" — A violent death — A crookod jaw— Aldabra
Island — Primeval inhabitjints — A strange steed — "Pirate"
birds — Good eggs — (Jrreen (.'ocoa-niits — More turtle — A
school of " kogia "

TAOt

ClIAPTKR XI.

liOUNI) TIIK COCOS AMU SKYCIIKLLKS.

Wo 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 . . . . 12H

CHAPTER XII.

WHICH TKKATS OF TIIK KUAKEX.

" Eyes and no eyes " at sea — Of big mollnsca — The origin of sea-
serpent stories — Rediscovery of the " Kraken " — .\ conflict
of monsters — "The insatiable nightmares of the sea" —
Spermaceti running to waste — The East Indian maze . 139

CHAPTER XIII.

OFF TO TIIK JAPAN OUOUSDS.

A whale oft" Hong Kong — The skipper and his " bomb-giui " —
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 ........

141»

CHAPTER XIV.

LIHEItTV DAY — AM) AITKI!.

Liberty day — I foregather with a " beaoh-combor " — A big fight
— Goliath on the war-i)atli — A com't-martial — Wholesale

XII

CONTESTS.

PAOK

flogging — A niiseraWe crowd — (iuitc a fleet of whale-ships ■
— I " rniHc " n Rpertn whale — Severe conipetition — An
unfortunate stroke — The skipper distinguishes himself . l<»l

CHAPTKU XV.

WlllCU COMES UXCOMFOIITAULV NKAU HKINO TIIK LAST.

I come to grief— Emulating Jonah — Sharing a flurry — A long
spell of sick-leave — The whale's " sixth sense " — Off to the
Kuriles — Prepare for ** bowhead "-fishing — The Sea of
Okhotsk — Alnindant salmon — The " daintiness " of seamen 176-

CHAPTEK XVI.

" nOWIIEAD " KISIilNd.

Diflerence between whales — Popular ideas exploded — ^The gentle
mysticotus — Verj' tame work — Fond of tongue — Goliath
confides in me — An a\vful affair — Captain Slocum's death —
" Not Amurath an Amurath succeeds " — ^I am promoted .

191

CHAPTER XVII.

VISIT TO HOJfOLrLU.

Towards Honolulu — Missionaries and their critics — ^I'he happy

Kanaka — Honolulu — A pleasant holiday . . . 20(»-

CHAPTER XVIII.

ox THE *' UXE " GltOUXDS.

I get my opportunity — A new harpooner — Feats under the
skipper's eye — Two whales on one line — Compliments —
Heavy towage — A grand haul 213

CHAPTER XIX.

KDOIXO SOUTIIWAUD.

Monotony — A school of blackfish — A boat ripped in half— A
multitude of sharks — A ctirious backbone — Christmas Day —
A novel Christmas dinner — A find of ambergris

224

V-jw

CONTESTS.

Xllt

niAI'TEU XX.

"flamming" again — A Whitechapcl rover — An-ive at Van Van
— Valuable friends — A Sunday ashore — " IIollingHidc " —
The nativGH at church — Full-dress — Very " mishnally " —
Idyllic cniising — "Wonderful mother-love — A mighty feast .

PAOH

241

CIIAPTKR XXI.

I'ROdnESS OK THE '* IlUMriJACK " SKASOX.

A fruitless chase — Placid times — A stirring adventure — A vast
caye — Unforeseen company — A night of terror — We provide
a feast for the sharks — The death of Aimer — An impressive
ceremony — An invitation to dinner — Kanaka cookery ,

258

CHAPTER XXII.

FAUEWKIJ. TO VAl- VAU.

lisnorance of the habits of whales — A terrific encounter-

Victls I — Rewarding our " flems " — We leave Van Vau — The
Outward bounder — Sailoi-s' " homos " — A night of horror —
Sudden death — Futuna .... . .

274

CHAPTER XXIII.

AT KUTUXA, KECULITINCl.

A fleet of nondescripts — " Tui Tongoa," otherwise Sam — Eager
recruits — Devout Catholics — A visit to Sunday Island — A
Crusoe family — Their eviction — Maori cabbage — Fine fishing
— Away for New Zealand — Sight the " Tliree Kings " —
The Bav of Islands

201

CHAPTER XXIV.

TIIK MAY OF ISLANDS AND XKW ZEALAXU COAST,

Sleepy hollow — Wood and water — Liberty day — A plea for tiie
sailors' recreation — Our picnic — A wiiifi" of "May" — A
delightful excursion — To the southward again — Wintry
weather — Enter Foveaux Straits .....

.UO

PAOB

:i23

i «

xiv t'OSTKSTS.

CHAPTEU XXV.

ox TIIK SOL.VNDKIt (iltOl'N'n.S.

Firstfriiits of the Solainler — An eaHy catch — Delights of the
Solander— I'ort William— The old Chance—'' Paddy Gilroy "
— Harbariaiis from the KaHt End — Barraconta - fishing
— Wind-bound — An enormons school of cachalots — Mis-
fortune — A bursting whale — Back on the Solander again —
Cutting in at Port William — Studying anatomy — Badly-
battoreil Yankees — Padily in luck again ....

CHAPTER XXVI.

paddy's l.vtkst exploit.

We try Preservation Inlet — An astounding feat of Paddy

Gilroy's 348

CHAPTER XXVII.

rORT PEOASl'S.

Port Pegasus — Among old acquaintances — "Mutton birds" —
Skilled auxiliaries — A gratifying catch — Leave port again
— Back to the Solander — A gi'im escape — Our last whales ^
— Into Port William again — Paddy' s assistance — We part
with our Kanakas — Sam's plans of conquest

CHAPTER XXVIII.

357

And last — In high-toned company — Another picnic — Depart from
the Bluff — Hey for the Horn! — Among the icebergs —
"Scudding" — Favouring trades — A narrow escape from
collision — Home at last ...... 370

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS,

I'lIK "('ACIIAI.OT

Lasting a Whali:

TO FACK rAOK

Frontinjnece

. 3t»

TlIK WllALK STAItTKI* <>ir H> WlM>\VAI!l> WITH IS AT A

TKKMKNDors Katk 74

KriMSf: A BoMis-i-AXci:

119

A Vkky Laiegk Si'KUM Wham: was i.nrKKi) is Dkadly

CoSKMCT WITII A SqIII) . . . . . .143

On his Hack, with his .Iaw in thi: Fikst linisc 1'ositiox "235

A Tkx-mim: Stkady Pri.i- to Windwakd .

252

TiiK Vast Fi.ikks t»K tiik Wiiai.k . . , siiokk okk thk IJow

OK THK Ari'ACKIXC P.OAT -iOU

Mai' — Thk Mkan Tkack ok thi: "Cachalot" «jn a Wiiai.is<;

CkKISK KOrXl) THK W'OKLI) ...... I

JXTKODIJCTION.

Without attempting? the ambitious task of presenting a
compri'hensive sketch of the origin, rise, and fall of whale-
lisliing as a whole, it seems necessary to give a brief out-
line 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 the
subject that is apparent everywhere. The Greenland
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 imitators and
borrowers.

Cachalots, or sperm whales, must have been captured
on the coasts of Europe in a desultory way from a very
early date, by the incidental allusions to the prime pro-
ducts spermaceti and ambergris which are found in so
many ancient writers. Shakespeare's reference — " The
sovereign'st thing on earth was parmaceti for an inward
bruise " — will be familiar to most people, as well as Mil-
ton's mention of the delicacies at Satan's feast — *' Gris-
amber steamed " — not to carry quotation any further.

But in the year 1090 the brave and hardy fishermen
of the north-east coasts of North America established

XVIII

ISTRODICTIOS.

that HyHtcmiitic Miu'suit uf tlii> cachalot which han
thriven ho wondurfully ovoi* Hincc, although it munt
be confoHHcd that thu laHt few years have witnesHcd a
HoriouH (lecliiiu in tliiH ^roat branch of trade.

For many yearn the American colonists completely
ongroHBod this branch of the whale fiHliery, contentedly
leaving to (treat liritain 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 sufTer, 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
substitutes. In consequence of this, ten ships were
equipped and sent out to the sperm whale fishery from
England in 1775, most of them owned by one London
firm, the Messrs. Enderby. The next year, in order to
encourage the infant enterprise, a Government bounty,
graduated from £500 to .1*1000 per ship, was granted.
Under this fostering care the number of ships engaged
in the sperm whale fishery progressively increased until
1791, when it attained its maximum.

This method of whaling being quite new to our
whalemen, it was necessary, at great cost, to hire

ryrnnpucrios.

x\x

American ofKc^r^ and har|>o<)ncrH to iiiRtruct tliciii in
tlio ways of dealinj? with those highly active and
dangerous cotii<'''a. Natur.iUy, it was hy-an«l-by found
poHsihIo to dispenHG with tl»c services of those auxiliaries ;
hut it must 1)0 confessed tiiat the business never seems
to have found such favour, or to have heen prosecuted
with such smartness, among our whalemen as it has
by tho Americans.

Something of an exotic the trade always was among
us, although it did attain considerable proportions at
one time. At first the fishing was confined to the
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 tho known grounds should become
exhausted, and in 1788 Messrs. Enderby's ship, the
Kmilia, first ventured round Cape Horn, as tho pioneer
of a greater trade than ever. The way once pointed out,
other ships were not slow to follow, until, in 1819, the
British whale-ship Sijirn opened up the till then unex-
plored 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 £H per barrel,
will give some idea of the value of 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

ISTRODUCTIOy,

Kpl<3n(Ii<l trft<k' of the Americans ; but, like the mother
country, they permitted the fishery to decline, so that
even hoiintit'M could not keep it alive.

M<tttnwhile, the Americans added to their fleet
continuttlJy, proHpering amazingly. But suddenly the
julvcnt of th(5 civil war let loose among those peaceable
cruiwerH tli<; devastating Ahihama, whose cource was
mai'ked in Homo parts of the world by the fires of
bhizing whah;-Hliips. A great part of the Geneva award
wan on thin account, although it must be acknowledged
that many pHoudo-owners were enriched who never
owned aught but brazen impudence and influential
fricndu to pu»h their fictitious claims. The real
HuflftirerM, Heamon especially, in most cases never
received any redress whatever.

From thJH crushing blow the American sperm whale
fi«hery Iihh never fully recovered. When the writer
wa» in the trade, some twenty-two years ago, it was
credited witli a fleet of between three and four hundred
Hail ; now it may be doubted whether the numbers reach
an eighth of that amount. A rigid conservatism of
method hinders any revival of the industry, which is
practically conducted to-day as it was fifty, or even
a hundred yearn ago; and it is probable that another
decade will witness the final extinction of what was
once one ui the most important maritime industries in
the world.

\, like the mother
to decline, so that

ed to their fleet
But suddenly the
ig those peaceable
vhose courte was
I by the fires of
the Geneva award
b be acknowledged
•iched who never
e and influential
[aims. The real
lost cases never

rican sperm w^hale
When the writer
years ago, it was
and four hundred
he numbers reacli
i conservatism of
ndustry, which is
I'as fifty, or even
able that another
tion of what was
time industries in

6o*LunyituUe W. jo'uf Urcx-nwicli o* LunKit

ll'alJUr^tlmtiill ir.

-. :

H'mlttrerllmtalltt.

.So*

A N

Hjtrile Is

I F I C

BAN

?•

. ..\;^....

— 130

Solandtr

.8o*

Colnett, Huggins, and Beale.
SrEP.si WiiAi.K, 01! Oacii.vlot {PhijgiUr Macrocephalus).

THE CEUISE OF THE "CACHALOT/

CHAPTER I.

OUTWARD BOUND.

At the age of eighteen, after a sea-experienco of six
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. How I came
to be there, of all places in the world, does not concern
this story at all, so I am not going to trouble my readers
with it; enough to say that I aas 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 mij money was all gone, I was hungry for a
ship ; and when a long, keen-looking man with a goat-
like beard, and mouth stained with dry tobacco-juice,

irmlttr»/l»Htttll tr.

THE CliUrSE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

( I

hailed me one afternoon at the street corner, I answered
very promptly, scenting a herth. " Lookin' fer a ship,
stranger?" said he. "Yes; do you want a hand?"
said I, anxiously. Ho made a funny little sound some-
thing like a pony's whinny, then answered, " Wall, I
should surmise that I want between fifty and sixty
hands, ef yew kin lay me onto 'em ; but, kem along,
every drccp'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 cer-
tainly 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 thing
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 naturally 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
not where, in some ship I did not know even the name
of, in which I was to receive I did not know how much,
or how little, for my labour, nor how long I was going
to be away. " What a you',;:^ fool ! " I hear somebody
say. I quite agree, but tUere were a good many more
in that ship, as in most ships that I have ever sailed in.

OUTWARD BOUND.

From the time wo signed the articles, wo were never
left to ourselves. Truculent-looking men accompanied
us to our several boarding-houses, paid our debts for
us, finally bringing us by boat to a ship lying out in
the bay. As we passed under her stern, I read the
name Caehnht, of New Bedford ; but as soon as we
ranged alongside, I 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 comprehensive glance around,
and saw that I was on board of a vessel belonging to
a type which has almost disappeared oflf the face of the
waters. A more perfect contrast to the trim-built
English clipper-ships that I had been accustomed to
I could hardly imagine. She was one of a class cha-
racterized by sailors as " built by the mile, and cut oflf
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. Eight in the
centre 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 ofiicers, who shouted, "Js^aow 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'slo, which was below deck. Tumbling

(

4 TiiK cnuiaK of tiik "rACifAiorr

down the fiteep ladder, 1 entered the gloomy den which
was to be for bo long my home, finding it fairly packed
with my Bhipmates. A motley crowd they were. I
had been used in English ships to considerable variety
of nationality ; but hero were gathered, not only the
representatives of five or six nations, but 'long-shoremen
of all kinds, half of whom had hardly ever set eyes on
a ship before ! The whole space was undivided by par-
tition, but I saw at once that black men and white had
separated themselvefl, the blacks taking the port side
and the whites the starboard. 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 tiuf 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 im-
mediately, and the backward one marked accordingly.
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 limej nicer. I'se de fourf mate ob dis yar
ship, en my name's Mistah Jones, 'n yew jest freeze

OVrWAHl* IIOUSIK

' den which
irly packed
y were. I
ible variety
[)t only the
g-shoremen
set eyes on
ded by par-
i white had
le port side
•acant bunk
t lamp that
D as light, I
' or blouse,
gh air again.
I was feeling
pd I did not
deck to have
back." On
irst requisite
is to ** show
g noted im-
accordingly.
confronted
ay life. He
len opening
lid, ** Great
re ! Guess
very curtly,
he snapped
eak to me,
ob dis yar
1 iest freeze

•:|;

on to dat ar, ef yew want tcr lib long 'n dio happy. Set',
Honny." I xuiv, and answered promptly, " I bog your
pardon, sir, 1 didn't know." "01) cawsc yew didn't
know, dat's all right, little Britisher ; naow jest skip
aloft 'n loose dat forc-taupsle." " Aye, ayo, 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, " Dat's a smart kiddy, I bet." 1
had the big sail loose in double quick time, and sung
out " All gone, the forc-taupsle," before any of the
other sails were adrift. "Loose the to-gantsle and
staysks " 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 swimming 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 merci-
lessly 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,

I i!

THE CJiUlSE OF THE "CACHALOT.''

attempt to give a sample of it, but it must be under-
stood that it was incessant throughout the voyage. No
order could ho given without it, under the impression,
apparently, that the more curBCs 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 in
merchant ships), though the huge negro fourth mate
seemed none too 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 " grecnies," 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,
I never felt so sorry for a lot of men in my life. Glad
enough I was to j^et below into the fo'lk'sle for supper,
and a brief rest aaa 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.

( " )

CIIArTER 11.

I'UKI'AIUNO FOR ACTION.

Tkk hideous noise always considered nccossav}' in those
ships when calling the watch, roused me efTcctively at
midnight, "eight hells." I hurried on deck, fully aware
that no leisurely ten minutes would be allowed hero.
"Lay aft the watch," saluted mo as I emerged into
the keen, strong air, quickening my pace accordingly to
where the mate stood waiting to muster his men. As
soon as he saw mo, he said, " Can you steer ? " in a
mocking tone ; but when I quietly answered, " Yes, sir,"
his look of astonishment was delightful to see. lie
choked it down, however, and merely telling me to take
the wheel, turned forrard 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 I
never even heard of before.

The wheel was fixed upon the tiller in such a manner
that the whole concern travelled backwards and forwards
across the deck in the maddest kind of way. For the
first quarter of an hour, in spite of the September chill,
the sweat poured off me in streams. And the course —

7 UK CliVlftK OF TIIK "CACIJAIOT:'

MC'll, it wiiH not Htt'crinu. it was Brullinfj; tlio oUl bum-
boat W'XH wobbling all around like a drunken tailor \N'itb
two K'fi b'^'H. 1 fairly nbook with approlnnsion lest the
mate Bliouid conic and look in the compass. I bad been
accustomed to bard words if 1 did not steer witbin balf a
point cacli wny ; but bcre was a " Kf^dget" tbat worked
me to deatb, tbo result being a wako like a letter S.
Gradually I got the bang of tbe tbing, becoming easier
in my mind on my own account. Kven that was not an
unmixed blessing, for I liad now sumo leisure to listen
to tbo goings-on around tbe deck.

Such brutality I nev<^r 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 kncsw how desperately ill all those
poor wretches were, how helpless and awkward they
would bo if quite halo and hearty ; but there was abso-
lutely no pity for them, the oflicors seemed to be in-
capable of any feelings of compassion whatever. My
heart sank within me as 1 thought of what lay before me,
although I did not fear that their treatment would also
be mine, since I was at least able to do my duty, 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-ostablished trust in God, which I
can now look back and see was as fully justified as I
then believed it to bo. So, as I could not shut my ears
to the cruelties being carried on, nor banish thought by

rUEPAlilSa FOR ACTIOS.

Imrd work, I looked up to the stately stars, tliiiikin<,' of
tiling'* not to he talked about without htiuf^ Huspected of
cant. So swiftly passed the tiini' that when four l)ells
HtiHU'k (two I .clock) I coultl hardly Inlieve my rars.

I was relieved hy one of the I'ortuguese, 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 any-
thing 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 con-
stantly, regardless where ho struck a num. 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 io bo aft at
the w heel again. Catching sight of me standing irreso-
lute as to what T had better do, he ordered me on the
" look-out," a tiny platform between the " knight heads,"

I just where the bowsprit joins the ship. Gladly I obeyed
him, and jjerched up there looking over the wide sea,

jthe time passed quickly away until eight bells (four
o'clock) terminated my watch. I must pass rapidly over

[the condition of things ii^ the fo'lk'sle, where all the
greenies that were alio >vect~ below, were groaning in

[misery from the stifling atmosphere v.lnch made their
sickness so much worse, while even that dreadful place

[was preferable to what awaited them on deck. There
Wt; a rainbow-coloured halo round the flame of the lamp,

i shewing how very bad the air was ; but in spite of that I

[turned in and sleptly soundly till seven bells (7.20 a.m.)
roused us to breakfast.

American ships generally have an (excellent name for

J (I

Till': (;i(i:isic of the "cachalot:'

)

tlio way tlit;y fui.i] t)i(;ir crews, but the whalers arc a
notalilc exc(;|)tj()ii to that ^'ood rule. The food was really
worse than that on hoard any Enj.;lish ship I have ever
sailed in, ko H<;ftnty also in quantity that it kept all the
foremast hundH at Htarvation point. But grumbling was
dangerous, ho I gulpod down the dirty mixture mi.j-named
coffee, ate a few fniji^ments of biscuit, and filled up(?)
with a Buiokt;, m many better men are doing this morn-
ing. As tluj bell Htruck I hurried on deck — not one
moment too Hoim —for as I stepped out of the scuttle I saw
the third nuite <!o)ning forward with a glitter in his eye
that boded no jjjood to laggards.

Before tfoiii.'; .'Uiy fartlier I must apologize for using
so many capittd Vh, but up till the present I had
been the only available white member of the crew
forrard.

The deckrt wero scrubbed spotlessly clean, and every-
thing was n<.'at and tidy as on board a man-of-war, con-
trary to all iiHual notions of the condition of a whaler.
The mate wan In a state of high activity, so I soon found
myself very buMily engaged in getting up whale-lines,
harpoons, and all the varied equipment for the pursuit of
whales. The ruitnbor of officers carried would have been
a good crew for tlie ship, the complete afterguard com-
prising captain, font mate?, four harpooners or boat-
steerers, carpcntcfr, cooper, steward and cook. All these
worthies worn oji 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 " MiKtah " Jones, the fourth mate, whom I heard
addressed familiarly as "Goliath" and " Anak" by his
brother ofiicerH, and ordered to assist him in rigging the
" crow'H-ueMt " at the main royal-mast head. It was a

PHEPARISG FOR ACTIOS.

ilcrs arc a
I was really
I have ever
:ept all the
mbling was
mi.j-name(l
llled up(?)

this morn-
k — not one
cuttle I saw

in his eye

;c for using
sent I had
f the crew

, and every-
»f-war, con-
>f a whaler.

soon found
whale-lines,
e pursuit of
d have been
guard com-
rs or boat-
All these
it and main
ence of the
as pounced
bom I heard
lak " by his

rigging the
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 secured 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 comfortably and gaze around, no matter
how vigorously the old barky plunged and kicked beneath
liim. From that lofty eerie 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 taflf-
rail. 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 con-
descension, gradually unbent and furnished me with
many interesting facts about the officers. Captain
Slocum, he said, was " de debbil hisself, so jess yew
keep yer lamps trim' fer him, sonny, taint helthy ter
rile 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, and a gentleman.
Which combination I found to be a fact, although hard
to believe possible at the time. The second mate was a
Portuguese about forty years of age, with a face like one
of Vandyke's cavaliers, but as I now learned, a perfect
fiend when angered. He also was a first-class whaleman,
but an indifferent seaman. The third mate was nothing

( ■

1 ;i

77IE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT:'

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." " An do
fourf mate," wound up the narrator, straightening his
huge bulk, "Orm de bes' man in de ship, and de bigges'.
Dey aint no whalemen in Noo Bedford caynt teach mr
nuffin, 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 I 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, 1^ inch
round, was brought on deck, stretched and coiled down
witii the greatest care into tubs, holding, some 2'^'0
fathoms, and others 100 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 of these weapons was not, as is
generally thought, that of an arrow, but rather like 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 without fracture. Three
harpoons, or "irons" as they were always called, were

lot:'

pnr.rAUiSQ for action.

)r, nor much
skipper, who
an." "An do
lightenmg his
nd de bigges'.
lynt teach iiw
w'y I jes' pick
so, see ! " and
ist each other,

ly N.E. wind
ttention, work
he oars were
in the boats ;
silk, It^ inch
d coiled down

ig»

some 2''0

^ew harpoons

vood, without

attention to

as not, as is

ither like an

which curved

,rb turned on

in line with

ssed through

hly on both

one side a

ss, the other

es long, was

ould tie into

ture. Three

called, were

phiccd 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 purpose of hiUinti 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
al)Out 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 '^f>ans of a socket at the
other end they were attached to ne it 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 drawing it
back again when it had been darted at a whale.

Each boat was fitted with a centre-board, or sliding
keel, which was drawn up, when not in use, into a case
standing in the boat's middle, very much in the way.
IJut the American whalemen regard these clumsy con-
trivances 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 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 l)omb-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

TTIF CRUrSE OF THE "CACnALOT."

i»

^ n

"deep-water" sailors, I knew very little about boating.
J. was going to learn.

All this work and bustle of preparation was so
rapidly carried on, and so interesting, that before supper -
time everything was in readiness to commence opera-
tions, the time having gone so swiftly that I could
hardly believe the bell when it sounded four times, six
o'clock.

'<i

i w

about boating.

( ^'> )

CHAPTER III.

FISHING nEOINS.

DiRiNG 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-sick

man as those of a driving steamer. So, in spite of

I 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

r'grub" (I cannot libel "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 boats,

Bntermixed with the seasoned Portuguese in such a way

Ihat the officer and harpooner in charge would not be

lependant upon them entirely in case of a sudden

emergency. Every endeavour was undoubtedly made

THE C nil HE OF THE "CACHALOTS

St i

( m \

fv,

to instruct thorn 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 Carlutlot.

A regular and severe routine of labour 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 leek 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 all these landsmen became
rapidly imbued with the virtues of cleanliness, which
was extended to the den in which we lived, or I verily
believe siclmess would have soon thinned us out.

On the fourth day after leaving port we were all
busy as usual except the four men in the " cro>v*s-nests,"
when a sudden cry of ** Porps ! porps ! " brought every-
thing to a standstill. A large school of porpoises had
just joined us, in their usual clownish fashion, rolling
and tumbling around the bow's^s the old barky wallowed
along, surrounded by a wide ellipse of snowy foam.
All work was instantly suspended, and active prepara-
tions made for securing a few of these frolicsome
fellows. A " block," or pulley, was hung out at the
bowsprit end, a whale-line passed through it and " bent "

FISHING liEQISS.

ness pre-
undantly
I without
bbed and
ndeed, no
apotlessly

kept up ;

a regular

all bands

)ing quite

object of

brooding

continual

m became

ss, which

I verily
ut.

were all

's-nests,"
gbt every -
)oises had
on, rolling

wallowed
)wy foam.
3 prepara-
frolicsome
)ut at the
id "bent"

(fastened) on to a harpoon. Ancjther line with a running
"Itowhne," or Klip-noose, was also passed out to the
bowsprit end, being held tbere by one man in readiness.
Then one of the harpooner.s ran out along the back-
ropes, which keep the jib-boom down, taking his stand
iieneath the bowsprit with the harpoon ready. Presently
he raised his iron and followed the track of a rishig
porpoise with its point until the creature broke water.
At the same instant the weapon left his grasp, appa-
rently without any force behind it ; but wo on deck,
holding the line, soon found that our excited hauling
lifted a big vibrating body clean out of the smother
beneath. " 'Vast hauling ! " shouted the mate, while as
the porpoise hung dangling, the harpooner slipped the
ready bowline over his body, gently closing its grip round
the "small" by the broad tail. Then we hauled on
the noose-line, slacking away the harpoon, and in a
minute had our prize on deck. He was dragged away
at once and the operation repeated. Again and again
we hauled them in, until the fore 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 Ciie 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 leaping
high in the air in their eagerness to get their due share
of the cannibal feast. Our lishing was over for that
lime. Meanwhile one of the harpooners had brought
out a number of knives, with which all hands were soon

THE CnmSE OF THE "CACHALOr."

busy skinning tho l)lubl)er from the bodies. Porpoisos
have no skin, that is hicb;, the blubber or coating of Innl
which encases them being covered by a black substance
as thin as tissue paper. The porpoise hide of the boot
maker is really leather, made from the skin of tho
Beluga, 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 Brobdingnagian kitchen. Beneath the pots
was tho very simplest of furnaces, hardly as elaborate as
the 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 little. At
one side of the try- works was a large wooden vessel, or
" hopper," to contain the raw blubber ; at the other, a
copper cistern or cooler of about 300 gallons capacity, into
which the prepared oil was baled to cool oflf, preliminary
to its being poured into the casks. Beneath the furnaces
was a space as large as the whole area of the try-works,
about a foot deep, which, when the fires were lighted,
was filled with water to prevent the deck from burning.
It may be imagined that the blubber from our twenty
porpoises made but a poor show in one of the pots;
nevertheless, we got a barrel of very excellent oil from
them. The fires were fed with ** scrap," or pieces of
blubber from which the oil had been boiled, some of
which had been reserved from the previous voyage.
They burnt with a fierce and steady blaze, leaving but
a trace of ash. I was then informed by one of the

Fisnisd liF.niSH.

I. Porpoisos
taling of lard
,ck substance
t) of the boot
skin of the
only in the
a the "try-
pots set in a
holding 200
s might have
[ith the pots
J elaborate as
lay. Square
to the flues,
ing over into
f which from
sry little. At
len vessel, or
the other, a
capacity, into
preliminary
the furnaces
he try-works,
were lighted,
3m burning,
m our twenty
of the pots;
ent oil from
or pieces of
led, some of
ious voyage,
leaving but
one of the

harpooners that no other fuel was rver usod for boiling'
bhil)bcr at any time, there being always amply HUlVicieut
for the purpose.

The most interesting part of the whole business,
though, to us poor half-starved wretches, was the plen-
tiful supply of fresh meat. Porpoise beef is, wiicu
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., could not
possibly fall to our lot ; but we did not complain, wo
were too thankful to get something eatable, and enough
of it. Moreover, although few sailors in English ships
know it, porpoise beef improves vastly by keeping,
getting tenderer every day the longer it hangs, until at
last it becomes as tasty a viand as one could wish to
dine upon. It was a good job for us that this was the
case, for while the porpoises lasted the " harness
casks," or salt beef receptacles, were kept locked ; so if
any man had felt unable to eat porpoise — well, there
was no compulsion, he could go hungry.

We were now in the haunts of the Sperm Whale, or
" Cachalot," a brilliant look-out being continually kept
for any signs of their appearing. One ofKcer 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
oiTered 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 favour from their hard taskmasters. Every
evening at sunset it was " all hands shorten sail," the

iHK runsH of the "cachalot:

c-oiistnnt drill rapidly ttacliiiig even these clumsy lunds-
nun 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 two 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 curability to deal with a " fish "
should he be lucky enough to "raise" one. I was, in
virtue of my experience, phiced 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 bow.

The very next day after our first exhaustive boat
drill, a school of " Black Fish " was reported from aloft,
and with great glee the officers prepared for what they
considered a rattling day's fun.

The Black Fish (Phocasna 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, gambolling about in schools of 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.

07'.'

lumsy lantls-
lUK'tliing else
h when they

nere lowered
on their first
voyage. As
a each boat,
one of them
it every other
to the boat's
the terrible
•on-fisted and
y was out the
vitha"fish"
e. I was, in
er-oar in the
,ttend to the
ire also I had
aall one used

laustive boat
id from aloft,
or what they

mall toothed
, except that
8 jaw is not
Irolicsome as
from twenty
e alive. Its
and seven
three tons.

Fisrifsn nEOiss.

Blublur about three inclios tliick, whiln tlio head is
almost all oil, .so that a good rich Hpeciinon will make
between one and two barrels of oil of medium fiuality.

The school wo w(>ro now in sight of was of middling
size and about average weight of individuals, and the
officers esteemed it a fortunate circumstanco that wo
should happen across them as a sort of preliminary to
our tackling the monarchs of tho 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. Tho sails were also left on board. Wo
lowered and left tho ship, pulling right towards tho
.iciiool, the noise they were making in their fun effec-
tually preventing them from hearing our approach. It
is etiquette to allow the mate's boat first place, unless
his 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 soon
I heard the order given, " Stand up, Louey, and let
'em have it ! " Sure enough, hero we were right among
them. Louis let drive, ** fastening " a whopper about
twenty feet long. The injured animal plunged madly
forward, accompanied by his fellows, while Louis 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 secured in the same way, then tho
game was indeed great. The school had by this timo

P,l :

■

1 !

I
r

77//V rv/r/.s/v or riii-: "CArnALOT."

taken tlio jilann au<l clrarcd out, but tlie oilier boats
Nvero all fiiHt to IihIi, ho that ditln't matter. Now, at
the rate our *' f^'ann* " were K'>''iK» it would evidently
bo a lonp wliilcf before tliey died, although, beiiip; so
much sniallor than a wliab' jiroper, a harpoon will often
kill them at a Ktrok*'. Yet they wcro now ho tangled or
"snarled erp," as the male said, that it was no easy
matter to lance them witlunit great danger of cutting
the line. Ifowev^ ., wo hauled up iis eluse to thorn as
wo dared, and the harpooner got a good blow in, which
gave the biggest of the three* " Jesse," as ho 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 ho sank at tins same time, drawing the
first one down with him, ho that wo were in con-
siderable danger of having to cut them adrift or be
swamped. The " wheft " was waved thrice as an urgent
signal to the ship to conio to our assistanco with all
speed, but in tlu* meantime our interest lay in the sur-
viving Black Fish keeping alive. Should lie die, and,
as was "Tiost probable, sink, wo should certainly have to
cut and lose the lot, tools included.

Wo waited in grim silence while the ship came up,
so slowly, apparently, that she hardly seemed to move,
but really at a good pace of about four knots an hour,
which for her was not at all bad. She got alongside of
us at last, and we passed u\) the bight of our line, our
fish all safe, very much pleased with ourselves, espe-
cially 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

OT."

FlsJIISn IlKOlSs.

olhor boatH
3r. Now, at
ilcl evidently
f^h, boiiiK so
»on will often
HO tangled or
was no easy
er of cutting
to thorn as
ow in, which
as ho said,
Anyhow, it
after another
in his own
drawing the
*vtro in con-
adrift or he
I as an urgent
[inco with all
ly in the sur-
he die, and,
ainly have to

lip came up,
ned to move,
lots an hour,
alongside of
our line, our
rselves, espe-
had only five

boats were
le to sling the

bodies. During our absence the ship-keepers had been
busy rigging one ol tho cutting falls, an immense four-
fold tackle from the main lowermast-head, of four-inch
rope through gr< iit double blocks, largo as those us»d at
dockyards for l.fting ships' masts and boilers. Chain-
slings were passed around the carcases, which grippid
the animal at the " small," being prevented from slip-
ping oft* by the broad spread of the tail. Tiio end of
tile •' fall," or tacklo-rope, was then taken to the wind-
lass, and wo hovo away cheerily, lifting the monsters
right on deck. A mountainous pile they made. A
short spell was allowed, when the whole eight were on
board, for dinner; then all hands turned to again to
" llench " 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," tho flames of which wero
fed with "scrap," which blazed brilliantly, throwing a
big glare over all tho ship. The last of tho carcases
was launched overboard by about eight o'clock that
evening, but not before some vast junks of beef had
been cut ofif and hung up in the rigging for our food
supply.

The try- 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
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,
but I learned that, according to the rule of "roguery in

rni-: <!nviHK or tue ''cachalot:'

i i

»■■

I.
I

( .

I i

■

all tradoB," it waw Uio ciiHtom to mix quantities sucli
aB wo had ju»t obtained with better class whale-oil,
and thus get a miirdi higher price than it was really
worth.

Up till tluH time we had no sort of an idea as to
where our firftt objrjetivo might be, but from scraps of
conversation I had overheard among the harpooners, I
gathered that wo wore making for the Cape Verde
Islands or the A<;oreH, in the vicinity of which a good
number of moderat«-«i/cd sperm whales are often to be
found. In fact, th(!He islands have long been a nursery
for whale-fishers, boeaitso the cachalot loves their steep-
to shores, and tho 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 cr<fWK of the American whaling fleet are
composed of thcHO islanders. Many of them have risen
to the position of captain, and still more are officers
and harpooners ; but though undoubtedly brave and
enterprising, ihcy arc cruel and treacherous, and in
positions of authority over men of Teutonic or Anglo-
Saxon origin, tivit apt to treat their subordinates with
great cruelty.

CITAPTEPt IV.

BAD WEATHKR.

NAUTirAii routine in its essential details ia 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 neei!« be kept at unnecessary
duties in order that they may not grow lazy and dis-
contented.

For instance, in the Cachalot wo carried a crew of
thirty-seven all told, of which twenty-four were men
before the mast, or common seamen, our tonnage being
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 themselves for
the clumsy clodhoipers they at first appeared to be.

We had now been eight days out, and in our

TlfE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT:'

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."

Gradually the face of the sky changed, and the feel of
the air, from balmy and genial, became raw and cheer-
less. The little wave tops broke short off and blew back-
wards, apparently against the wind, while the old vessel
had an uneasy, unnatural motion, caused by a long, new
swell rolling nthwart 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 tremendous squall :"t
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 gales
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
Ocean weather, but the clumsy-looking, old-fashioned
Cachalot made no more 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 get up, along comes an

JLilf WEATHER.

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 topsails
in the smothering masses of spray, that every few
minutes almost hid her hull from sight.

It was a splendid picture ; but— for the time— I 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 direction, a huge steamship,
taking no more notice of the gale than as if it were calm.
Straight through the sea she rushed, dividing the mighty
rollers to the heart, and often bestriding three seas at
once, the centre 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, wo resembled nothing so much as some old
lightship bobbing serenely around, as if part and parcel
of the mid- Atlantic.

Our grcenies 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 sea-sickness.

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 fucns 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
crr'atures abiding therein. ^Yhat a world of wonderful

THE CliUISE OF THE "CACIJALOTr

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 incon-
ceivable shape, 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, looking like nothing so much 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 I wandered idly about un-
burying 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 doubt-
less do so until the end of the chapter. For the true
Aol'phm (Dclphinidie) is not a fisn 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

' h;

BAD WE ATI! Eli,

porpoise. The sailor's " dolphin," on the other hand, is
a veritable fish, with vertical tail tin instead of the
horizontal one which distinguishes all the whale family,
scales and gills.

It is well known to literature, under its sea-name, for
its marvellous brilliancy of colour, and there are few
objects more dazzling than a dolphin leaping out of a
calm sea into the sunshine. The beauty of a dying
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 Coryphsena hippnris) 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 fishermen that
trying a hook and line was only waste of time and pro-
vocative of profanity ! since every sailor knows that all
the deep-water big fish require a living or apparently
living bait. The fish, however, sheered oif, 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 (Treat 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 permission to go aft and fisli over the taflrail.
The little fish was carefully secured on the hook, the
point of which just protruded near his tail. Then I

T/IE CRUISE OF THE "CACnALOT:'

lowered him into the calm blue waters beneath, and
paid out line very gently, until my bait was a silvery
spot about 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. Tiien 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 or wrong. A long hard pull, and my heart
beat fast as I felt the thrill along the line that fishermen
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 daring
innovation should be successful was hardly to be believed,
even with the vigorous 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 fishermen. The captive was cut
open, and two recent flying-fish found in his maw,
which were utilized for new bait, with the result
that there was a cheerful noise of hissing and splutter-
ing 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 working

BAD WEATTIEli.

south, and tho knowledge seemed to have quite an
enlivening cfTect upon our Portuguese shipmates.

Most of them belonged there, and although there was
but tho 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 exclusive, never
associating with us on the white side, or attempting to
bo at all familiar. A mutual atmosphere of suspicion,
in fact, seemed to pervade our quarters, making things
already uncomfortable enough, still more so. Now,
however, they fraternized with us, and in a variety of
uncouth vays made havoc of the English tongue, as
they tried to impress us with tho 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 tho neighbourhood 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. Indeed,
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 mo at
times some uneasiness. Though I tried to be helpful to

THE CnUISK OF THE *' CACHALOT."

all, and was full of sympathy for their undeserved
ButVerings, I could not but feel that they would have
been more than human had they not envied mo 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 all 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-butt by the cabin door, to
which every one who needed a drink had to go, and
from which none might be carried away. No water was
allowed for washing except from the 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 world for clothes. The
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 prevailed 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

or."

AM /' n'KA TnKU.

f undeserved
• would have
ivied mo my
all shared so
I for it, so I

I afterwards
mything was
it to us, hut
ahin door, to
d to go, and
'^o water was
md every one
1 nor clothes
I a perforated
)t filled with
liath was the
othes. The
tues though,
furnished in
rhere nothing
1 rain fell we
md no other

to store any
lit absolutely

of the short
le portion of
id, or tub, at

as possible
Then one
), holding up
"Whatever
that man

ownin}^ it received the piece, and had perforce to bo
satistied therewith. Thus justice was done to all in the
only way possible, and without any friction whatever.

Ah some of us were without clothes except what wo
stood upright in, when we joined, the " slop chest" was
opened, and every applicant received from the steward
what Captain Slocura thought tit to let him have, being
debited with the cost against such wages as ho might
afterwards earn. The clothes were certainly of fairly
good quality, if the price was high, and exactly suited
to our requirements. Soap, matches, and tobacco were
likewise supplied on the same terms, but at higher prices
than I had ever heard of before for these necessaries.
After much careful inquiry I asceriained what, in the
event of a successful voyage, we were likely to earn.
Each of us were on the two hundredth '* lay " or share
at !$200 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.

THE CJiUISE OF TUK " CACIIALOTr

CHAPTER V.

ACTUAL 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 ahout 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
evening, 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 expectation 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 many addle-headed opinions
were ventilated as at a Colney Hatch debating society.
For we none of us knew anything about it. I was
appealed to continually 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

ACTUAL WARFARE. OCR FIRST WHALE. 35

people, or
;o call the
in most of
Yet on the
matter was
in the day's

scuttle one
to in the

ishing came

as it may

our minds,

the subject,

)eing called

Iting. Once

|hing to say
led opinions

|ting society,
it. I was
that theory,
e the rest of

is. 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 " Portugco rarliamcnt " of all talkers and
no listeners, I went aft to g^t a drink of water before
turning in. The harpooners and other petty otticcrs
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
beta 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 proba-
bilities 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 "
character, 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 tht middle watch
and, as usual, slept Uke a babe. Suddenly T started wide
awake, a long mournful sound sending a ■ hrill to my
very heart. As I listened breathlessly othe; sounds of
the same character but in different tones joined m,
human voices monotonously intoning in long drawn-out
expirations the single word " bl-o-o-o-o-w." Then came
a hurricano of noise overhead, and adjurations in no
gentle language to the sleepers to "tumble up lively
there, no skulking, sperm whales." At last, then,

.'{(;

THE riirisK OF Tin-: "nArtiMory

\l\\

fuUilliiiR till tliu prcHcntiiutntH of yesterday, the long
dreaded raoinent had arrived. Happily there was no
time for hesitation, in leHH than two rainuteH wo were
all on dcek, and hurrying; to our reHpectivo boats. There
was no flurry or confuHion, and except that orders were
given more quietly than usual, with a manifest air of
suppressed excitement, there was nothing to show that wo
were not going for an ordinary course of boat drill. The
skipper was in the main crow's-nest with his binoculars.
Presently ho shouted, '* Naow tiien, Mr. Count, lower
away Boon'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 got clear of tho ship, and one another, then oars were
shipped and up went the sails. As I took my allotted
place at the main-sheet, and tho beautiful craft started
off like some big bird, Mr, Count leant forward, saying
impressively to mo, "Y'r a smart youngster, an' I've
kinder took t'yer ; but don't ye look ahead an' get gallied,
'r I'll knock ye stiff wi' th' tiller ; y'hcar 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 1 was scared almost to death
because I didn't know what was coming. However, I
did the best thing under tho circumstances, obeyed orders
and looked steadily astern, or up into the bronzed im-
passive 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 tho bows of each stood the harpooner

;ho long
was no
wc were
, There
evH were
st air of
V that wo
ill. The
nocuhirs.
nt, lower
10 'r two
went the
cramblecl
ere given
oars were
y allotted
ft started
•cl, saying
an' I've
et gallied,
N' don't
sudden y'
rfully as I
led, telling
ings ; but
to death
[owever, I
yed orders
onzed im-
, scanning
joats were
jr apart as
harpooner

ACTUAL WAIIFAUK. OUli FlIiHT WHALE. .m

with his right hand on his first iron, which lay ready,
pointing over the how in a raised fork of wood railed tin-
"crutch."

All of ft sudden, at a motion of tho chief's hand, tho
peak of our mainsail was dropped, and tho boat swung
up into tho wind, laying " hove to," almost stationary.
Tho centre-board was lowered to stop hor drifting to
leeward, although I cannot si^y it made much difTerenco
that ever I saw. Smr whn 's the matter, I tiiouglit,
when to my amazement the I'liief addrt'«sing me said,
" Wonder why we've hauled up, don t yt *' " " Yes, sir,
I do," said I. "Wall," said ht, " tho wsh hov ..junil»d,
an' 'of we run over 'em, we've seen the last o\ c.n. So
wo wait awhilo till they rise agin, 'n then v, 3*ll prob'^y
git thar' 'r tharoabouts before they s ..i:, I agin." "\\.«:i
this explanation I had to bo content, although if it bo no
clearer to my readers than it then was to mc, I shall
have to explain myself more fully later on. Silently wo
lay, rocking lazily upon the gentle swell, no other word
being spoken by any one. At last Lo i^, 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 tho same time as wo kept away all tho other
boats did likewise, and jr. t then, catching sight of the
ship, the reason for thic ,:i)parently concerted action
was explained. At tho main-mast head of the ship was
a square blue flag, and the ensign at the peak was being
dipped. These v- io signals well understood and
promptly acted upon by those in charj^c of tho boats,
who were thus guided from a point of view at least one
hundred feet above the sea.

" Stand up, Louey," the mate murmured softlv. 1

■Wto

Till': auujNi'j OF WE "cachalot:'

only just stopped my^olf in time from turning my head
to see why the order waw given. Suddenly there was a
bump, at the same moment the mate yelled, " Give't to
him, Louey, give't to hifn I " 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 maws t»f black india-rubber floating. As we
crawled up into the wind, the whale went into convul-
sions befitting hin nizo and energy. He raised a
gigantic tail on high, threshing the water with deafening
blows, rollictg at the Kamo time from side to side until
the surrounding 00a waM white with froth. I felt in an
agony lest we Hhould bo crushed under one of those
fearful strokes, for Mr, Count appeared to be oblivious
of possible danger, although we seemed to be now drift-
ing back on to thu writhing leviathan. In the agitated
condition of the hg&, it was a task of no ordinary diffi-
culty 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 meanH of sticking the " heel " under the
after thwart, twO'tbirdH of the mast extending out over
the stern. Meanwhil !, we had certainly been in a posi-
tion of the greatest danger, our immunity from damage
being unquestionably due to anything but precaution
taken to avoid it.

By the time the oars were handled, and the mate had
exchanged placca with the harpooaer, our friend the
enemy had " sounded," that is, he had gone below for a
change of scone, marvelling no doubt what strange thing

ay head
e was a
Hve't to
at main
flat aft,
9 as she
ned an
As we
convul-
aised a
»afening
le until
It in an
f those
blivious
iw drift-
a,gitated
,ry diffi-
irse the
gle, and
3 of the
bundled
secured
ider the
out over
L a posi-
damage
ecaution

late had
end the
ow for a
ge thing

I i

t; .

B 5

w <

ACTUAL WARFARE. OUR FIRST WHALE. .'{O

had befallen him. Agreeably to the accounts which I,
like most boys, ha'l /ead of the whale tishery, I looked
for the rushing of the lino 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 har-
pooner 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 every-
body scrambled aft into the elevated stern sheets.

The line sang quite a tune as it was grudgingly
allowed 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 began 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 not too gentle application of the tiller
to their heads in order to keep them quiet. The remedy,
if rough, was effectual, for " the subsequent i)roceedings
interested them no more." Consequently his manoeuvres
were not so well or rapidly executed as he, doubtless.
Could have wished, although his energy in lancing that

wfa^mmmm

■■ifMirartaTmr

;

■
' 'I

■ I

WE cnVISE OF THE "CACHALOT."

whale was something to admire and remember. Hatless,
his shirt tail out of the waist of his trousers streaming
behind him like a banner, he lunged and thrust at the
whale alongside of him, as if jiossessed of a destroying
devil, while his half articulate yells of rage and
lilasphemy were audible even to us.

Suddenly our boat fell backward from her "slantin-
dicular " position with a jerk, and the mate immediately
shouted, " Haul line, there ! look lively, now ! you — so
on, etcetera, etcetera " (he seemed to invent new epi-
thets 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 apparentl}' 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 stand-
ing, 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 1 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 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 was an

ACTUAL WAHFARE. OUli FIliST WIIALK.

Hatless,
treaming
st at the
estroying
age and

* slantin-
nediately
you — so
new epi-
and over
n sheets,
n its wet
the mate
r heneath
itagonist.
ras some
J. Now,
lus man,
one, or
ping, he
ng up to
Ls stand-
enough,
) of our
ked my
le sight
tock of
lifted
broad
up to
like a
was 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 accor-
dance with our instructions we drew each man his oar
across the boat and lashed it firmly down with a piece
of line si)liccd 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 accident had rid him of our
very unpleasant attentions.

1 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 sucli a disagreeable thing. I
was cool enough now in a double sense, for although we
were in the tropics, we soon got thoroughly chilled.

liy the position of the sun it must have been between
ten a.m. and noon, and we, ' of the crew, had eaten
nothing since the previous day at supper, when, as
usual, the meal was very light. Therefore, 1 suppose

1 tl

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT."

1 !i

we folt the chill sooner than the better-nourished mate
and harpooner, who looked rather scornfully 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 commercial value than men.

However, help came at last, and we were hauled
alongside. Long 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 treatment we had
just undergone. But I never made a greater mistake.

ACTUAL WAUFAUK. OUR FIliST WIIAI.K. 4'.\

ed mate
our blue

, I have
ery little
8 finally,
med the
bey were
/ done so
and stiff
However,
ovements
ime. We
that the
ured, and
eked up,
our head
r securinf:
8 soon as
of much

e hauled

such an
board,
when he
sion, had

of body
leans im-
ve should
1 Slocum,

until we
nt we had

mistake.

»n

The skipper cursed us all (except the mate, whose sole
fault the accident undoubtedly was) with a fluency and
vigour that was, to put it mildly, discouraging. More-
over, we were informed that he " wouldn't have no
adjective skulking ; " we must " turn to " and do some-
thing 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 rafile 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 proceedings
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 about four feet 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 them. A handrail about as high
as a man's waist, supported by light iron stanchions,
ran the full length of this plank on the side nearest
the ship, the whole fabric forming an admirable stand-
ing-plac:. from whence the officers might, standing in
comparative comfort, cut and carve at the great mass
below to their hearts' content.

So far the prize had been simply held alongside by

I i|

i i

■

TflE CRUISE OF THE "CACnALOT."

" rove "

tho whale-line, which at death had been
through a hole cut in the solid griRtle of tho tail ; hut
now it became necessary to secure the carcase to the
ship in some more permanent fashion. Therefore, a
massive chain like a small ship's cable was brought
forward, and in a very ingenious way, by means of a
tiny buoy and a hand-lead, passed round the body, one
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 tail. The free
end of the fluke-chain was then passed in through a
mooring-pipe forward, firmly secured to a massive bitt
at tho heel of the bowsprit (the fiuke-chain-bitt), and all
was ready.

But tho subsequent proceedings were sufficiently
complicated to demand a fresh chapter.

' 1

;

( 4r,

*• rove "
ail; but
ie to the
•efore, a
brought
ans of a
ody, one
I hauled
r part of
rhe free
rough a
sive bitt
I, and all

Bficiently

CHAPTER VT.

" DIRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEY."

If in the preceding chapter too much stress has been
laid upon the smasliing of our own boat and consequent
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 right 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 small, lively cow, she
had at once "settled," allowing the boat to run over
her; but just as they were passing, she rose, gently
enough, her pointed hump 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 merry 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

I- 1

1 1

It'

rns CRUISE of the "CAcnALOTr

fluent profanity flickered around him, including vehe-
mently all he might he Hupposed to have any respect for,
ho did not even look as if he would like to talk hack ;
ho only looked sick and tired of being himself.

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 hom Jess 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 hilarity 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 delinquent. But fortu-
nately 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 irresistible 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
labour 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 themselves, and plunged
their weapons vigorously down through the massive
neck of the animal — if neck it could be said to have —

" niRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MOSEY.'

ng vehc-
Bpcct for,
Ik back ;

category

missing

lile there

the crew

;er what-

witli by

[Jess dog

couldn't

he green

were not

arity was

just now

; over us

ut to pay

ut fortu-

ed work!

xtricated

lave you

pressure

e s head

nount of

in hand

twelve-
, leaned
plunged
massive

have —

following a wcU-cb'fincd crtas<( in the bUihlKr. At the
samo time the other ofticrrs passed a heavy chain Hhng
around the long, narrow lower jaw, hooking one of the
l)ig cutting tackles into it, the " fall " of which was
then taken to the windlass and hove tight, turning the
whale on lier back. A deep cut was then made on
both sides of the rising jaw, the windlass was kept
going, and gradually the whole of th(! 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 passing 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 tiio 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 was 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 off 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 labours by cutting a hole right through
the snout. This when completed received a heavy
chain for the purpose of securing the head. When the
blubber had been about half stripped off the body, a
halt was called in order that the work of cutting off
the head might be finished, for it was a task 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 "blankets" rose in quick
succession, and were cut off and lowered into the square

Till-: cniJisi: of rut: "cAcifALor'

of tlu! niftin Imtrli or '• ltlul)l>or-room." A short timo
Hufticed to strip <»IY tliu wlmh) of tlic bo(ly-ljlnl)l)or, and
wlicn at last tlio tail was rcaclud, tliu backboiio was
cut tlirou},'li, tlui liUK<' mass of llcsh lloatiiv^ away
to feed th" inimmoral>lc Hciavcngcrrt of tlio sea. No
sooner was the hist of tho hhihhor lowered into the hold
than tho hatchos wcro put on and tho hoad hauled up
alongside. JJoth tacklcH wcro sccurod to it and all
hands took to tho windlass levers. This was a small
cow wlialo of ahout thirty barrels, that is, yioldin}^ that
amount of oil, so it was just possible to lift tho entire
head on board ; but as it woij^hed as much as three full-
prown elephants, it was indeed a heavy lift for (!ven our
united forces, trying our tucklo to tho utmost. Tho
weather was very fine, and tlie ship rolled but little;
even then, tho strain upon the nuist was terrilic, and
right glad was I when at last the immense cube of fat,
Hesh, and bone was cased inboard and gently lowered
on deck.

As soon as it was secured the work of dividing it
began. From tho snout a triangular mass was cut,
which was more than half pure spermaceti. This
substance was contained in Hpongy cells held together
by layers of dense white libro, exceedingly tough and
elastic, and called by tluj whalers " white-horse." The
whole mass, or "junk" as it is called, was hauled
away to the ship's side and firmly lashed to 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 tho 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

" ninrr wouk fou (.'lhas MasKv.

4!)

open

" full

baled

cooled

into a waK-likc substance, bland and taHtitltHs. Thuro
bfin*; now nothini; mure remainin<^' about tlie skull of
any value, tbo lusbinf^s were loosed, and tbc first Kso-
ward roll sent tbo great mass i)lunging overboard witb
a migbty splasb. It sank like a stone, eagerly followed
by a few small sbarks tbat were bovering near.

As may be imagined, mueb oil was nuining about
tbe deck, for so saturated was every part of tbo creature
witb it tbat it really gusbcd like water during tbe
cutting-up process. None of it was allowed to run to
waste, tbougb, for tbo scupper-liolus wbicb drain tbe
dock were all carefully plugged, and as soon as tbe
"junk" bad been dissected all tbo oil was carefully
"squeegeed" up and poured into tbe try-pots.

Two men were now told otV as " blubber-room men,"
whose duty it became to go below, and 8(|uec/ing tbem-
selves in as best tbey could between tbo 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 witb oil. A machine 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 bad no
doubt been looked upon as a triumph of ingenuity, a
patent mincing machine. Its action was somewhat like
that of a chaff-cutter, except that tbe 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 wbich it was fed. It will be readily
understood that in order to get the oil quickly out of

77/ A' aniiiHh: oi<' the "caohalot:'

the blubber, it nmaU to bu »Iiced as thin as possible,
but for convenience in handling the refuse (which is the
only fuel used) it iH not chopped up in small pieces, but
every "horse-piece" \n very deeply scored as it were,
leaving a thin ntrip to hold the slices together. This
then was the order of work. Two harpooners attended
the try-pots, repleninhing them with minced blubber
from the hopper at tho port side, and baling out the
sutticiently boiled oil into the great cooling tank on the
starboard. One oflicor superintended the mincing,
another exercised a general supervision over all. There
was no man at the wheel and no look-out, for the vessel
was " hove-to" under two close-reefed topsails and fore-
topmast-staysail, with th(! wheel lashed hard down.
A look-out man was tinnecessary, 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-workw fire, to say nothing of the
blazing cresset before mentioned, could have been seen
for many mileH, Ho we toiled watch and watch, six
hours on and six olT, the work never ceasing for an
instant night or day. Though the work was hard and
dirty, and the diMcutiifort of being so continually wet
through with oil great, therj was only one thing
dangerous about tla; whole business. That was the
job of filling and nhifting the huge casks of oil. Some
of these were of (jnornious size, containing 350 gallons
when full, and the work of moving them about the
greasy deck of a rolling ship wa« attended with a terrible
amount of risk. For only four men at most could
ge* fair hold of a cask, and when she took it into her
silly old hull to Htart rolling, just as we had got one
half-way acrosM tbe deck, with nothing to grip your

DIRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEY."

feet, and the knowledge that one 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 thankful
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, wliose
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 from the nature of
the substance, to the clear and sweet oil, which after three
years in cask is landed from a south-seaman as in-
offensive in smell and flavour 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 oil,
especially that from the dorsal hump ; but it is left for
the refiners ashore to extract and leave the oil quite free
from any admixture of the wax-like substance, which
causes it to become solid at temperatures considerably
above the freezing-point.

Uninteresting as the preceding description may be,

;

THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT.

I I

it ia impoHsible to uuJeriitiMitl iinythiug of the ecoiuiuy
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 escai)ed 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 hrst
attempt at real whaling, my mind ^vas far too disturbed
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 i)art.

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 during
my long acquaintance with them, earnestly hoping that
if my story be not as technical or scieutitic ?3 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 -tnpreciate description free from scientilic formula
and nine-jointed words.

Two things I did notice on this occasion which I will
hrietly 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, indeed, and
tender, that it was easily scraped off with the finger-
nail. Immediately beneath it, upon the surface of the
hlubber, was a layer or coating of what for want of a

DIRTY WORK FOR CLEAN MONEY.

as
being

better fiimile I must call fine short fur, althouf^h unlike
fur it had no roots or apparently any hold upon the
blub])er. Neither was it attached to the skin which
covered it ; in fact, it seemed merely 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 prevailing 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 herring. 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 certainly not intended for mastication, being, where
thickest, three inches apart, and tapering to a short
point, curving slightly backwards. In this specimen,
a female, 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 renson why no mastication
could have been possible was that there were no teeth
visible in the upper jaw. Opposed to each of the teeth
was a socket where a tooth should apparently have been,
and this wns conclusive evidence of the soft and yielding
nature of the great creature's food. But there were
signs that at some period of the development of the
whale it had possessed a double row of teeth, because

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT:*

at the bottom of these upper sockets we found in a few
cases what seemed to be an abortive tooth, not one that
was growing, because they had no roots, but a survival of
teeth that had once been perfect and useful, but from dis-
use, or lack of necessity for them, had gradually ceased to
come to maturity. 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 movement,
being somewhat like a fowl's. Certainly it could not
have been protruded even 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.

I I

CHAPTER YII.

OKTTINO SOUTHWARD.

Whether our recent experience had altered the captain'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 Islands
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, shorten-
ing sail every night, and, if the weather was very fine,
setting it all again at daybreak.

The morose and sullen temper of the captain had
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, scraping,
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 farm»^rs from Vermont, Abner
Gushing byname, with the ingenuity wbich seems inbred
in his 'cute countrymen, must needs try his hand at

^^.

THE en VIS]': of the "CAciiAiorr

!': I

mnkinjij a villainous decoction which he called "heer,"
the principal ingredients in which wore potatoes and
molasses. Now potatoes formed nc part of our dietary,
so Ahner set his wits to work to steal sufHcient for his
purpose, and succeeded so far that he ohtained half a
dozen. I have very little doubt that one of the Portu-
guese in the forecastle conveyed the information aft 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 oflicers. However, the fact that the theft
was discovered soon became painfully evident, for we
bad a visit from the afterguard in force one afternoon,
aiid 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 /.len
she rolled his whole wei^^rl^t hung from his thumbs.
This of itself one would have thought sTilHcient torture
for almost any ofltence, but in addition to it he received
two dozen lashes wills an improvised cat-o'-niue-tails,
laid on 'jy the '^rawny arm of ono of the harpooners.
Wtj were all compelled to witness this, and our feehngs
r«iay be imigined. When, after wLat seemed a terribly

cng time to me CHeaven knows what it must have been
Ic him ! ), he ft> .nt d, although no ' hi.-ken I nearly fainted

().., i'rom contiicting emotions of sympathy and impotent

rage.

lie was then released in leisurely fashion, and we
were permitted to take him forward and revive him. As

OETTING SOUTTlWAnD.

.\s

Boon as be was able to Rtand on bis feet, be was called
on deck a^ain, and not allowed to go below till bis watcb
was over. Meanwbile Captain Slocum improved tbe
occasion by giving us a sbort baranguu, tbe burden of
wbicb was tbat we bad now seen a littlr of wbat any
of us raigbt expect if we played any " dogs' tricks " on
him. But you can get used to anytbing, I suppose ; so
after tbe first sbock of the atrocity was over, things
went on again pretty much as usual.

For tbe first and only time in my experience, we
sighted St. Paul's liocks, a tiny group of jagged peaks
protruding from tbe Atlantic nearly on tbe 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
tbe vast expanse of water, one could not help thinking
how sublime their appearance would be were they visible
from tbe plateau whence they spring. Their chief in-
terest to us at tbe 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 appear-
ance, are a species of mackerel, a brunch of the Scoiii-
bridtc family, and attain a size of about two feet long
and forty pounds weight, though their average dimen-
sions are somewhat less than half that. They feed
entirely upon fiying-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,
iiotbing is known with any certainly of tbeir habits of
bicxding.

\v.

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACIIALOTr

The orthodox method of catching them on hoard 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 talies his seat upon the jibboom end,
having first, if he is prudent, secured a sack to the jib-
stay 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 repre-
sents 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 the jeers of your ship-
mates to dissuade you from taking 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 trium-
phantly with one, having lost all feeling in my arms
and a goodly portion of skin off my Ireast and side,

GETTISO SOUTH WA IIP.

where I have emhraced the prize in a ^rim determina-
tion to hokl him at all hazards, besides being literally
drenched with his blood.

Like all our fishing operations on board the Cachalot,
this day's fishing was conducted on scientific principles,
and resulted in twenty-five fine fish being shipped,
which were a welcome addition to our scanty allowance.
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 ehould 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 meagre attempts of mine 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 overhead, out of which
the bottom occasionally falls. Nothing is visible or
audible but the glare and roar of falling water, and a
ship's deck, despite the many outlets, is full enough to
swim about in in a very few minutes. At such times the
whole celestial machinery 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

'II

()0

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT:'

of iiimhi, bcp;an to belly downwavl, until tho t'cntrc
of it tapered into a stem, and Uiu whole mass looked
like a vast, irregularly-moulded funnel. Tiower and lower
it reached, as if feeling for a soil in which to grow, until
the Hia beneath was agitated sympathetically, rising at
last in a sort of pointed mound to meet the descending
column. Our nearness enabled us to seo 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 upward 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. Tho pipe, or
stem, got thinner gradually, until it became a more
thread ; nor, although watching closely, could we deter-
mine when the connection 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 tho final disappearance of tho last
porticm of the tube, a fragment of cloud appeared to
break off. It fell near enough to show by its thunder-
ing roar what a body of water it must have been,
although jt 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 below, and never a fleck of white app'^ared in sky
or sea. This perfect stop to our progress troubled none,

rag

lay
lau,"
Iblue

sky
lone,

GHTTiNO snrrn \va iuk

ultlioii<^h it ii;,'graviitL'.s a nieivhant skippi-T ttiiibly. As
for the objects of our search, they hail apiJanntly all
migrated other- whither, for never a sign of them did we
see. Finbacks, a sjireies of roriiual, werv' always pretty
ninnerouH, 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 lin. Sometimes he
would remain motionless by the side of the bhip, a few
feet below the surface, as distinctly in our sight as a
gold-fish in a parlour globe ; or he would go under the
keel, and gently chafe his broad back to and fro along it,
making (jueer 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 in-
jured out of pure wantonness, except sharks, while I was
on board the Caclialat. Of course, injuries to men do
not count. Had that liuback 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 ritles without ever a thought of compunction ; yet
here, in a vessel whose errand was whale-fishing, a whale
enjoyed j)ertect immunity. It was very puzzling. At
last my curiosity became too great to bear any longer,
and I sought my friend Mistah Jones at what I con-
sidered a favourable opportunity. I found him very
gracious and communicative, and 1 got such a lecture
on the natural history of the cetacea as 1 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 uuy written natural history that ever I

I''

;|i

I i

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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33 WIST MAIN STMET

WUSret.N.Y. 14SM

(716) t73-4S03

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A'A

K<^

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THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT."

came acroHs. But 1 will nut go into that now. Lean-
ing over the rail, with the great rorqual laying per-
fectly still a few feet helow, 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 head 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 whyfor, kase he lib on all sort er fish, s'long's
dey ain't too big. I serpose w'en he kaint get nary lish
he do de same ez de ' bowhead ' — go er siftin eout dem
little tings we calls whale-feed wiv dat ar 'rangement he
carry in his niouf." " But why don't we harpoon him ? "
I asked. Goliath turned on me a pitying look, as he
replied, " Sonny, ef yew wuz 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 ribs. If I lib ten tousan
year, ain't gwine ter fergit dat ar. W^a'nt no time ter
spit, tell ye ; eberybody hang ober de side ob de boat.
Wiz — poof! — de line all gone. Clar to glory, / neber see
it go. Ef it hab ketch unywhar, 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 immunity from pursuit.
'"Sides," persisted Goliath," wa' yew gwine do wiv' him '/

"%...

OETTISO SOUTHWARD.

(i3

Ain't six inch uv blubber anywhere 'i)out his lonj» ugly
carkiRH ; en dat dirty lill* rag 'er whalebone ho got in
liiH mouf, 'taint worf fifty cents. En mor'n dat, wo pick
up a dead one when I uz in de ole liainhmr — done choke
hissclf, I Hpec, en wo cut him in. Ho stink fit tor 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 bilo him. G' 'way ! " Which emphatic adjuration,
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 w^ave 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 suddenly
soar into the air, a heavy splash behind him 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 — and he would
rise twenty, thirty feet, almost perpendicularly, and dart
away fully a hundred yards on a fresh course before the
drying of his wing membranes compelled him to drop.
In the face of such a sight as this, which is of everyday
occurrence in these latitudes, how trivial and mis-
leading the statements made by the natural history
books seem.

THE CHVISE OF THE "CACHALOT.'

Tbcy tell their readers that the K.vocetns VoUtam
" 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 authorities, 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 tho
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 he thought I
was mad. He stared at me for a minute, and then,
with an indescribable intonation, said, " How 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 off."
I guessed he meant the fable current 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 lantern,
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. Jones that if we 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 permission to use a boat. A couple
of " Guineamen " (a very large kind of flying-fish,

O K rnSQ so f ' Til \VA lilK

«;.■»

having four wings) flow 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 ofT from tiio 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-flavoured. The
exuding oil from this fish spread a thin film for some
distance around the bout, through which, as through
a sheet of glass, wc could see a long way down.
Minute specks of the bait sank slowly through the
limpid blue, but for at least an hour there was no sign
of life. I was beginning to fear that I should be called
to account for misleading all hands, when, to my un-
bounded delight, an immense shoal of tlying-fish came
swimming round the boat, eagerly picking up the savoury
morsels. We grasped our nets, and, leaning over the
gunwale, placed ther- silently in the water, 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 im-
ploringly, " 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 was
a gleam of light below us 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

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACIIALOir

once returned to the ship, having been absent only two
hours, during which we had caught sufficient to provide
all hands with three good meals. 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 emer-
gency, at sea perhaps more than anywhere else, and
nothing can be more useful to a sailor than the practice
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 BO 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 gradually
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 Trinidada
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 whales, 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),

GETTISG SOUTH WAUit.

it began to lose much of its terror for us, so greatly diJ
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.

T1IK CJiVJSE OF THE " CACJIAIOT."

CHAPTER VIII.

ABNER 8 WHALE.

In a previous chapter I have referred to the fact of a
bounty being offered to whoever should first sight a
useful whale, 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 of 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. Nevertheless, we all did
our little best, and I know, for one, that when I descended
from my lofty perch, after a two hours' vigil, my eyes
often ached and burned for 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 from
the fore crow's-nest. I was, at the time, up at the main,
in company with Louis, the mate's harpooner, and we
stared across to see whatever was the matter. The

A By Eli' S WIIALK.

eyes

from

iste of

len one
[ght of
from
main,
md we
The

watchman was unfortunate Abner Cushing, whose trivial
offence had been so severely punislied 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 any thin',
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 vapour 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, headin' 'beout east-by-nothe." " All right. 'V'f.y
down from aloft," answered the skipper, who was alread •
half-way up the main-rigging; and like squirrels we
slipped out of our hoops and down the backstays,
passing the skipper like a flash as he toiled upwards,
bellowing orders as he went. Short as our journey
down had been, when we arrived on deck wo 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 attention by our
respective boats, waiting for the signal. I found, to my
surprise, that, although I was conscious of a much more

TUE CHUJSE OF THE " VACUALOT,'

rapid beart-bcat tbau usual, I was not balf so soared
as I expected to be — that the excitement was rather
pleasant than otherwise. Tliere 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 deadened our way, and allowed the boats to run
clear without 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 honour ; but
there was now only one whale, and I rather wondered
why we had all left the ship. According to expec-
tations, 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.
/^ " Thet whale '11 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

\iist:ii's wiiALt:.

it liappons. I've seen ii fifty-bar'l hull inako tlio purticst
fight I ever henrii tell ov — a fi^ht tht-t lastotl t\vi«nty
hourB, Ktovo three hoats, 'n killed two men. Then, again,
I've seen a hundred 'n fifty har'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 Hay,
boy, that they're like peepul — got thair individooal
pekyewlyarities, an' thars no countin' on 'em for sartin
nary time." I 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 (|ues-
tions ; he looked so stern and fierce. Tlie scene was very
striking. Overhead, a bright blue sky just fringed with
fleecy little clouds ; beneath, a deep blue sea with innu-
merable tiny wavelets dancing and glittering in the blaze
of the sun ; but all swayed in one direction 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 foo to
encounter were he but wise enough to make the best use
of his opportunities. Against him wo came with our
puny weapons, of which I 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 less
unequal than at first sight, for there is the secret of
success. My musings were very suddenly interrupted.
Whether we had overrun our distance, or 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

WK rliUlSH nF TIIK ''CACHALOT.

Kri'iit black head, like the broad bow of n dumi* bur^e,
driving the waves before it, loomed hif;h and ineiiaeinK
to me, for I was not forliidden to look ahead now. Bm
coolly, as if coming alongside the ship, tlit; mate bent to
the big stccr-oar, and swiinr^ the boat off at right an<{le8
to her course, bringing her back again with another broad
sheer as the whale passed foaming. This manouvre
brought us side bv side with him before he had time to
realize that we were there. V\) till that instant he had
evidently not seen us, and his surprise was correspond-
ingly great. To see Louis raise his harpoon high above
his head, and with a hoarse grunt of satisfaction plunge
it into the black, shining mass bi.'side him up to the
hitches, was indeed a sight to be remembered. Quiek
as thought ho snatched up a second harpoon, and as the
whale rolled from us it Hew 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 completely 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 comfortable
enough, while we unshipped the mast and made ready
for action, being sufficiently far away from him to
escape the full ellect of his gambols. It was impossible
to avoid reflecting, however, upon what uould hajjpen if,
in our unprepared and so far helpless state, he were,

A US Kirs WHA1.K.

iiihtiiid of Hiiiiply tumbling; ii))OUt in tin aiinluHH, blind
sort of fiHT, to i'ihIi lit tlu' bout and try to destroy it.
Very f»'\v iiidt^td \v.)uld survive hi»'.!. an attack, unless
tin tactics wore radically altrnd. No doultt they would
be, for practices ;^ro\v up in consofjuence of tlio eircuni-
stances with wliich they Imvo to deal.

After the usual time spent in furious attempts to free
himself from our annoyance, he betook himself below,
leavin<;us to await his return, and hasten it as much as
possible by keeping a severe strain upon the line. Our
etTorts in this direction, however, »lid not seem to have
any ciTect 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
many chuckles as of a man who was the last resource
of the unfortunate. Hut his face grew longer and longer
as the never-resting lino continued to disuitpear. Soon
he signalled 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
centre, 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 7200 feet of
H-inch rope, and weight additional equal to the drag of
sixteen 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 wo

TflK CRUISE OF THE "CAVIIALOTr

luj

'i!

had just been favoured with was a very unusual one, I
was tohl, 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. It was,
as might be imagined, some time before we saw the light
of his countenance ; but when we did, we had no diffi-
culty in getting alongside of him again. My friend
Goliath, much to my delight, got there first, and suc-
ceeded in picking up the bight of the line. But having
done so, his chance of distinguishing 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 oif to wind-
ward 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 surface,
leaping from crest to crest of the waves with an inces-
sant 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
freely over the bows, but all the rest hauled 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

!i-»a>

TIIK WIIAI.E STAUTKD OFF TO WINDWAr'D WITII IS AT A TiiKMKNDOr."* KAIK.

ABNEH'S WHALE.

terribly long chase, wo found his speed slackening, and
y{Q redoubled our efforts. Now we were close upon him ;
now, in obedience to the steersman, the boat sheered out
a bit, and we were abreast of his labouring flukes ; now
the mate hurls his quivering 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, descending 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 stern supplied by the nineteen-foot steer-
oar, circled, backed, and darted ahead like a living thing
animated by the mind of our commander. 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 momentarily, 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 blubber, as if I
were assisting in his destruction. Suddenly the mate
gave a howl: " Starn all — starn all ! oh, starn ! " 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

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACIfALOT.'

creature hung on high, apparently niotionlesB, and then
fell — a hundred tons of solid flosh — back into the sea. On
cither side of that monntainouH mass the waters rose in
shining towers of sncAvy foam, which fell in their turn,
wliirling 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 wo were still uninjured or not.
Then I saw, at a little distance, the whale lying quietly.
As I looked he spouted, and the vapour was red with
his blood. " Starn all ! " again cried our chief, and we
retreated to a considerable distance. 'Hie 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 labouring 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 rush, but this
gigantic energy was short-lived. In a few minutes he
subsided slowly in death, his mighty body reclined on
one side, the 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

AliSElVb WIIALK.

I ^

hard-won pii/e, in order to secure ii c? to him in a
better manner tlian at present for hutiling 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 oft from the faithful harpoon that hud held
it so long, 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 bo grateful
for, coming, as it did, in such complete contrast to our
recent violent exertions.

The ship was some three or four miles off to leeward,
so we reckoned she would take at least an hour and a
half to work uj) to us. ^feanwhile, our part of the
performance being over, and well over, wo thoroughly
enjoyed ourselves, lazily rocking on the gentle swell by
the side of a catch worth at least £800. During the
conflict 1 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 mo what it was and
where it came from. He told me that, when dying, the
cachalot always ejected the contents of his 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, but he wasn't sure. Anyhow, I could haul
this piece alongside now, if I liked, and see. Secretly
wondering 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.

rill-: CRUiai: of tiik "CAcrfALor."

Hticking tlu; boat-hook into the lump, drew it alongside.
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
acHalmla on it. Tliese 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
fact." It will bo readily believed that I vividly recalled
this conversation when, many years after, I read an
account by the Prince of Monaco of hia discovery of a
gigantic squid, to which his naturalist gave the name of
Lepidoteuthis Grimald'd! Truly the indifference 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 feet square apparently;
who lived upon creatures 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

A/iNEJiS WIlALi:.

71)

me.

Ithat,

\\q to

buld

itly;
one
but

Iv, to

masticate Iuh food, was compollod to tear it in sizable
pieces, bolt it whole, and leave his commissariat depart-
ment 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 " Paradise
Regained," describing the Satanic banquet, had spoken
of something being " gris-amber steamed." They could
by no means agree as to what this mysterious 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 literature 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-flsh 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 ana-
lyzed it with scanty results. Its great value is due to its
property of intensifying the power of perfumes, although,
strange to say, it has little or no odour of its own, a faint
trace of musk being perhaps detectable in some cases.

Tin: VltUlSE OF THE "CACJfALOT."

The Turks are saM 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.
Tie was indeed a fine catch, being at least seventy feet
long, and in splendid condition. As soon as ho 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 some heavy labour 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 inces-
santly, ready to drop with fatigue, but not daring to suggest
the possibility of such a thing. Several of the officers
and harpooners were allowed a few hours off, as their
special duty of dealing with the head at daylight would
be so arduous as to need all theiv energies. When day

ABNER'S WHALE.

icers
I their

»'Ould
li clay

(iawued we were allowed u short rost, wliilu tlm work of
cutting up the head was imlertaken hy the roHtod men
aft. At seven hclla (7.30) it was '"turn to" all hands
again. The "junk" was hooked on to hoth cuttinj,'
tackles, and the windlass manned hy everybody who
could get hold. Slowly the enormous mass rose, cantln}»
the ship heavily as it came, while every stick and ropo
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 portion of a full-grown cachalot's body
could be realized, not before.

It was hauled from the gangway by tackles, and
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 half-
way out of water by the tackles, one hooked on each aide ;
then they were made fast, and a spar rigged across thorn
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 main-
yard of Marryatt'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, unsatisfactory process, wasting a great deal
of the substance being baled out ; but no other way was

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT."

apparently 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 south-westward.
As the stuff was gained, it was poured into large tanks
iu the blubber-room, the quantity being too great to be
hold 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 fibre. 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 uproarious
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 accumulation.

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 twenty-
eight teeth on each side. For the time, it was hauled

A us EH' S WHALE.

shing
hion,
1 and

fCHUlt

ward.

tanku

to be

els of

case;
away

inking

J, with

me the

, eight

uitable

as the

,8 large

ponge,
othing

, pulpy
tough,
as as
eculiar

lere was
roarious
„ losing
with a
ion.

jly nine-
luth, or,
twenty-
hauled

aft out of the way, and sccurod to the InHh-ruil. Tlie
Bubweciuent proceed ingH were just the fiamo us before
described, only more so. For a whole week our labours
continued, and when they were over wo 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 Aimer receiving,
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 ho were going to bo 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 ho
might have been thought of aft, certainly, for the time,
he was a very important personage forrard; even the
Portuguese, who were inclined to be jealous of what they
considered an infringement of their rights, were mollified
by the generosity 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 favourite pastime on
board whalers, though, in ships such as ours, the crew
have little opportunity for doing 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 favourite
design is to carve the bone into the similitude of a rope,

«4

TIW CHUJtiK OF Hit "CACHALOT."

with " \V(ii'min{{ " of sumlkr line ulouj; it.s luyn. A
Imndlo \H carved out uf u whale's touth, aud insetH of
baleen, hilver, cocou-trt'c, or . bony, j^ivo variety and
liniHh. The tools used are of the roughcHt. Some old
tiles, softened in the lire, and liled into grooves something
like saw-teeth, are most used; hut old knives, sail-needles,
and chisels arc 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, esiieiially the
polishing, which is done with oil and whiting, if it can
be got — powdered pumice if it cainiot. 1 once had an
elaborate pastry-cutter carved out of si\ whale's teeth,
which I purciuised for a pound of tobacco from a seaman
of the Cnidl whaler, and afterwards sold in Dunedin,
New Zealand, for ^2 10«., the purchaser being decidedly
of opinion that he had a bargain.

( m:,

CITArTKn T\.

orn iFRsr CAi.MXd ri.ACR.

Prrtiaps it may hastily bo assumed, from the largo space
already devoted to fishing operations of various kinds,
that tho subject will not bear much more dealing 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 tho business of
tho voyage, nothing is farther from ray plan than
to neglect the very interesting portion of our cruise
which relates to visiting strange, out-of-the-way corners
of the world. If— which I earnestly deprecate — the
description hitherto given of sperm whale-fishing and
its adjuncts bo found not so interesting 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 south-east

Hf?

THE r/irrSE OF THE "rACTJAJ.OT:'

trades blow steadily, we did not remain stationary alto-
gether. So that the followinf,' week saw iis on the south
side of tlie tropic of Capricorn, the south-east 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 oflf 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 quito careless whether we made one mile a day or
one hundred. But just because nobody took any notice
of our progress as the days passed, we were occasionally
startled to find how far we had really got. This was
certainh' 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 when
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, com-
mencing quietly, gently, steadily, taking 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 cast it came as a boon and blessing,
for it would be a crawler that could not reel ott' her two
hundred and fifty miles a day before the push of such a
breeze. Even the Cachalot did her one hundred and

OUR FIRST CALL I SO- PLACE.

fifty, pounding and bruising the ill-used soa in her
path, ancTspireading 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 home-sick
and tired of my present surroundings, in spite of their
interest, when I saw those beautiful ocean-flyers devour-
ing the distance w^hich 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. Eight ahead, looking nearer than
I had ever seen it before, rose the towering mass of
Tristan d'Acunha, while farther away, but still visible,
lay Nightingale and Inaccessible Islands. Their aspect
was 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 different thing.
Near as the island seemed, it was six hours before we
got near enough to distinguish objects on shore. I have

TIIK rilUlSK OF THE "CACffALOT."

\ i

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 Tristan 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 wo came
within working distance of the settlement, we were con-
tinually passing broad patches of kelp (fncm (jiifaHtea),
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
colour 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
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, substantially-
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 were evidently put
to great straits for clothes, many curious makeshifts

Oi'i; FIRST rAIJ.ISa-ri.ACK.

l)oinf5 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 potatoes, onions, a few
fctuntcd 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 pro-
vision would be monopolized 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
ver}' familiar it seemed, to be sure. Nevertheless, it
could not be cenied that their sole means of communi-
cation with the outer world, as well as market for their
goods, the calling whale-ships, 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
lire very severe, are almost the only needs they require
to be supplied with from without. They spoke of the
"Cape" as if it were only across the way, the distance
separating them from that wonderlul 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
inducement 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

THE CRVISK OF THE "CACTI A LOT:*

I t

them to accumulate a store of seal-skins and oil, while
the ships cruised the surrounding seas for whales, which
were exceedingly numerous, hoth "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
women 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 honour 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 w-ell.

The steep cliffs, rising from the sea for nearly a
thousand feet, often keep their vicinity in absolute 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 neighbourhood to
get too near them. The immense rollers setting in-
shore, and the absence of wind combined, 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

OUli FIRST CALLINa-PLACF.

ng in-
l soon
letting
ICG the
lolding
grows
bogress

through it diiheult. This, however, is very useful in one
way here, as we found. Wanting more supplies, which
wore to he 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. Suddenly 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 tranquil. The islanders collected on the beach, and
guided us to the best spot for landing, the huge boulders,
heaped in many places, being ugly impediments to a
boat.

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 noticeably 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 moun-
tain being really the whole island. Steep roads were

!I2

Tin: CRUISE OF THE "CACIIAlOrr

liown 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,
dominating 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, seeing
that it has been inhabited for more than a hundred
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 English dinner of
roast beef and baked potatoes. He apologized for having
no plum-pudding to crown the feast. "But, you sec,"
he said, "we kaint grow no corn hyar, and we'm clean run
out ov flour; Lev ter make out on taters 's best we kin."
I sincerely sympathized 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 warn-
ings and threats, keep their eyes off 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 wore all ready to ship, and I
had to tear myself away from ..hese kindly entertainers.
I declare, it seemed like parting with old friends ; yet our
acquaintance might have been measured by minutes, so
brief it had been. The mate had purchased a fino
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.

■'OG'^J

()fj/{ FIRST VALllSG-VLACE.

lioavily laden for tlu' return journey to the ship. My
li'iend had kindly given mo a large piece of splendid
cheese, for which I was unahle to make him any return,
being simply clad in a shirt and pair of trousers, neither
of which necessary garments could bo spared.

AVith hearty clujers from the whole population, we
shoved off and ploughed 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. I>ut, to such boatmen as we were, that
was u tritle hardly worth mentioning, and after an hour's
hard pull we got alongside 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 jjleasant 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.

Two days afterwards we caught another whale 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 passing,
except to note that the honours 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 lish " iiu 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

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT."

pigeons, and Cape hens, but never in my life bad I
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 sooner
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 deafening. With the exception of one peculiar-
looking bird, which has received from whalemen the in-
elegant 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-
grey colour, 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 m u e 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 subjected
to. Sometimes the ship rolled one way and 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 ;

OUIt FIRST CALLlNO-l'LAUE.

no thieving sliip-chandler had any hand in supplying
uur 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
w^as one coil of rope on hoard 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 ofiicers' scurrilous remarks about ]3ritishers and
their gear. It was never used but for rope-yarns, being
cut up in lengths, and untwisted for the ignominious
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 exigencies
of a whaler's life — but afterwards 1 believe nothing short
of dismasting or running the ship ashore would wake us,
once we got to sleep. In the morning we commenced
operations in a howling gale of wind, which placed the
lives of the officers on the "cutting in" stage in great
danger. The wonderful seaworthy qualities of our old
ship shone brilliantly now. When an ordinary modern-
built sailing-ship would have been making such weather
of it as not only to drown anybody about the deck, but
making it impossible to keep your footing anywhere
without holding on, we were enabled to cut in this
whale. True, the work was terribly exhausting and
decidedly dangerous, but it was not impossible, for it was
done. By great care and constant attention, the whole
work of cutting in and trying out was got through with-
out 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 1 have ever

iMi

TUK UHU18E OF TllK " CAV/rALOTr

read of " i»iillin^' tin- hIuvcs tlirou<^li for all they wero
worth " on the phuitations was fully realized hero, ami
our worthy skipper must have hoen a lineal descendant
of the doughty Simon Lugroo.

The men were afraid to go on to the sick-list. Nothing
short of total inahility to continue would have prevented
them from working, such was the terror with which
that man had inspired us all. It may ho 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 (juite a natural one
at which to arrive, I must deny its truth. There were
men in that forecastle as good citizens and as bravo
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 sea-sickness, half starved and
hopeless, their spirit had been so broken, ard 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 noted; but
I was perfectly well aware that the slightest attempt
on my part to show that I resented our common treat-
ment would meet with the most brutal repression, and,
in addition, I might look for a dreadful 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 prevent-
ing me from writing about it. Weak and feeble do the
words seem as I look at them, making me wish for the

Ol'li Fin ST ('ALI.ISn-n.ACK.

ditioii
earted
than
; but
tempt
treat -
, and,
it for

tiro and force of Carlyle or Macnulay to i)ortiay our
unnecessary sufferings.

Like all other earthly ills, however, they canio 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 sot
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 blowing across the set of this great
current, one of the very ugliest combinations of broken
waves is raised ; but who cares for tliat, 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, unhasting, 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
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

^1
/I

h i

!)S

riiK ciitfsK OF Tin: "r.ir//ALOT:'

upon, mid every liiiidfiill innde Ixconu'S ii lu w d»itartuic
from >vliciu'(' to Imnc one h calciiIjitlonH, whicL, rough as
they urc, rarely err luoro than a few (hiyn.

Say, for instance, you arc hound for Cuhutta. The
first of the nortii-east trades will give a fair idea of your
latitude being about the edge of the tropics somewhere,
or say from "iO" to 2a'' 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 of the " doldrums." That weary bit
of work over, along come the south-east trades, making
you brace " sharp up," ajid sometimes driving you un-
comfortably near the Brazilian coast. Presently more
" doldrums," with a good deal more wind in them than
in the " wariables " of the lino latitude. The bravo
" 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 (^ough Island ; but, if not, the course
will keep you fairly well informed of your longitude,
since 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 running along
the arc of a great circle, then run due east for a thousand
miles or so before gradually working 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

Un FlliS T f'A IL ISn ■ ri. A Chi

rturc
^h as

The
' your
k'hero,
ightctl
before
It'll to

dirty,
iiry I'it
iiiiUinj?
ou un- .
V more
m than
} bravo
ISC you,
reliable
lUiulrecl

y Bigbt
e course
iigitude,
tt circle
istance,
ig along
lousand
These
\ nearly
ill most
in about
rjc made
e in the
lour long

cttHtcrly run in «>vor, and you Are boun<l to tin- nt)rtliwnrd
tti^'uin. Soon tin southMiist tradts will take you j^tntly
in hand, and \\n : you plcasuraMy upward to the line
again, unloHH you hIiouUI he so unfortunate as to meet
one of the devuntating meteors known as " cycUnu h "
in itH gyration acro.^H the Indian Ocean. Afttr losing
the trade, which wignals your approach to tlie line once
more, your guideH tluctuate muchly with the time of
year. Jiut it may bo broadly put that the change of
the mouHoon in the Jiay of Bengal is beastlineHs un-
udulterated, and the south-west monsoon itself, though
a fair wind for getting to your destination, is worse,
if possible. Still, having got that far, you aro able to
judge pretty nearly when, in the ordinary course ot"
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 CnchahCH deck.
Of course, it was evident that we were bound eastward,
but whether to the Indian sens or to the South Pacilic,
none knew hut the skipper, and perhaps the mate. 1 say
"perhaps" advisedly. In any well-regulated merchant
ship there is an invariable routine of observations
performed by both captain and chief otlicer, except in
very big vessels, where the second mate is appointed navi-
gating officer. The two men work out their reckoning
independently of each oher, and compare the result, so
that an excellent check upon the accuracy of the positions
found is thereby afiford'd. 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

100

THE VltUlSE OF THE "CACHALOT."

terms to call him a navigator. If the test be ability to
take a ship round the world, poking into every iin-
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 teas 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 chro: ometer, though I never saw it or heard
the cry of " stop," which usually accompanies a.m. or
p.m. '• sights " taken for longitude. He used sometimes
to make a deliberate sort of haste bclow 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 stare and gasp ;
that his nautical almanac was a ten-cent one published
by some speculative 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 seaman-
ship 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-
ceuvre, not even as much as would be made in a Goole
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 un-
willingness to do what she was required that is such
a fre ^ueut characteristic of merchantmen. Even getting

OVl! FinST CALLlXa-PLAr'E.

lOl

under way or coming to an anchor was unattended by
any of the fuss and bother from which those important
evohitions ordinarily appear inseparable.

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 immenso
rollers, or towed athwart them by 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 mo.
It was now manifest that we were bound up into the
Indian Ocean, although of course I knew nothing of the
position of the districts where whales were to be looked
for. Gradually we crept northward, the weather im-
proving 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 locality. 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.

At last we sighted land, which, from the course which
we had been steering, might have been somewhere 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 hoard

102

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACIIALOT."

uttered while at the wheel hy the officers, found that my
Rurmisc was correct. We skh'ted this point pretty closely,
heading to the westward, and, when well clear of it, bore
up to the northward again for the Mozambique Channel.
Another surprise. The very idea of irhalinri in the
^[ozambique 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
business, and the unlikeliest man imaginable to take
the ship anywhere unless he anticipated a profitable
return for his visit.

( 101} )

CHAPTER X.

A VISIT TO SOME STRANOK PLACES.

We had now entered upon what promised to be the
most interesting past of our voyage. As a commercial
speculation, I have to admit that the voyage was to me
a master 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 impressed
on my mind that, whatever might be the measure of
success attending our operations, no one of the crew
forward could hope to benefit by it. The share 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-chost at
high prices, that I had quite resigned myself to the
prospect of leaving the vessel in debt, whenever that
desirable event might happen. Since, therefore, I had
never made it a practice to repine at the inevitable, and
make myself unhappy by the contemplation of mis-
fortunes 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, beyond a general
thirst for knowledge, that what I was now learning
would ever be of any service to me. Yet I had been

104

THE CnUlSE OF THE "CAClIALOTr

(lull indeed not to have seen how unique were the oppor-
tunities I was now enjoying for observation of some of
the least known and understood aspects of the ocean
world and its wonderful inhabitants, to say nothing of
visits to places unvisited, except by such free lances as
we were, and about which sc little is really known.

The weather of the Mozambique Channel was fairly
good, although subject to electric storms of the most
terrible aspect, but perfectly harmless. On the second
evening after rounding Cape St. Mary, we were proceed-
ing, as usual, under very scanty sail, rather enjoying the
mild, balmy air, scent-laden, from Madagascar. The
moon was shining in tropical splendour, paling the
lustre 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
colours were not brilliant, but plainly visible against
the deep blue sky. Slowly and solemnly the intruding
gloom overspread the sweet splendour of the 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 com-
pletely over-canopied by a dome of velvety black, seem-
ingly low enough to touch the mast-heads. A belated
sea-bird's shrill scream but emphasized 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

A VISIT TO SOME' .STIlA\ai-: PLACES.

in:.

com-

iBeem-

lelated

ilence

ature.

[inted,

jr and

they

lealing

through the jagged clefts a hirid waste of tht> most
intensely glowing fire. The coming and going of these
amazing brightnesses, combined with the Egyptian dark
between, was completely blinding. 80 loaded was the
still air with electricity that from every point aloft pale
flames streamed upward, giving the ship the appearance
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 features, 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 crackling 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 mutter-
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 windows
of heaven were opened, and no man might stand against
the steaming flood that descended by thousands of tons
per minute. How long it continued, I cannot say ;
])robably, in its utmost fierceness, not more than half an
hour. Then it slowly abated, clearing away as it did
so the accumulation of gloom overhead, until, before
midnight had struck, all the heavenly host were shedding
their beautiful brilliancy ujion us again with apparently

10f{

THE cnvrsE of Tin-: "CAcnALOT."

incrciised glory, while the freshness and invigorating feel
of the air was inexpressibly delightful.

We did not court danger by hugging too closely any
of the ugly reefs and banks that abound in this notably
difBcult strait, but gave them all a respectfully wide
berth. It was a feature of our navigation that, unless
wo had occasion to go near any island or reef for fishing
or landing purposes, we always kept a safe margin of
distance away, which i)robably accounts for our con-
tinued immunity from accident while in tortuous waters.
Our anchors and cables were, however, always kept
ready for use now, in case of an unsuspected current
or sudden storm ; but beyond that precaution, I could
see little or no difference in the man or 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 scowling,
impassive face showed no sign of disappointment, or
indeed any other emotion, as day by day we crept
farther north. At last we sighted the stupendous peak of
Comoro mountain, which towers to nearly nine thousand
feet from the little 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 hitherto had dealings. They were exceedingly fat
and lazy, 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,

J VISIT TO SOMi: STnASOK r I. ACES.

107

while wo harpooned them with the greatest ease and
impunity. Even the "old man" himself lowered the
fifth boat, leavinf^ the ship to the carpenter, cooper,
cook, and steward, and coming on the scone as it
determined to make a field-day of the occasion. lie
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
would bo as tame a. to read of a day's work in a
Klaughter-house. Sufiicc 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 been impossible, but the way in
which she was worked compelled the admiration of
anybody who knew what handling a ship meant. Htill,
with all the ability manifested, it was five hours after
the last whale died before we had gathered them all
alongside, bringing us to four o'clock in the afternoon.

A complete day under that fierce blaze of the tropical
sun, without other refreshment than an occasional
furtive diink 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

! '\

108

THE C It VISE OF TTIK " CACTJALOTr

cressets were prepared, and by their blaze we toiled
the whole night through. Truth compels rae to state,
though, that none of us foremast hands had nearly
such heavy work as the oflBcers on the stage. What
they had to do demanded special knowledge and skill ;
but it was also terribly hard work, constant and un-
remitting, while we at the windlass had many a short
spell between the lifting of the pieces. f>en 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 wonderful sight. There
must have been thousands of 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
needed, and, thanks to the cook, was a thoroughly good
one. He — blessings on him ! — had been busy fishing, as
we drifted slowl}', with savoury pieces of whale-beef
for bait, and the result was a mess of fish which would
have gladdened the heart of an i:picure. Our hunger
appeased, it was " turn to " again, for there was now
no time to be lost. The 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 cannot 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

A VISIT TO SOME STliANOK PLACES.

100

inger
now
n the
lume
ce of
ibber
vould
haste
inies
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 frag-
ment 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 dap
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 fragaients.

The condition of the Cachalot's 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 was 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, and soon the
lumbered-up decks began to resume their normal
appearance.

As if to exasperate the '* old man " beyond measure,
on the thii'd 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 extraordinary haul.

77/ A' Cli'UISR or THE "VACUA LOT."

Ciiptiiin Slocuin wont black with impotent ni^^c, uiul,
jifter glowering at the Kportive monKters, beat a retreat
Ik'Iow, unable to bear the sight any long.r. During
luH abHonco we had a rare treat. The whole Kcliool
Burroundeil 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 jjosition, solemnly bobbing up and
down amid the glittering wavelets like movable boulders
of black rock. Then, all suddenly reversed themselves,
and, elevating their broad flukes in the air, commenced
to beat them slowly and rhythmically upon the water,
like so many machines. Being almost a perfect calm,
every movement 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 mouths, never quite out of sight of the mountain
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 been time
to get cleared up. Eight hundred barrels of oil were added
to our cargo, making the undisciplined hearts of all to
whom whaling was a novel employment beat high with
hopes of a speedy completion of the cargo, and consequent
return. Poor innocents that we were ! How could we
know any better ? According to Goliath, with whom I

A yj>lT TO SOME STliASOK I'LACEs.

Ill

were

kIs for
tintain
»f that

catch
time

added

all to
|h with

jquent
luld we

hom 1

often Imtl a fritiidly chat, tliis wa** ipjitr out of the
ordinary run to havi- such hick in tlic " C'lianncl."

*"\Vay hack in dc dark aRcs, wVn do whah'sliips
war de pi'mcrs oh commorcf, 'n dry wan't n(» woiiyin',
poofity-plunkity steanihoatH a-pounihn' alonj^, 'nouj^'h ti r
galley chery whale clean eout obderc skiti, dcy war plenty
whaleships till up in twelve, iiftten, twenty nionf after
Icahin' home. 'N er man hcd his pick er i)laces, too—
didn' hah ter go moseyin errouu' like some ol' hobo
lookin* fer day's work, 'n prayin de good Lord not tcr
let um fine it. No, sah ; roun ycr China Sea, coas'
Japan, on de line, off shore, Vasquez, 'mong de islan's,
ohmos' anywhar, you couldn' liardly git way from 'em.
Neow, I clar ter ^^lory I kaint imagine irar dey 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 xcc a sparm whale, much less
catch one. But " — and here he whispered mysteriously —
"dish yer ole man's de bcry debbil's own chile, 'n his
farder lookin' after him well — dat's my 'pinion. Only
yew keep yer head tight shut, an' ncbber 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 hari)ooncr8 were fluent enough,
too.

Yet I had often thought that his treatment of them,
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

• •

112

77/ A* CHUISE Of THE " CACIfALOT."

1^ I

! t

wore i»Kiitilul here, I do not know, but it was now >rfty,
and for the lust few days wo liad not seen a solitary
Hpout of any kind, i'reparationrt, very slight it is true,
were luade for departure ; but before wo left those parts
we made an interesting call for water at Mohilla, one
of the Comoro group, which brought out, i \ unmistak-
able 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
bo so reckless as to incur these unless driven thereto
by the necessity of obtaining provisions ; otherwise,
the islands offer great inducements to whaling captains
to call, since none but men hopelessly mad would
venture to desert in such places. That qualification
is the chief one for any port to possess in the eyes of a
whaling captain.

Our skipper, however, saw no necessity for entering
any port. Running up under the lee of Mohilla, wo
followed the land along until we came 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.
T''e approaches to this tiny harbour (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
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

.1 r/.svr m home srn.iyn-: nArns.

Ii::

witliin tlio Imrlioui*. Down went the iinchor, and 8lio
WHS riHt—iinchornl for tlio first tirno Hince leaving Now
Jjo(lff)r(l seven months hcforo. Here we wore shut out
entirely from the outer world, for I (loul)t Sf«'»itly whether
oven IX piissin^^ dhow <'ould havo seen us from Hoa-
ward. We were not here for rest, however, hut wood
nnd water; so while ono 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 gettiu^^ out a number of bij* casks for
the serious business of watering. The cooper knocked
olV the second or (juarter hoops from each of these
casks, and drove them on again with two " beckets "
or loops of rope fu'nily jammed under each of them in
such a manner that the loops were in lino 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. Wo
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 wo had considerable
trouble to clear away. Having done so, we led a long
eanvas 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 rock, saving us the labour
of baling and filling by hand. So we were able to rest

114

TIIK CIIUISK OF Tin-: "CACHALOTr

and admire at our ease the wonderful variety of beautiful
plants which grew here so 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 complacency upon the 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 expendi-
ture of labour, free of cost ; whereas, had we gone into
Mayotte or Johanna, the water would have been bad,
the price high, the labour 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 labour
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
roperve, it is doubtful whether they would have been

fli
hi
too
cut

wit]

.1 VISIT TO SOME STliANGE PLACES.

ii:.

Lful
rtal
lere
rork

our
Hit,
ence

His

and

, and

)0li8 "

cask.
,8 tliat
fc quite
:b still
)UBand

pendi-

e into
in bad,

ces of

. The
m big
labour
Ibesides
IS clean
lirectly
3xperts,
iv work
laxes in
,'e been

able to Ret suflicient fuel for our purpose. When thoy
pitched the wood off the rocks into the harbour, it sank
immediately, 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 otr for the purpose. The result of their sport was
splendid, over two hundred-weight of fine fish of virious
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. Wj saw none,
however, and at daylight we weighed and towtv. 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 turtle, 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 Sphatya, and, diving deep, came
up underneath him, seizing with crossed hands the two
hind flippers, and, with a sudden, dexterous twist, turned
the astonis'. d creature over on his back. Thus rendered
helpless, the turtle lay on the surface feebly waving his
flippers, while his captor, gently treading water, held
him in that position till the boat icr».ched the pair and
took them on board. It was a clevei feat, neatly exe-
cuted, as unlike the clumsy efforts I had before seen made
with the same object as anything could possibly bo.

!'. I

( :

I in

THE rnuiSK or tin-: "cachalot:'

After an hour's tow, we had got a good offing, and a
light air springing up, we returned on board, hoisted the
boats, and made sail to the northward again.

AVith 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 we now found ourselves is much dreaded by
merchantmen, 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 homo
here, pursuing the even tenor of our usual way without
any special precautions being taken. A bright look-out
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 ploughing 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 within the
range of vision. At night we scarcely moved, but still
a vigilant look-out was always kept both fore and aft,
so that it would have been difficult for us to drift upon
a reef unknowingly.

Creeping steadily northward, we passed the Cosmoledo
group of atolls without paying them a visit, which wns
strange, as, from their appearance, no better fishing-
ground would be likely to come in our way. They arc
little known, except to the wandering fishermen from
Beunion and Rodriguez, who roam about these islets and
reefs, seeking anything that may be turned into coin, from
wrecks to turtle, and in nowise particular as to rights

t ,

A VISIT TO SOME STIiASGE PLACES.

117

lolcdo

i\i NV»«

isliing-
^ey are
from
its and
|», from
riglitfi

of ownership. When between the Cosmoledos and Astove,
the next island to the northward, 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 w^ork now, we obeyed the call
to arms with great alacrity. Our friend was making a
passage, turning neither to the right hand nor the left
as he wentc 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
I(A\v ed to attack the new-comer, who, all unconscious
of ' i; ming, pursued his leisurely course unheeding.

V: 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, hampered 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 vigour and ferocity marvellous 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 valour, so that before he could turn

118

rilE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

his attentions in our direction we were 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
perious 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. Without 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
protruded sideways being deeply fringed with barnacles,
and plated with big limpets.

Had it not been for this impediment, I verily believe
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 liis 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 very
grateful the short rest was to us. But he had not gone
a couple of miles before he turned a complete somersault
in the water, coming up behind us to rush off again in

r liira.
of my
m any
levoted
;k were
of this
;s as to
lound,"
50 ; but
ul blow
bite one
he was
e lower
rned off
at thus
rnacles,

believe
worked
>nce he
ive spun
ley had
;o him,

again,
he now
fo boats
foaming
atigued,

for the
lid very
lot gone
(lersault
igain in

I <

A VISIT TO SOME STIIANGK PLACES.

110

the opposite direction at undiminished speed. This
move was a startler. For the moment it seemed as if
both boats would bo smashed like egg-shells against euth
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-breadth, wo cleared each
other, and the race continued. Up till now wo had not
succeeded in getting home a single lance, the foe was
becoming warier, while the strain was certainly telling
upon our nerves. So Mv. Count got out his bomb-gun,
shouting at the same time ^^ 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
came to almost a dead stop. All was silent for just u
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 centre of the boat, it drove
his poor body right through her timbers — an uudistin-
guishable bundle of what was an instant before a human

]20

THE CItUJSE OF THE " CACHALOT."

being. The other meraber.s of the crew tscapeJ the
blow, and the hari)ooner managed to cut the line, so that
for the present they were safe enough, clinging 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 previous 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 awfulness of the experience. Mechanically, 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, anothev
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 of 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 incident
worth mentioning, except that the peculiar shape of the

A VISIT TO SOME STllANOE PLACES.

121

jideut
)f the

jaw made it an object of great curiosity 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 boon 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 condition, 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 I
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, or by what strange freak of
Dame Nature these curious reptiles, 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 appear.

ill

122

Tin: ciiuisK OF riiK " cachalot:

We made the island early on a Sunday morning, and,
with the usual celerity, worked the vessel into the fine har-
bour, called, from one of the exploring ships, Euphrates
13ay or Harbour. The anchor dow n, and everything made
snu^ below and aloft, we were actually allowed a run
ashore free from restraint. I could hardly believe my
ears. We had got so accustor.ied to our 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 own masters,
and, each following the bent of his inclinations, set out
for a ramble. My companion and I had not gone far,
when 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
creature dwarfed them all. We had no means of actually
measuring him, and had to keep clear of his formidable-
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 being 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 and take a piece out

-1 I7.S/7' 10 SOME STRASGi: VLACKS.

VI?.

was
se he
and
e of
much
wc
ently
was
that
jack,
lous-
ed as
■e out

of u Itllow without any trouMc. lie wiis porftctlv
aniirahle, continuing his journey as if nothing luul
hapi)cnt'd, and really getting over the ground at a goixl
rate, eonsidering the hulk and sluipe of hitn. Kxctpt
for the novelty of the thing, this sort of ride had nothing
to recommend it ; so I soon tired of it, and let him waddlr
along in peace. liy following the tracks aforesaid, we
arrived at a fine stream of water sparkling out of a
hillside, and running down a little ravino. The sides of
this gully were worn quite smooth by the innumerahlo
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
k'gend 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 in-
numerable curious things to sec, 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 impassable for sitting birds, mostly " boobies."

But previous experience of boobies' eggs in otlier
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 condescend

124

riiH <;iirist: of r/f/: " vaciiai.ot:'

to fivh for tliomselvcH, jtrcfcrriiiK to hover hish in the
bhie, their tails optiiiiif,' and closin<» like a pair of
scissors as th(;y han^ poised above the sea. Presently
booby — like some honest housewife who has been a»
marketing — comes flappinf? noisily iiome, her maw
laden with fish for the chicks. Down comes the black
watciicr from above with a swoop like an ea^^le. Booby
puts all slio knows into her llifiht, but vainly ; escape
is impossible, so with a despairing shriek she drops her
load. Before it has touched the water the graceful thief
has intercepted it, and soared slowly aloft again, to
repeat the performance as occasion serves.

When wo arrived on the outer shore of the island, wo
found a large breeding-placo of these birds, but totally
different to the haunt of the boobies. The nests, if they
might be so-called, being at best a few twigs, were
mostly in the hollows of the rocks, the number of eggs
being two to a nest, on an average. The eggs were
nearly as large as a turkey's. But I am reminded of the
range of size among turkeys' eggs, so I must say they
were considerably larger than a small turkey's egg.
Their flavour was most delicate, as much so as the eggs
of a moor-fed fowl. We saw no birds sitting, but here
and there the gaunt skeleton forms of birds, who by
reason of sickness or old age were unable to provide
for themselves, and so sat waiting for death, appealed
most mournfully to us. We went up to some of these
poor creatures, and ended their long agony ; but there
were many of them that we were obliged to leave to
Nature.

We saw no animals larger than a rat, but there
were a great many of those eerie-looking land-craby,
that seemed as if almost humanly intelligent as they

M \i

A I7S/7 TO so.v/; ^n:.\\ni: riAcrs.

12.")

eggs
here

by
vide

3alecl
heso
here
e to

Itliere
[rabH,
they

Hcaiu|»i're(l uhout over thi' siind (ir tlinmj^h th«' undtr-
^rowth, busy about goodiiosf* knows what. Thf biauti-
ful cueoa-nut pahu was pkiitiful, 8o much so that 1
wondered why there were no sitth'rs to collect *' copra,"
or dried cocoa-nut, for oil. My West Indian experience
came in handy now, for 1 was able to climb a lofty
tree in native fashiim, and cut down a grand bunch of
green nuts, which form one of the most refresMng and
nutritious of foods, as well as a cool and delicic n drink.
We had no line with us, so we took off our belts, which,
securely joined together, answered my purpose very weil.
With them I made a loop round the tree and myself ;
then as I climbed I pushed the loop up with me, so that
whenever I wanted a rest, I had only to lean back in it,
keephig my knees against the trunk, and I was almos'
as comfortable as if on the ground.

After getting the nuts, we made a lire and roasted
some of our eggs, which, with a biscuit or two, made a
delightful meal. Then we fell asleep under a shady
tree, upon some soft moss ; nor did we wake agaii.
until nearly time to go on board. A most enjoyable
swim terminated our day's outing, and we returned to
the beach abreast of the ship very pleased with the
excursion. •

We had no adventures, found no hidden treasure or
ferocious animals, but none the less we tl* jroughly
enjoyed ourselves. While we sat waiting for the boat to
come and fetch us off, we saw a couplr^ of good-sized
turtle come ashore quite close to us. V, e kept perfectly
still until we were sure of being able to intercept them.
As soon as they had got far enough away from their
native element, we rushed upon them, and captured
them both, so that when the boat arrived we were not

12f;

THE cnrisE OF Tin: " CAriiALorr

empty-lianded. AVo had also a '* jumper," or blouse, full
of t'ggs, and a couple of immense bunches of cocoa-nuts.
When we got on board we felt quite happy, and, for the
first time since leaving America, we had a little singing.
Shall I be laughed at when I confess that our musical
efforts were confined to Sankey's hymns ? Maybe, but
I do not care. Cheap and clap-trap as the music may
bo, it tasted "real good, ' as Abner said, and I am quite
sure that that Sunday night was the best that any of us
had spent for a very long time.

A long, sound sleep was terminated at dawn, when
we weighed and stood out through a narrow passage by
Kast Island, which was quite covered with fine trees — of
what kind I do not know, but they presented a beautiful
sight. Myriads of birds hovered about, busy fishing
from the countless schools that rippled the placid sea.
Beneath us, at twenty fathoms, the wonderful architec-
ture of the coral was plainly visible through the
brilliantly-clear sea, while, wherever the tiny builders
had raised their fairy domain near the surface, an
occasional roller would crown it with a snowy garland of
foam — a dazzling patch of white against the sapphire
sea. Altogether, such a panorama was spread out at
our feet, as we stood gazing from the lofty crow's-nest, as
was worth a year or two of city life to witness. I could
not help pitying my companion, 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 daring to
breathe, I strained my eyes, and— yes, it was — " Ah
bloNY-w-w-w ! " I bellowed at the top of my lung-power.

)uld
lese
pyes
ling

A VISIT TO SOME STliAXni': PLACES.

127

Never before had I had the opportunity of thus dis-
tinguisliing myself, and I felt a hit sore about it.

There was a Uttle obliquity about the direction of 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 " short-
headed " cachalots ; but as wo secured five of them,
averaging seven barrels each, with scarcely any trouble,
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 wo 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.

lAh
ker.

12H

TTiK rnuisK OF THE "cachalot:

CHAPTER XI.

ROUND THE COCOH AND SEYCHELLES.

t (

Hitherto, 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 Lutterworth, a com-
panion ship to us from Portland, Oregon to Falmouth,
whose mate informed me that they carried their royals
from port to port without ever furling them once,
except to shift the suit of sails. But now a change
w as evidently imminent. Of course, we forward had no
access to the barometer ; not that we should have under-
stood 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 dirtv and stale also. That

:|!. :

nge

the

sty,
ked
Ihat

nous It THE cocos Asn seyci/ellks. 129

well-known appearance of the waves Ijofore a storm was
alfio very marked, which consists of 'Ui undecided sort of
i)reak in tiieir tops. Instead of rnnninf? regularly, they
seemed to hunch themselves up in little heaps, and
throw off a tiny tlutter of spray, which generally foil 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 heen had wo been a
swift clipper ship running down the Indian Ocean. For
two days we were kept in suspense ; hut on the second
night the gloom began to deepen, the wind to moan, and
a very uncomfortable " jobble " of a sea got up. Extra
" gask(;ts " 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 gradually darkened and assumed a livid green tint,
the effect of which was most peculiar.

The wind blew iitfully in short gusts, veering con-
tinually back and forth over about a (juarter of the
compass. Although it was still light, it kept up an
incessant mournful moan not to be accounted for in
any way. Darker and darker grew the heavens, although
no clouds were visible, only a general pall of darkness.
Glimmering lightnings played continually about the
eastern horizon, but not brilliant enough to show us the
ai>proaching storm-cloud. And so came the morning
of the third day from the beginning of the change.
]3ut for the clock we should hardly have known that day

130

TiiK cnuisK or the " CAcnAiorr

had broken, so gloom}' and dark was the sky. At last
light came in the cast, but such a light as no one would
wish to see. It was a lurid glare, such as may bo
seen playing over a cupola of Bessemer steel when the
speigelcisen is added, only on such an extensive scale
that its brilliancy was dulled into horror. Then, beneath
it we saw the mountainous clouds fringed with dull
violet and with jagged sabres of lightning darting from
their solid black 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 la^L 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 mizen-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 degrees. Fortu-
nately 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 con-
tinually 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.
13arly on the second day of warning they had been

catf

8US|

agai
officl

the
a call
not
heav^
Was

'■o'-ted to tl,c top.uost „„i,i, „f ,.

«H thoroughly «» «,,orie„cc ' 1 ""'"'■''• """' «'''"'-«l

'•nder water, while n,, „"„^ ' " '' « ""'■" 'Up them
"■eather one, i„ |,y j/j' '' ' l^^'eued to ,tav,. the

'''"Wins a furiou, cy „„" t 7 '™''"- " ™«' »»"
'■een accurately „1 '» l"'?, "' '''^''"' ''"^ ""«•
instruments of vari™ t"' ""^ "'" l'«»ent elaborate
'■"wever, not to be TmL ," , "'"'' '^''"" ''<'-'•- i'.
witnessed it, ewen tl,?t ^ ""•'' """' "''» ''"^ no

record by wbiebmalm';!!';"''''''''^' ''"^'"""^ '■' "«
e«tiraate. "«nat,c,ans may get »„ approximate

Offiee, has told us hotdurin ' c T'"'' Wo'e-ologica
in the ir„tsj,„r at SandhTad, H ^' "■'"''^'' ''^ ■''"'""nt

tl.e three naked top^, 1 7 7','"' "' "'^' ""og'-'y
weli^tested timber atl't-Tiantt:. ";'""• "'""«" "^
«" the usual network of 11 " 7' *f '"'''""«<•■'' by

were snapped off and carried; ' r;"'""' "'<•' >"''''.
of "- wind. It must l:r:V:'''f ^y ""* violence
Sm. which did not las l„v I' T ''"' ■"" "'"-no
was ever forged would ha^ ifeld hf? ''"• "" ''^'<' "-'
cataclysm as that. This re„L ""."!'" "S"'™' »"eh a
'"spicion, so that no "xaC "m ' '"''«"'^- ''» ""-"v-e
against him, and ho had tif n °" ""'^'^ '"' "'""-ged
officers and 'men t tl ! „ L,! t''""*' '-''■no V of his

The terrible dav Z '^^'^ incredible fact,

the temne,t'fn/'Z;;;;:-.w«''out^any lightening of

not

-■ tempest, till noon when th. '\ ^ ^"^^^
«alm. Until that «nl h?. l^„! ^°? "^"^^^'^^^y

*^- "- «^e z:z::s:^L!:^u^

was

vicious
T wate_

suddenly withdraw' Zh l"! '°""' "' ""• »™'^
"•"", «ucn a sea ai-n«o «« t i. _

""" ^^c^ous or irregular and vv7i """""«" ^^^avy,

J-avy water at all? But whe th^V'* ''''''''
was suddenlxr ,..:m.,,... ^^^®" *"o force of tho

liny

sea aro.se as I h

ave

■i

:^2

rrn-: vjiuisk or tjik " rAcnALorr

novel* seen before or since. Inky mountains of water
raised their savage heads in wihlest confusion, smasli-
ing one another in wliirlpools 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 appeared, nearly in the zenith, send-
ing down through tliB apex of a dome of torn and madly
gyrating cloud a flood of brilliant light. Illumined by
that startling radiance, our staunch and seaworthy ship
was tossed and twirled in the hideous vortex of mad
sea until her motion was distracting. It was quite
impossible 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 ex-
pected to continue for long. Suddenly 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 upon us. All was blank. Beneath
that mass every thought, every feeling, fled but one —
" How long shall I be able to hold my breath ? " After
what seemed a never-ending time, we emerged from the
wave more dead than alive, but with the good ship still
staunch underneath us, and Hope's lamp burning brightly.
The moon had been momentarily obscured, but now
shone out again, lighting 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

nousi) THE cocoa and Seychelles.

13:)

dly

i>y

hip
nad
uite

Miy-
shed

or it
rious
mage
e ex-
4iout

ves

ack,
and
ards,
neatli
one-
After
the
still
iglitly.
t now
avely-
selves,
ttered
masts

were gone, not even the stumps l)eing visible, and it
seemed to our eaji^er eyes as if slic was settling down.
It was even so, for as we looked, unmindful of our own
danger, she quietly disappeared — swallowod up with her
human freight in a moment, like a pebble dropped into
a pond.

While wo looked with hardly beating hearts at the
place where she had sunk, all was blotted out in thii'k
darkness again. With a roar, as of a thousand thunders,
the tempest came once more, but from the opposite direc-
tion now. As we were under no sail, we ran little risk
of being caught aback ; but, even had we, notbing could
have been done, the vessel being 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 wo had time to haul to the wind again.
Great heavens ! how it blew ! Surely, I thought, this
•.j,nnot 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 kindlier. Gradually, im-
perceptibly, it took off, the sky cleared, and the tumult
ceased, until a new day broke in untcllable beauty over
a revivified world.

Years afterwards I read, in one of the hand-books
treating of hurricanLS and cyclones, that " in the centre
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 tliere, and bear witness that but fur the
build and sea-kindliness of the ('arinilot, she could not
have come out of that horrible cauldron again, but would
have joined that nameless unfortunate whom we saw

■■

•t*lK^

i:u

77/ A' CHVISE OF THE " CACIlALOTr

succumb, " never again heard of." As it was, we found
two of the boats stove in, whether hy breaking sea or
crushing wind nobody knows. Most of the planking
of the bulwarks was also gone, burst outward by the
weight of the water on deck. Only the normal quantity
of water was found in the well on sounding, and not
even a roi)e-yarn was gone from aloft. Altogether, we
came out of the ordeal triumi^hantly, where many a
gallant vessel met her fate, and the behaviour 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 carpenter,
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 rebuilding. There-
fore we kept away for this strange assemblage of reefs
and islets, arriving off them early the next day.

They consist of a true " atoll," or basin, whose rim
is of coral reefs, culminating occasionally in sandy
islands or cays formed by the accumulated ih'hris washed
up from the reef below, and then clothed upon with all
sorts of plants by the agency of birds and waves.

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

nOVSl) TftE COCOfi AND SEYCIIKLI.Ks.

v^:^

got

211 to

I away

>vc went again towards what used to bo a noted haunt
of the sperm whale, the Seychelle Archipelago. Before
the French, whose flag flies over these islands, had with
their usual short-sighted policy, clapped on prohibitive
port charges, Mahu was a specially favoured place of
call for the whalers. But when whaleships iind that it
does not pay to visit a place, being under no compul-
sion as regards time, they soon find other harbours
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.

"NVe found whales scarce and small, so, although we
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 phenomenon, a " milk " sea. It was a lovely
night, with scarcely any wind, the stars trying to make
up for the absence of the moon by shining with intense
brightness. The water had been more phosphorescent
than usual, so that every little fish left a track of light
behind him, greatly disproportionate to his size. As
the night wore on, the sea grew brighter and brighter,
until 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

I;^)

THE <:iirisj-: ur hie '' vACiiAiorr

the lustre of the stars was diminished till they only
looked like points of i)olish«d steel, having (iiiitt- lost for
the time their radiant sparkle. In that shining flood
the hlackncss of the ship stood out in startling eontrast,
and when wo looked over the side our faces were strangely
lit up hy the hrilliant glow.

For several hours this beautiful appearance per-
sisted, fading away at last as gradually as it come.
No satisfactory explanation of this curious phenomenon
has ever been given, nor does it appear to portend any
cliange of weather. It cannot be called a rare occur-
rence, although I have only seen it thrice myself —
once in theBayof Cavite, in the Philippine Islands ; once
in the Paciiic, near the Kjlomon Islands; and on this
occasion of which I now write. But no one who had
ever witnessed it could forget so wonderful 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 in her appear-
ance 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, s-jhe was deserted. The big three-
cornered sail that had been set, hung in tattered festoons
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 investigate.

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 returned to the

norxn the coco^ A.\'f> >-!:Y('iih:u.h:s.

I.r

her,
loarcl

Mr.

the

rtliip. Tht b«>;it WHS (juifkly iioi.stttl aj^rtin, and tliu
ship inaiKuuvicd to pans close to windward of i\\v
dorolict. Then, from our nniHt-hoad, n horriblr sij^ht
bt'camo visible. Lyin^ al)out tlu' woather-bcaton dock,
in various postures, wire thirtit'n corpsis.all fur advanced
in decay, which horriljU- fact fully atcounti'd for the
intolerable Ktencli that had driven us away. It is,
perhaps, hardly necessar}' to say that we promptly hauled
our wind, and placed a ^ood distance between us and
that awful load of death as soon as possible. I'oor
wretches ! What terrible calamity had befallen them, wo
could not guess ; whatever it was, it had been complete ;
nor would any sane man fulling across them run the
risk of closer exainination 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 ftetor that was a deadly danger to any
vessel getting under her lee.

Next day, and for a whole week after, wo 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 (loleridgo certainly
never witnessed such a scene as he there describes with
an accuracy of detail that is astounding. 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 little about I
it. Of course, some parts of the sea show the evil I
elTects of stagnation much sooner than others; hut,/
generally speaking, want of wind at sea, if long continued,/
produces a condition of things dangerous to the healtli
of any land near by. Whale-ships, penetrating as they

IMS

riiK chvisK OF rut-: "caciiaiot."

do to piirtH carefully avoided by ordinary trading vtHHtlH,
often alTord their cix-ws tin opportunity of Hccing thingH
nioKtly liidd'.n from tlje Higlit of man, when, aetuate<l
by HoniK; myfiteriouH impulse, the uncanny deni/ens t)f
the middle depths of the ocean riHe to higher levelH, and
bhow their weird Bhapes to the Hun.

( 130 )

CHAl'TER XII.

\MIICH TUK.VTS OV TIIK KUAKK.N.

It has often been a matter for considerable surprise to
nie, that while the urban population of (ireat Britain is
periodically agitated over the great sea-serpent (luestion,
sailors, as a class, have very little to say on the subject.
During a considerable sea experience in all classes of
vessels, except uien-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.

The reasons for this abstinence may vary a groat
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 ac-
curate, 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

■ !

ito

THli CIWISE Ob' THE ' CACHALOT:

glories, marvels, and mysteries of the mighty deep yon
^vill hear uot a word. I can never forgot when on my
lirst voyage to the West Indies, at the age of twelve, I
was 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 tliat was." He
looked up with an uninterested eye for an instant in the
direction of my finger, then listlessly informed me,
" That's what they call a sarcle." For a long time I
wondered what he could moan, hut it gradually dawned
upon me that it was his Norfolk pronunciation of the
word circle. The delinition 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 Avhale
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
blin(hiess. " Eyes and no Eyes ; or the Art of Seeing "
has evidently been little heard of among them. To
this day 1 can conceive of no more delightful journey
for a naturalist to take than a voyage in a southern
whaler, esi)ecially if he were allowed to examine fit his
leisure such creatures us were caught. But on board
the Cachalot 1 could get no information at all upon the
habits of the strange creatures wo met with, except
whales, and very little about them.

I have before referred to the great molluscs upon
which the sperm wiiale feeds, portions of which I so
frciiuently saw ejected from the stomach of dying
whales. Great as my curiosity naturally was to know
more of these immense organisms, all my inquiries on

wiiirn rriKATs of thf kuakks.

Ill

upon
I so

know

ies on

the subject were fruitless. Tlicse vetirans of the wliiilc-
iishery knew that the sperm whale Hved on big cuttle-
fish ; but they neither knew, nor cared to know, anythiii}^
more about these marvellous molluscs. Yet, from tht;
earliest dawn of historv, 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 lastchapter, we were gradually
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 gigantic
beacon, the enormous mass of the Golden ^[ountain
dominated the peaceful scene. Pulo Wa\', 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
the negative, unless we might be compelled by accitbnt ;
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 Hteamshi])s through the
Malacca Straits, so easily "gallied" a creature as the
cachalot should care to frequent its waters ; indeed, 1
should certainly think that a great reduction in the

fe i

142

THE CRUISE OF TlIE " CACTI A LOT."

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 botwec^Ji
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 and Junkseylon, when we " met up " with
a full-grown cachalot, as ugly a customer as on*' 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 war., 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 five p.m., to our groat
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 G feet X fi 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 honour of standing his watch, on
account of ray sea experience and growing favour with
the chief. Very bitterly did I rewent the privilege at

feet.

(lay'M

.'GHtcd

ih, on

with

lige at

A VKUV I, ilIGK ^I'KIJM WIIAl.K WAS L()( KKI) IN IHAPI.Y

Willi \ SQVID.

(1 INFLICT

n'ffrrrf treats of the kuakes.

I in

the time, I remember, 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 con'^cions of my sur-
roundings, 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, remembering our
position, I was at first inclined to alarm all hands ; for
I had often heai'd of volcanic islands suddenly lifting
their heads from the depths below, or disappearing in
a moment, and, with Sumatra's chain of active vol-
canoes so near, I felt doubtful indeed of what was now
happening. Getting the night-glasses out of tlie cabin
scuttle, where they were always hung in rendiness, I
focussed them on the troubled spot, perfectly satisfied
by a short examination that neither volcano nor earth-
quake 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 supposition. A very
large sperm whaUi 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 whaK; especially
seemed a perfect net-work of writhing iirms — naturally,
I suppose, for it appeared as if the whale iiad the tail

'/•///•; cnrisE or the " CAfiiAKur

part of the molliiKC in his jawH, and, in a l)iisinc88-like,
methodical way, was sawinf,' throiij,'h it. By the side of
the black columnar liead of the whale appeared tiie head
of the great Hquid, as awful an object as one could v ell
imagine even in a fevered dream. Judging as carefully
as possible, 1 estimated it to bo 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 iivid
whiteness of the head, made tlieir appearance all the
more striking. They were, at least, a foot in diameter,
and, seen under such conditions, looked decidedly eerie
and hobgoblin-like. All around the combatants were
iui;uerous sharlis, like jackals round a lion, ready to
share the feast, and apparently assisting in the destruc-
tion of the huge ocphalopod. 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 sulficiently
to call him, and tell him of what was taking place.
He met my remarks with si^-h a furious burst of anger
at my daring to dist'.u-b hiui for such a cause, that I ficd
precipitately on deck again, having the remainder of the
vision to myself, f( i none of the others cared sufticiendy
for such things to bse five mim;:e: ' sleep in witnessing
them. The conlli* i ceased, the sea resumed its p'acid
calm, and nothing remained to tell of the light but
a strong odour of firh as of a bank of seaweed left bv
the tide in the blazing sun. Eight bells struck, and i

WHICH r HEATS of the kuakhs.

I to

went below to a troul)leil sleep, wherein ull the awful
monsters that an over-excited brain eouUl e)njiire up
pursued me tlirough the (^lojiny cives of ocean, or
mocked my [)igmy efforts to escape.

The occasions upon whicii tlieso ^'ifrantie cuttle-fish
ap.pear at the sea surface must, I think, ho very rare.
From their construction, they appear fitted only to f^rope
among the rocks at the bottom of the ocean. Their modf
of progression is l)ackward, by tht; forcible 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 antennic of an insect, rove uncensingiy around,
seeking 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
whicl ^.he restless tentacles are furnished, ready at the
fl'ghtest touch to grip whatever is near, not only by
sucti »u but by the great claws set nil round within its
circle. And iu the centre of this net-work of living traps
is the i^'.asm-like mouth, with its enormous parrot-beak,
ready to rend piecemeal whatever is held by the tentaeula).
Tiiever/ ,hough^ of it makes one's llesli crawl. Well
did Michelet t'jrm them " the insatiable nightmares of
the sea."

Yet, but for ihem, hew would such great creatures as
the sp;.mnhule be fed'? Unable, from their bulk, to
capture small lish except by accident, and, by the absence
of a sieve of baleen, preckiJed from subsisting upon the

iik

14(;

THE VliUlbK OF THE " CACHALOT."

tiny cruatacea which support the Mijstivetie, the cachalois
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 knowcth ; but it is unlikely that even the vast speci-
mens seen are full-sized, since they have only come to
the surface 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.

^Vhen we commenced to cut in our whale next morn-
ing, the sea was fairly alive with fish of innumerable
kinds, while a vast host of sea-birds, as usual, waited
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 after the
work was started, gave the waiting myriads immense
satisfaction, although the unfortunate second mate, whose
slip 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
difficulty, and requiring great precision of aim. Just as

moru-
^erable
iwaited
ircass,
feast,
ler the
imense
whose
•ricane
Isvas in
cork of
[ust as

WHICH Tit L ATS OF TIIH KliAKHS.

I 17

Mr. Cruce made a powtrful thrust with his kttn tool, the
vessel rolled, and the blow, missing the score in which ho
was cutting, fell upon the caso 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 floatiiig astern, and a
tremendous commotion among the birds, told the story.
The h(|uid 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 afterwards ; 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
tit 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 attendant upon coast-
ing in those localities to any but those continually
engaged in such a business.

Indeed, all navigation in those seas to sailing vessels
is dangerous, and rec^uires the greatest care. Often we
were obliged at a minute's notice to let go the anchor,
although out of sight of land, some rapid current being
found carrying us sw iftly tow ards 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 warke
as well as ever. But it was not apparent why we
were threading the tortuous and ditlicult waters of the

]\H

THE ciinst: of ///a " rAciiALutr

ludiuu Aiihiijciiif^o. No whulus of any kiml wtn* Hotii
for at least a month, althouKh, from our Icisuriy mode
of hailin;^, it was evident that they were h)oked for.

An occaHional native craft came al()nf,'Hide, desirous
of harterinj^ lish, wiiich we did not want, heinp ahh; to
catcli all we needed as readily almost as they were.
Fruit and vefjetahles we ct)uld not ^et at such distances
from land, for tho small canoes that lie in wait for
passing,' ships do not of course venture far froi i home.

( I ll> )

CIIArTKll XIII.

oil- TO TIIK JAPAN (JROINDM.

Vkuy tcdiouH tiiul trying; was our passage northward,
altlioiiKh every ctVort was made l)y the skipper to expedite
it. Nothing of advantage to our cargo was scon for a
long time, which, altliough apparently what was to be
expected, did not improve Captain Slocum's temper.
But, to the Hurpr'sc of all, when we had arrived otT the
beautiful island of Hong Kong, to which we approached
closely, we " raised " a grand sperm whale.

Many fishing-junks were in sight, busily plying theii-
trade, and at any other time we should have i)een much
interested in the quaint and euiming devices l)y 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 creature, who immediately showed fight. So
skilful and wary did he prove that Captain Slocum,
growing impatient at our maiueuvring with no result,
himself 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 I have not hitherto
mentioned, because none of the hariiooners could be

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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23 WIST MAIN STRIET

WnSTIR,N.Y. UStO

(716) •72-4503

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150

777^ CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT:'

induced to use it, and consequently it liad not been much
in evidence. Theoretically, it was an ideal tool for such
work, its chief drawback being its cumbrousness. It was
known as " Pierce's darting Run," 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 spring, 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, 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
hack 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 just protruded
from the muzzle. An ordinary percussion cap was
placed upon the nipple, and tlie trigger cocked by placing
the trigger-rod in position. The harpoon, with the line
attached, was firmly set into the socketed flanges pre-
pared for it, and the whole arrangement was then ready
to be darted at the whale in the usual waj'.

»»

OFF TO THE J A PAX GROUNDS.

151

SuppoHingtho aim to bo good and the force sutKcient,
the harpoon wouUl penetrate the bhibber until the end
of the triggcr>rod was driven backwards by striking the
l)lubber, releasing the trigger and firing the gun. Thus
the whale would be harpooned and bomb-lanccd 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 awkward, 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
ill 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, proving
conclusively that a successful stroke had been made.

It had an instantaneous and astonishing effect. The
sorely-wounded monster, with one tremendous expira-
tion, rolled over and over swift as thought towards
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 unravelled 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

152

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACnALOlV

trunk of the whale. Happily, there were two boats dis-
engaged, 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. Mean-
while, 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 injuries 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 distance 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
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 wc 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

OFF TO rni: javas orousds.

1 :»:)

peps,
I The
Ihilt,
lised
one
and

seemed very bad indeed. Had any one told us that
morning that we should he sorry to see Captain Slocum
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 e^'es at the treasure we had along-
side, 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 extremely unhealthy for us, great doubt existing
as to whether any of us would see morning dawn again.
There was, too, just a possibility that when the carcass,
stripped of its blubber, was cut adrift, those ravenous
crowds would fasten upon it, and let us go in peace.

A.i 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 incesssmt
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 wo 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 harbour itself, if
opportunity offers. Let any man go down tlu; 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

l.VI

TIIK CnUISK OF THE " CAOffALOT.'

policeman will be at his side, note-book in hand, in-
quiring bin name and Hhip, and taking a note of the
Hanipan'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 con-
verging 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 extraordinary
efforts lifted the whole remainder of the head high
enough to make sail and stand off to sea. The wind
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 disagree-
ables, seeming as nothing now that we could do it
without fear and trembling. Alas for poor Jemmy ! — as

OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS.

).'>

)eing

Doard

The

inder

had

|gree-

lo it

I — as

wo 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 believed most firmly
to have some marvellous power to open the gates of
paradise and cleanse the sinner. Notwithstanding the
grim fact that their worship was almost pure super-
stition, it was far more in accordance with the fitness
of things for a dying man's surroundings than such
scenes as I have witnessed in the forecastles 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 forecastle 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
fo2 of tobacco-smoke and the stale stench of rum. Bibald
songs, quarrelling, and blasphemy made a veritable
pandemonium of the place. I passed quietly through it
to the sick man's bunk, and found him — dead ! He had
passed away in the midst of that, but the horror of it did
not seem to impress his bemused shipmates 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 suddenlj'
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

I5(J

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACITALOT."

in the waist, the ship's hell was toUcrl, and the ensign
run up halfway.

The captain was still too ill to he moved, so the
mate stepped forward with a rusty old Common Prayer-
book in his hands, whereon my vagrant fancy imme-
diately fastened in frantic endeavour 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 imma-
nence of Death until we saw his handiwork. Mr. Count
opened the book, fumbling nervously among the un-
familiar 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 liev ter take it as
read." There was no response for a moment ; then I
stepped forward, reaching out my hand for the book. Its
contents were familiar enough to me, for in happy pre-
arab days I had been a chorister in the old Lock Chapel,
Harrow Eoad, and had borne my part in the service so
often that I think even now I could repeat the greater
part of it memoriter. Mr. Count gave it*me without
a word, and, trembling like a leaf, I turned to the
" Burial Service," and began the majestic sentences, " I
am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Iiord." I
did not know ray own voice as the wonderful words

OFF TO THE JAi'AN OJiOUNDS,

157

the

orcls

Houuded clearly in the still air ; but if eve- » small hody
of soul-hardoned men jclt the power of God, it was then.
At the words, " Wo 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 deptlis 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 indeed.
The harpooners were disposed to regard this capture as
auspicious upon opening the North Pacific, where, in
spite of the time we had spent, and 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 of 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 believe that there are
more and larger cachalots to be fo.Mnl in the Southern
Hemisphere, between the parallels of :'3° and /50° South ;
but there the drawback of heavy weather and moun-
tainous 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 Japanese
islands as far as the Kuriles, and then returns to the

inn

THE UHVISK OF THE *' CACHALOT:'

: I

eastward again to the southward of the Aleutian Archi-
pelago. The greatest number of whales are always
found in the vicinity of the Bonin and Volcano groups
of islands, whicli lie in the eddy formed hy the north-
ward bend of the mighty current before mentioned.
This wonderful ground was first cruised by a London
whale-ship, the Stfrcn, in 1819, 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 Kmilia, 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 favourite 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 century
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 pre-
vented 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 mean time.

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

OFF Tn THE J A I' AS nitorNPS.

1 59

from

the whaliug cuptaiirH point of viow. Puul Islaml, the
priucipal one of the cluster, has a perfect harbour in
I'ort Lloyd, where a vessel can not only lie in comfort,
sheltered from almost every wind that blows, but whore
provisions, wood, and water are plentiful. There is no
inducement, or indeed room, for desertion, and the place
is healthy. It is colonized by Japs from the kingdom bo
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 hud
quite a rapid run to the Bonins, carrying a press of 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 of his ship, no matter 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 mountain torrents
carving away the lava of which they were all composed.
For the whole of the islands were volcanic, 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 harbour, 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

KiO

THE t'UUlSt: OF TIIK " CACHALOT:'

80 l»affling, that at variouH times during our paHsago in
it appeartid aw if notliinj,' could prevent uh from getting
stuck upon some of tlic> adjacent liungry-looking coral
reefs. Nothing of the kind happtiued, however, and wo
came comfortably to an anchor near three other whale-
8hii)H which were already there. They were the Dicijo
Jlaiiiiir;, of Nantucket ; tin* ('nmnel, of Providence, Rhode
Island ; and the OrampiiH, of New Bedford. These were
the i'lrst whale-ships we hud yet seen, and it may be
imagined how anxious we felt to meet men with whom
wo could compare notes and exchange yarns. It might
be, too, that wo should get some news of that world
which, as far as we were concerned, might as well have
been at the other extremity 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 skippers
on board. The extra exertion necessary to pilot 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 stuffy 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 refreshments, 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.

( I'-l )

CHAPTER XIV.

LIBERTY DAY — AND AFTER.

Therk 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 practice is usually adhered to in English
ships. But American whale-ships apparently know no
law, except the will of their commanders, whose con-
venience is always the first consideration. Thus, wo
had now been afloat for well over a year, during which
time, except for our foraging excursions at the Cocos
and Aldabra, we had certainly known no liberty for a
whole day.

Our present port being one where it was impossible
to desert without the certainty of prompt recapture,
with subsequent suffering altogether disproportionate to
the offence, 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

I \

102

THE CKUJSE OF THE "CACHALOT:

didn't know what to do with it. There was a native
town and a couple of low groggeries kept by Chinamen,
whore 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 individual 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 Scotchman who was a
beach-comber, and consequently " knew the ropes." I
dare say he was an unmitigated blackguard whenever he
got the chance, but he was certainly on his best
behaviour 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,
i.e. in heated holes in the ground, for which the friendly
Kanakas would take no payment, although 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 oflf the town,
where all my watchmates were sitting 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,

I.JliKRTY DAY — AND AFTEl!.

h;.t

laid

and

efore

own,

rhey

that

ible,

but we were actually glad to get on board again, it was
so miserable ashore. The natives were most unsociable
at the port, a"nd we could not make ourselves under-
stood, 80 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 share 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 op-
portunities of making the acquaintance of his various
visiting places more than I have ; but the circumstances
attendant upon one's leave must be a little favourable,
or I would much rather stay aboard and fish. Our task
was over for i,uc Jtty, 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 wo
got to them, there was a pretty how-d'ye-do. All of them
were more or 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 for-
saken them that, before we came near them, they were
abusing him through all the varied gamut of filthy
language they possessed. My democratic sentiments

1()4

THE (mUJSE OF THE "CACHALOT:'

arc deeply seated, but I do believe in authority, and
respect for it being rigidly enforced, so 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 betraying
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 the loudest of them
by the breast of his shirt with his right hand, another
one by the collar with his left, he flung himself back-
wards towards the boat, knocking the interveners right
and left. But a protruding fragment of rock caught
his heel, bringing him with his captives to the ground
in a writhing mass. The rest, maddened beyond
restraint of fear, flung themselves upon the prostrate
man, the glimmer of more than one knife-blade appear-
ing. Two of us from the boat — one with the tiller, the
other brandishing a paddle — rushed 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 execution among them. Not knowing, I
suppose, 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
superficial cuts — not feeling them perhaps — he so un-
mercifully 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

LIBERTY DAY — AND AFTER.

165

prowess on the part of one man against twelve seems
liardly credible ; but it must be remembered that Goliath
fought, with all the moral force of the ship's ofticers
behind him, against a disorganized crowd without back-
bone, who would never have dared to face him but for
the temporary mania induced by the stuff they had
drunk. It was a conflict between x 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
great negro looked every inch a mediaeval hero. In a
stern voice ho bade his subjugated enemies to get into
the boat, assisting those to do so who were too badly
hurt to rise. Then wo 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 act of
violence upon an ollicer, which, according to the severe
code under which we lived, merited punishment as
painful as could be inflicted, and lasting for the rest of
the voyage. Whatever form that punishment might
take, those of us who were innocent would be almost
equal sufferers with the others, because discrimination
in the treatment between watch an I watch is always
difficult, and in our case it was certain that it would
not be attempted. Except as regarded physical violence,
we might all expect to share alike. Undoubtedly things
looked very unpleasant. My gloomy cogitations were
abruptly terminated by the order to " unrow " — we were
alongside. Somehow or other all hands managed to
scramble on board, and assist in hoisting the boat up.

As soon as she was secured we slunk away forward,
but wo had hardly got below before a tremendous

Il^

160

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

summons from Goliath brought us all aft again at the
doable quick. Most of the fracas had been witnessed
from the ship, so that but a minute or two was needed
to explain how or why it begun. Directly that explana-
tion had been supplied by Mistah Jones, the order was
issued for the culprits to appear.

I have before noticed how little love was lost between
the skipper and his officers, Goliath having even once
gone so far as to give me a very emphatic opinion of his
about the "old man" of a most unflattering nature.
And had such a state of things existed on board an
English ship, the crew would simply have taken charge,
for they would have seen the junior officers flouted,
snubbed, and jeered at ; and, of course, what they saw
the captain do, they would not be slow to improve on.
Many a promising young officer's career has been
blighted in this way by the feminine spite of a foolish
man unable to see that if the captain shows no respect
to his officers, neither will the crew, nor obedience either.

But in an American ship, so long as an officer
remains an officer, he must be treated as such by every
man, under pain of prompt punishment. Yankee
skippers have far too much nous to allow their hands
to grow saucy in consequence of division among the
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' honour and the reparation to be made.

This sort of thing was right in his line. Naturally
cruel, be seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself in the
prospect of making human beings twist and writhe in
pain. Nor would he be baulked of a jot of his pleasure.

LIB El

DAY— AND AFTER.

1(J7

Goliath approauiioil him, and mattered a few words,
meant, I felt sure, to appease him by letting hira know
how much they had suffered at his strong hands ; but
he turned upon the negro with a savage curse, bidding
him be silent. Then every one of the culprits was
stripped, and secured to the lash-rail by the wrists ;
scourges were made of cotton fish-line, knotted at
intervals, and secured to a stout handle ; the harpooners
were told off as executioners, and the flogging began.
Perhaps it was necessary for the maintenance of
discipline — certainly it was trivial compared with the
practice, 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, for I had nothing to fear had I been ever such
a coward. Whatever it was, I am not sorry either to
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.

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 sufticient
activity to get forward when they were released. Smart-
ing and degraded, all their temporary bravado effectually
banished, they were indeed pitiable objects, their deplor-
able 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

^t^vt%u.''»-«^^►v*-*

!(;$

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

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 norm..! 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 cannot say, but he certainly seemed to
put more vigour 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 com-
menced our cruise on this new ground, there were seven
whalers in sight, all quite as keen on the chase as our-
selves, so that I anticipated considerable sport of the
liveliest kind should we ** raise " whales with such a
fleet close at hand.

But for a whole week we saw nothing but a grampus
or so, a few loitering finbacks, and an occasional lean
humpback bull certainly not worth chasing. On 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

LIDEIiTF DAY — AND AFTEIi.

1(11)

finbacks, the look-out men forward were both staring
to leeward, thus for a minute or so I had a small arc
of the horizon to myself. 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 ! " Bound 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 the
stranger to windward was keeping away. In answer to
the skipper's hurried queries from below, Mr. Count gave
him the general outline of affairs, to which he replied
by crowding every stitch 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 was a good breeze
blowing, as much, in fact, as we could carry all sail to,
the old barky making a tremendous commotion as she
blundered along under the unusual press of canvas. In
the excitement of the race all our woes were forgotten ;
we only thought of the possibility of the ship getting
there first. We drew gradually nearer to the stranger,
who, like us, was 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, appar-
ently heading to leeward, so that the weather-gage
held by our rival was not much advantage to him now.
We ran on for another two miles, then shortened sail.

170

THE CRUISE OF riii: "cachalot:

and stood by to lower away the moment he should re-
appear. 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 oflf, 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. Up we came
to him, Mr. Count's boat to the left, the other mate's
boat to 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 ploughed 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

LIDEHTY DAY — ASU AFTKli.

171

bad happened to his iron, or knowing that wo were fast,
the other harpooner promptly Imrlod his second iron,
which struck solidly. It was a very pretty tan^irle, but
our position was rather bad. The whale between us
was tearing the bowels of tho deep up in his rage and
fear ; we were struggling frantically to got our sail down ;
and at any moment that wretchol 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.
Wasn't Mr. Count mad ? I really thought he would
split with rage, for it was impossible for us to go on
with that hole in our bilge. The second mate came
alongside and took our line as the whale was just com-
mencing to sound, thus setting us free. We made at
once for the other ship's " fast " boat, and the compli-
ments 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 first
ship fast claims the whale, and such a prize as this one
■we were quarrelling about was not to be tamely yielded.
However, as reason asserted her sway over Mr. Count,
he quieted down, knowing full well that the state of the
line belonging to his rival would reveal the truth when
the whale rose again. Therefore we returned to the

172

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

ship, leaving our three boats busy waiting the whale's
pleaMurc to rise again. When the Hkipper heard what
had happened, he had his own boat manned, i)roceeding
himself to the battle-field in expectation of complications
presently. 13y 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.
" I'retty fine ground this's got ter be ! " growled the old
man. " Caint 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.

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 intervals. Judge, then,
of my surprise when a shout of " Blo-o-o-w ! " called my
attention to the whale himself just breaking water about
half a mile away. It was an awkward predicament ;

LIBERTY nAY—AXn AFTF.U.

17:]

for if we lot go our end, the others would be on the
whale immediately ; if we hold on, wo should certainly he
dragged below in a twinkling ; and our disengaged boats
could do nothing, for they had no lino. JJut the difliculty
Boon settled itself. Out ran our end, leaving us bare of
lino as pleasure skiflfs. The new-comer, 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 labouring leviathan, now a
*' free lish," except for such claims as tlie 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, inextricably mixed up with
about the same length of our rival's, was towing astern of
the fast-expiring cachalot.

So great had 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
mean time two of our boats had been sent on board
again to work the ship, while the skipper proceeded to
try his luck in the recovery of his gear. On arriving 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 frapped 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 holding the

boat alongside the whale's "small" by a

bight

171

7//A' vnUISE OF THE " CACllAlOrr

tlio line. I suppose the skipper's eagle eye must have
caught sight of the trailing part of the lino streaming
beneath, for HuJdenly he plunged overboard, reappearing
almost immediately vrith 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 XarrafiafiHctt, 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 wo
steadily hauled. Unless he of the Xarragamett 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 Xarranansrtt'H 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 the John Hampden.

What arrangements they made, or how they settled
the X(irra(faniiett'8 claim between them, I never knew, but
I dare say there was a costly law-suit about it in New
Bedford years after.

This was not very encouraging for a start, nor did
the next week see us do anj' 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 prospect was
to me a horrible one. I never did take any stock in

/ /// hi: t y pa r — a .v/» a ftkr.

4.1

Arctic wurk. Bui if wc made a f^ood Honson on tho
Japaii proiimlH, wo HhouUl not go north, but gradually
work dowri the ruciric again, on the other side, cruising
as wo went.

Day after day went by without any fresh capture
or even sight of fish, until I began to believe that tho
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.

17(1

THE CRUISE OF Till-: " cac/ialot:'

CHAPTER XV.

WHICH COMES UNCOMFORTABLY NEAR BEING THE LAST.

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 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 prepared to see
everybody else go under, so I had got to think that
whoever got killed I was not to be — a very pleasing senti-
ment, 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

UNCOMFORTABLY NEAR BEINO THE LAST. 177

was light, with a cloudless sky, and the whalo 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, occasion-
ally lifting his enormous tail out of water a"'' letting it
fall fiat 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 flapping should alarm
the watchful monster, and this delayed 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, unshipped the
mast, and went in on 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 fast 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-thrusts — once
more asserted itself. Although the whale was exceed-
ingly 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 disaster.

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. Before
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 from
its tension of Heaven knows how many tons. Full on

ti t
1

17S

THE CliUlSE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

the broadside it struck ub, sending every soul but mc
flying out of the wreckage as if fired from catapults.
1 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 ploughed through the
bundle of dvhris 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 mind in the quiet of my
bunk aboard — " What if he should swallow me ? " Nor
to this day can I understand how I escaped the portals
of his gullet, which of course gaped wide as a church
door. But the agony of holding my breath soon over-
powered 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 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 direction — I
neither knew nor cared whither. Soon the motion
ceased, and, with a seaman's instinct, I began to haul
myself along 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 something 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

nSCOMFOnTAnLY SEAR DEINO THE LAST. 17!)

on ray friendly line. By dint of bard work I pulled
myHolf right up tho sloping, slippery bank of blubber,
until I roaclied the iron, which, as luck would have it,
was planted in that side of the carcass now upper-
most. Carcass I said— well, certainly I had no idea
of there being any life remaining within the vast mass
beneath mo; 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 bo
far away, and that my rescue, providing that I could
keep above water, was but a question of a few minutes,
liut I was hardly prepared for the whale's next move.
]3oing very near his end, the boat, or boats, had drawn
olF a bit, I supposed, for I could see nothing of them.
Then I remembered the flurry. Almost at the same
moment, it began ; and there was I, who with fearful
admiration bad so often watched the titanic convulsions
of a dying cachalot, actually involved in them. Tho
turns wore 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 sometimes
above, sometimes beneath, the water, but always 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

180

TtlE CJiUISE OF THE " CACHALOT^'

ray 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 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 j'ou boat smash, w'y de debbil
you hain't all ter bits, hey ? " I smiled feebly, but
was too weak to talk, and presently 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

UNCOMFOTtTABLY XEAIi DEI SO THE LAST. 181

entire loss, so completely smashed to pieces that nothing
of her or her gear had been recovered. After spending
about a quarter of an hour with me, he left me consider-
ably cheered up, promising to look after me in the way
of food, and also to send me some books. He told
me that I need not worry myself about my inability to
be at work, because the old man was not unfavourably
disposed towards me, which piece of news gave mo a
great deal of comfort.

When my poor, weary shipmates came below from
their heavy toil of cutting in, they were almost inclined
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. But I
was condemned to lie there for nearly three weeks
before I was able to get about once more. In my sleep
I would undergo the horrible anticipation of sliding
down that awful, cavernous mouth over 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 unfortunate.
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 tlie boats gallicd

182

THE CHUISE OF THE " CACIIALOTr

i '

them, and away they went in the wind's eye, it blowing
a Htiffish 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
80 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 opening
being quite difficult to find, that I do not believe they
can hear at all well. But I firmly believe they possess
another sense by means of which they are able 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 acquainted 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 Goliuth that he had always been known
as a most fortunate man amoD^; *he " bowieads," as
the great Mi/sticetie of that puii of the Arctic seas
are called by the Americans. Not that there is any

UNCOMFORTABLY SEAR REINO THE LAST. IS.']

any

difference, as far as I have boon able to ascertain,
between them and the " right" whale of the Greenland
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 informa-
tion that in some mysterious fashion leaked out, wo
learned that we were bound to the Okhotsk Sea, it being
no part of the skipper's intentions to go prowling around
Behrings 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 tlio
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 of which
wo should be compelled to freeze while dodging 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,
which form a natural barrier enclosing the immense
area of the Okhotsk Sea from the vast stretch of the
Pacific. Around this great chain of islands the naviga-
tion is exceedingly difficult, and dangerous as well, from
the ever- varying currents as from the frequent fogs and
sudden storms. But these impediments to swift and

184

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

safe navigation are made light of by the whalemen, who,
as I feel never weary of remarking, are the finest
navigators in the world where speed is not the first
consideration.

The most peculiar features of these inhospitable
shores to a seaman are the vast fields of seaweed sur-
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 word " Kurile " being Kam-
schatkan for smoke ; and whether it be regarded as given
in consequence of the numerous volcancos which pour
their fumes into the air, or the all-prevailing fog fostered
by the Kuro Siwo, or Japanese counterpart of the Gulf
stream, the designation is equally appropriate.

We entered theOkhotsk Sea bytheNadeshda Channel,
so-named after Admiral Krusenstern's ship, which was
the first civilized vessel that passed through its turbulent
waters. It separates the islands Bashau and Mataua
by about twenty miles, yet so conflicting 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. Thenceforward the navigation was
free from difficult}^, or at least none that we could
recognize as such, so we gave all our attention to the
business which brought 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

USCOMFORTAtiLY NEAli liKlSd THE LAST. 18.)

bombs, Yankees hold the mysticetic 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 understand 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 being now
late in June, so that our progress was not at all im-
peded by the few soft, brashy floes that we encountered,
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 spring-
ing up, which would cause us to drag. This anchoring
was very comfortable. Besides allowing 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
flavoured 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.

Much fun 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 ordinary
dietary of the seaman be so bad, he should be so ready

18G

THE dims/-: OF TIIK " CACHALOT.**

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 bad cookery, such
as is the rule on board merchant ships. " God sends
moat, but 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 justilied. Besides which, even good
food well cooked of one kind only, served many times
in succession, becomes very trying, only the plainest
foods, such as bread, rice, potatoes, ciC, retaining their
command of the appetite continually

I remember once, when upon th»' Coromandel coast
in a big Greenock ship, we found fowls very cheap. At
Bimliapatam the captain bought two or three hundred,
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, pud two big dogs.

Consequently the state of the ship was filthy, nor
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
riying overboard, that the edict went forth to feed the
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 children of fortune as
the officers of ships or well-to-do people ashore.

"When 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

UNCOMFOnTAIihY NKAIt IlKISQ TIIF. LAST. Ib7

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, antl the bad
words ! What little flesh there was upon the framework
of those unhappy fowls was like leather itself, and
utterly flavourless. It could not well have been other-
wise. The feathers had been simply scalded off, the
heads chopped off, and bodies split open to facilitate
drawing (I am sure I wonder the cook took the trouble
to do that much), and thus prepared they were cast into
a cauldron 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 Noumean
Kanaka could, for bis teeth are equal to 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 diyi'cta mnnlirn of our
meal, the whole crowd marched aft, and requested an
interview with the skipper. He came out 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?"

TiiK cnursH OF Till': "cachalot."

" D'yt'W think, sir," said Nat, " thrt'n proper grub for
men ? " " Proper grub ! Why, you old sinner, you don't
mean to say you're goin' to growl about havin' ehickea
for dinner?" " Well, sir, it depends muchly upon the
chick(3n. All I know is, that I've et some dam queer
tack in my time, but sence I ben fishin' I never had no
sucli bundles of sticks parcelled with leather served out
to nic. I hn- 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 thet 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 yerself, '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 silence ensued ; then the
skipper burst out, " I've often heard of such things, but
hang me if I ever believed 'em till now ! You ungrateful
beggars ! I'll see you get your whack, and no more, from
this out. When you get any little extras aboard this
ship agen, you'll be thankful for 'em ; now I tell you."
" All right, sir," said Nat ; " so long as we don't hev to
chaw any more of yer biled Bimly crows, I dessay we
shall worry along as usual." And, as the Parliamentary
reports say, the proceedings then terminated.

Now, suppose the skipper had told that story to some
of his shore friends, how very funny the sailors' conduct
would have been made to appear.

On another occasion long after, wlien I was mate
of a barque loading mahogany in Tonala, Mexico, the

USCOMfOliTAULY SKAIi UEINO THE LAST. 1 8l>

Hkippcr thought he would prjictise economy by buying a
turtle instead of beef. A large turtle was obtained for
twenty-five jonts, and handed over to the cook to bo
dealt with, particular instructions being given him as to
the apportionment of the meal.

At eight bells there was a gathering of the men in
front of the poop, and a summons for the captain.
When ho appeared, the usual stereotyped invitation to
" have a look at that, if you please, sir," was uttered.
The skipper was, I think, prepared for a protest, for he
began to bluster immediately. " Look here ! " he bawled,
" 1 ain't goin' to 'ave any of your dam nonsense. You
nunt somethin' to growl about, you do." " Well, Cap'n
George," said one of the men, " you shorely don't tliink
we k'n eat shells, do ycr ? " Just then I caught sight of
the kid's contents, and could hardly restrain my indig-
nation. For in a dirty heap, the sight of which might
have pleased an Esquimaux, but was certainly enough
to disgust any civilized man, lay the calipee, or under-
shell of the turtle, hacked into irregular blocks. It had
been simply boiled, and flung into the kid, an unclean,
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 ijits, that's
wot the Lord Mayor of London giv^ss about a guinea a
bounce for w'en 'e feeds lords n' doo.cs. Only the haris-
tocracy at 'ome get a charnce to stick their teeth in such
grub as that. An' 'ere are you lot a-growlin' at *avin'
it for a change ! " "That's all right, cap'n," said the
man ; " bein' brort up ter such lugsuries, of corse iftui
kin appreshyate it. So if yer keep it fer yer own eatiu',
an' giv us wot we signed for, wo shall be werry much
obliged." " Now, I ain't u-goin* io 'uve none o' i/oiir

■li

100

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACUALOT."

cheek, sc 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 often justified, when both
sides of the story are heard.

( loi )

CHAPTER XVI.

" howhead"

FISHIX(l.

Day and night being now only distinguishable by the aid
of the clock, a constant look-out aloft was kept all through
the twenty-four hours, watch and watch, but whales
were apparently very scarce. We did a good deal of
"pelagic" sealing; that is, catching seals swimming.
But the total number obtained was not great, for these
creatures are only gregarious when at their rocky haimts
during the breeding season, or among the ice just before
that season begins. Our sealing, therefore, was only a way
of passing the time in the absence of nobler game, to bo
abandoned at once with whales in sight.

It was on the ninth or tenth morning after our arrival
on the grounds that a bowhead was raised, and two boats
sent after him. It was my first sight of the great
Myaticctns, and I must confess to being much impressed
by his gigantic bulk. From the difference in shape,
he looked much larger than the largest sperm whale
we had yet seen, although we had come across some of
the very biggest specimens of cachalot.

The contrast between the two animals is most marked,
so much so, in fact, that one would hardly credit them
with belonging to the same order. Popular ideas of the

l')2

T/IE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

whale are almost invariably taken from the MijHticeliiH,
so that the average individual generally defines a whale
as a big fish which spouts water out of the top of his
head, and cannot swallow a herring. Indeed, so lately
as last year a popular M.P., writing to one of the
religious papers, allowed himself to say that " science
will not hear of a whale with a gullet capable of admit-
ting anything larger than a man's fist " — a piece of crass
ignorance, which is also perpetrated in the appendix to a
very widely-distributed edition of the Authorized Version
of the Bible. This opinion, strangely enough, is almost
universally held, although I trust that the admirable
models now being shown in our splendid Natural
History Museum at South Kensington will do much to
remove it. Not so many people, perhaps, believe that
a whale is a fish, instead of a mammal, but few 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 ah*.

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 ex-
hales breath like ours, which, coming warm into a cooler
medium, becomes visible, as does our breath on a frosty
morning.

Now, the Mjjstivctas 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

" now HEAD' FISiriNO.

103

Hnout, tlio internal channel running in a Hlightly diagonal
direction downwards, and back through tiie skull to
tho lungs. So when /<*; 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 vapour, very distinct from the tall vortical
spout of tho bowhead or right whale.

There was little or "o wind when we sighted tho
individual 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 Myatkeim' 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 wo reached him he became aware of our
presence, showing by his uneasy actions that he had
his doubts about his personal security. But before he
had made up his mind what to do we were upon him, with
ouk' harpoons buried in his back. The difiference in his
behaviour to what wo had so long been accustomed to
was amazing. He did certainly give a lumbering splash
or two with his immense flukes, but no one could
possibly have been endangered by them. The water
was so shallow that when he sounded it was but for a
very few minutes ; there was no escape for him that way.
As soon as ho returned to the surface he set off at his
best gait, but that was so slow that we easily hauled
up close alongside of him, holding the boats in that
position without the slightest attempt to guard ourselves
from reprisals on his part, while the officers searched
his vitals with tho lances as if they were probing a
haystack.

Iteally, the whole affair was so tame that it was

1U4

THE CliUJSE OF THE '' VACJfALOT:'

; S

impossible to got up any lighting enthusiasm over it;
the poor, unwieldy creature died meekly and quietly as
an overgrown seal. In less than an hour from the time
of leaving the ship we were ready to bring our prize
alongsiue.

Upon coming up to the whale, sail was shortened,
and as soon as the fluke-chain was passed we anchored.
It was, I heard, our skipper's boast that he could " skin
a bowhead in forty minutes ; " and although we were
certainly longer than that, the celerity with which what
seemed a gigantic task was accomplished was marvellous.
Of course, it was all plain-sailing, very unlike the
complicated and herculean task inevitable at the com-
mencement of cutting-in a sperm whale.

Except for the head work, removing the blubber was
effected in precisely the same way as in the case of the
cachalot. There was a marked difference between 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 Mysticctiis, 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 accompani-
ments, is carried on precisely 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 developes a nauseous smell, which sperm
does not, although the odour of the oil is otto of roses
compared with the horrible mass of putridity landed

" DO WIIEA n " FISUISG.

1*)3

from the tanks of a Greenlaud whaler at the termination
of a cruise. For in those vessels, the fishing-time at
their disposal hein^r so hrief, 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 first bowhead yielded us eighteen tuns of oil and
u ton of baleen, which made the catch about equal in
value to that of a seven-tun cachalot. But the amount
of labour 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
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 several
boils on my legs — the result, I suppose, of a long absti-
nence 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,

1!»G

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

except that bis motions were far less lively than those
of any bull would have been.

The " killer," or Oira ffladiator, is a true whale, but,
like the cachalot, has teeth. He differs from that great
cetacean, though, in a most important particular ; i.e. by
having a complete set in both upper and lower jaws,
like any other carnivore. For a carnivore indeed is he,
the very wolf of the ocean, and enjoying, by reason of
his extraordinary agility as well as comparative worth-
lessness 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 botu, 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 variation 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 high
into the air by the side of the whale, and descending
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 offence. A little observation convinced me that they
were fins only. Again and again the aggressor leaped
into the air, falling each time on the whale's back, as if
to beat him into submission.

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 —

nownsAD' Fisnisa.

107

to his lips, as if endeavouring to drag his month 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 bad finished their barbarous feast they departed,
leaving him helpless and dying to fall an easy prey to our
returning 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
weeks, and, from the reports we received from two
whalers we ** gammed," it appeared that we r light con-
sider ourselves most fortunate in our cate' , dince they,
who had been longer on the ground than ourselves, had
only one whale apiece.

In consequence of this information, Captain Slocum
decided to go south again, and resume the sperm whaling
in the North Pacific, near the line — at least so the
rumour ran ; but as we never heard anything definitely,
we could not feel at all certain of our next destination.

Ever since the fracas at the Bonins between Goliath
and his watch, the relations between Captain Slocum and
the big negro had been very strained. Even before the
outbreak, as I have remarked upon one occasion, it was

!)8

THE CnUISE OF THK " CAOIlALOTr

noticeable that little love was lost between thcra. Why
this was so, without anything definite to guide one's
reasoning, was difficult to understand, for a better sea-
man or a smarter whaleman than Mistah Jones did not
live — of that every one was quite sure. Still, there was
no gainsaying the fact that, churlish and morose as
our skipper's normal temper always was, he was never
so much so as in his behaviour towards his able fourth
mate, who, being a man of fine, sensitive temper, chafed
under his unmerited treatment so much as to lose flesh,
becoming daily more silent, nervous, and depressed.
Still, there had never been an open rupture, nor did it
appear as if there would be, so great was the power
Captain Slocum possessed over the will of everybody
on board.

One night, however, as we were nearing the Kuriles
again, on our way south, leaving the Sea of Okhotsk, I was
sitting on the fore side of the try-works alone, meditating
upon what I would do when once I got clear of this
miserable business. Futile and foolish, no 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 l)y my side. We had always
been great friends, although, owing to the strict dis-
cipline maintained on board, it was not often we got a
chance for a "wee bit crack," as the Scotch saj'. 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 recai)itulating many slights and insults he had

" Z/0 WIIEAD " FISH ISO.

11)9

recoived silently from the captain, of which I had pre-
vijuslj' known nothing?, ho became stransuly caUn.
In tones quite unlike his usual voice, he said that he
was not an American-born negro, but a pure African,
who had been enslaved in his infancy, with his mother,
somewhere 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, according to
him, an Obeah woman of great power, venerated exceed-
ingly by her own people for her prophetic abilities.
Before her death, she had told him 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 ho would be a
great traveller and hunter upon the sea. As he went on,
his speech became almost unintelligible, being mingled
with fragments of 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
was going mad, and perhaps about to run a-mok, as the
Malays do when driven frantic by the infliction of real or
fancied wrongs.

But he gradually returned to his old self, to my
great relief, and I ventured somewhat timidly to remind
him of the esteem in which he was held by all hands ;
even the skipper, I ventured to say, respected him,
although, from some detestable form of ill-humour, he
had chosen to be so sneering and insulting towards him.
He shook his head sadly, and said, " My dear boy,
youse de only man aboard dis ship — wite man, dat is —
dat don't hate an' despise me becawse ob my colour, wich
I cain't he'p ; an' de God you beliebe in bless you fer dat.
As fer me, w'at I done tole you's true, 'n befo' bcry

■?

u -w-

200

THE cjivisi: OF THE "cachalot:'

little w'ile you hcc it nmc true. 'N w'en dat happens
w'at's gwino ter happen, I'se real glad to tink it gwine ter
be better fer you — gwine ter be better fer eberybody
'bord de Cach'lot; but I doan keer nuffin 'bout anybody
else. So long." He held out his great black hand,
and shook mine heartily, while a big tear rolled down his
face and fell on the deck. And with that he left mo
a prey to a very whirlpool of conflicting thoughts and
fears.

The night was a long and weary one — longer and
drearier perhaps because of the absence of the darkness,
which always made it harder to sleep. An incessant
day soon becomes, to those accustomed to the relief of
the night, a burden grievous to be borne ; and although
use can reconcile us to most things, and does make even
the persistent light bearable, in times of mental distress
or great physical weariness one feels irresistibly moved
to cry earnestly, " Come, gentle night."

When I came on deck at eight bells, it was a stark
calm. The watch, under Mistah Jones' direction, were
busy scrubbing decks with the usual thoroughness, while
the captain, bare-footed, 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 halfway 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 ho always carried a revolver ; but before he

" n WIIKA D " FJSIIISO.

•201

could draw it, the long, black arms of his advcrwary
wrapped around him, making him helpless as a bahe.
Then, with a rush that sent every one flying 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 si-^e. The last thing I saw was Captain Slocum's white
face, with its starting black eyes looking their last upon
the huge, indefinite hull of the ship whose occupants ho
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 was
actual. Reason, however, soon regained her position
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 com-
pleteness, a heavy squall, which had risen unnoticed,
suddenly burst upon the ship with 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

'»
^ n

'( ,

•202

TIIK CRUISE or TUK " CAClLlLoT.'

lialyanls were let go ; but while the Hails were being
clewed up, the fierce wind following the rain caught them
from their confining gear, rending them into a thousand
Hhreds. For an hour the Hquall raged — a tempest in
brief — then swept away to the south-cast 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
u» several miles a>vay from the spot where they dis-
appeared, and, although we carefully made wnat hasto
was possible back along the lino 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.

On the same evening Mr. Count mustered all hands
on the quarter-deck, and addressed us thus : " Men,
Captain Slocum is dead, and, as a consequence, I com-
mand the ship. Behave yourself 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 his 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

" now/ihAP" nsiii.ya.

'20 A

will help mc — to make tliis a comfortable as well as u
successful ship. I hope with all my heart wo rIuiII
succeed."

In answer to this manly and alTeoting little speech,
which confirmed my previous estimate of Captain
Count's character, were ho hut free to follow the hont
of his natural, kindly inclinations, and which I have
endeavoured to translate out of his usual dialect, n
hearty cheer was raised hy all hands, the first ebullition
of general good feeling manifested throughout tho
voyage. Hearts rose joyfully at the prospect of comfort
to bo gained hy thoughtfulness on the part of tho
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 consequence
of the various losses of boats and gear, tli»' cupiain
deemed it necessary to make for Honol'ilu, where fresh
supplies could readily be obtained. "We had heard many
glowing accounts from visitors, when "gamming," of the
(1( li.qhts of this well-known port of call for whalers, and
under our new commander we had little doubt that wo
should be allowed considerable liberty during our stay.
So we were quite impatient to get along, fretting con-
siderably 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

204

THK CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

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 favourably 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 enjoying the
unusual rest (we had no Sundays in Captain 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 waspish little third had
become second ; Louis Silva, the captain's favourite
harpooner, was third; and I was to be fourth. Not
feeling at all sure of how the other 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
harpooners' jealousy ; that they had been spoken to on
the subject, and they were all agreed that the captain's
choice was the best, especially as none of them knew
anything of navigation, or could write their own names.

In consequence of there being none of the crew fit to
take a harpooner' s place, I was now really harpooner 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

BOWHEAD FISHING.

205

seemed pleased. This was highly gratifying to me, for I
had tried my best to be helpfal 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 increase 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 bo lately passed, while ahead the
bright horizon was full of p ;omise of fine weather for
the remainder of the journey.

20fi

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

CHAPTER XVII.

VISIT TO HONOLULU.

KiaHT 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 lowering gloom
astern. Most deep-water sailors are familiar, by report
if not by actual contact, with the beauties of the Pacific
islands, and I had often longed to visit them to sec
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 opportuni-
ties of unlimited indulgence in debauchery. To such
men, a " missionary " island is a howling wilderness,
and the missionaries themselves the subjects of the
vilest abuse as well as the most boundless lying.

No one who has travelled with liis 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 pro-
portion 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

VISIT TO nONOLUlU.

20:

home. I'ntloubtedly the pioneers of missionary enter-
priHc had, almost without exception, to face dangers and
miseries past telling, but that is the portion of pioneers
in general. In these days, however, the missionary's
lot in Polynesia is not often a hard one, and in many
eases it is infinitely to be preferred to a life among the
very 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 labours, 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 scoundrels Vklio
vilify them. The task of spreading Christianity would
not, after all, be so difficult were it not 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
iiourishes, 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 pro-
vided for the natives by white men of the negation 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 deadly 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,

208

TIIK CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

.1!

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 rigging, 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
scarcely bring himself to broach a coil of rope, except
for whaling purposes. The same false economy had
prevailed 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
had been, as regards comfort and peace, discipline and
order were mpintained at the same high level as always,
though by a different method — in fact, I believe 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 holystoning, ail 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, an^. hopeless men.

So, while the Cachalot could have fearlessly challenged
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"

\JsiT TO tiosoLnr.

20!)

for the sole, diabolical satiBfaction of keeping 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 common labour,
which can be done hy any unskilled man or woman
afloat 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, needing
constant repairs, which can only be efficiently performed
by skilled workmen. An " A.B." or able seaman's duties
are legally supposed to be defined by the three ex-
pressions, " hand, reef, and steer." If he can do those
three things, which mean furling or making fast sails,
reefing them, and steering the ship, his wages cannot
be reduced for incompetency. Yet these things are the
A B C of seamanship only. A good hi a man is able to
make all the various knots, splices, and other arrange-
ments 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 need 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.
Then 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

210

THE cjwisK OF Tin: " vacuai.ot:'

utilized iron to such aii coitcnt in their rigging that
sailor-work has become very largely a matter of black-
smithing. I make no complaint 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 irresistible sea, some provision should be made
for having a sufiSciency of seamen who could exercise
their skill in refitting a dismasted ship or temporarily
replacing broken blacksmith work by old-fashioned rope
and wood.

But, as the sailing ship is doomed inevitably to dis-
appear before steam, perhaps it does not matter much.
The economic march of the world's progress will never
be stayed by sentimental considerations, nor will all the
romance and poetry in the world save the seaman from
extinction, if his place can be more profitably filled by
the engineer. From all appearances, it soon will be,
for even now marine superintendents 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
cannot 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

K/.S/7' TO IIOSOLULU.

211

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 poii, 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 atoxicated 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
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 op-
portunities of cultivating t)ieir acquaintance, for the cap-
tain 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 much to see men, who on board
ship were the pink of cleanliness 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
grep.t deal of explanation ; but I suppose the most potent

. n

019

mm X »m

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACffALOT:

reason is, that sailors, as a class, never learn to enjoy
themselves rationally. They are also morbidly suspicious
of being taken in hand by anybody who would show them
anything worth seeing, preferring to be led by the human
sharks that infest all seaports into ways of strange
nastiness, and so expensive withal that one night of such
wallowing often costs them more than a month's sane
recreation and good food would. All honour to the
devoted men and women who labour in our seaports for
the moral and material benefit of the sailor, passing
their lives amidst sights and sounds shocking and sicken-
ing 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 now
kept. There had been no need for interference on the
part of the officers, which I was glad to see, remember-
ing what would have happened under such circumstances
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, Vau 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 behaviour 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.

2i;j )

CHAPTER XVIII.

ON THE " LINE " GROUNDS.

We weighed at last, one morning, with a 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 now work-
ing 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
occasion should arise, still leaving sufficient crew on
board to work the vessel. The captain had also engaged
an elderly seaman of his acquaintance — out of pure

'i«iH"»"8Upy^

214

77//; CnVlSE OF TIIK " CACrfALOT.'

pliilantliropy, as we all thought, fiinco he was in a state
of serai-starvation ashore — to act as a kind of sailing-
master, so as to relieve the ciiptain of ship duty at
whaling time, allowing him still to head his boat. This
was not altogether welcome nev/s 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 80 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 be much more so
now, having no superior to look black or use language
when a disaster occurred. For now I 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-
humour. From my earliest sea-going, I have always had
a strong liking for natives of tropical countries, finding
them affectionate and amenable to kindness. Why, I
think, white men do not get on with darkies well, as a rule,
is, that they seldom make an appeal to the man in them.
It is very degrading to find one's self looked down upon as
a sort of animal without reason or feelings ; and if you
degrade a man, you deprive him of any incentive to make
himself useful, except the brute one you may feel bound
to apply yourself. My experience has been limited to
Africans (of sorts). Kanakas, natives of Hindostan,

ny mi: "link' onousns.

21.".

3on as
if you
make
bound
ited to
ostan,

Malagasy, and Chineso ; but with all those I have found
a little camnvadcru' answer excellently. True, they are
lazy ; but what inducement have they to work ? The
complicated needs of our civilized existence compel »•<
to work, or bo run over by the unresting machine ; but
I take leave to doubt whether any of us with a primitive
environment would not be as lazy as any Kanaka that
ever dozed under a banana tree through daylight hours.
Why, then, make an exalted virtue of the necessity which
drives us, and objurgate the poor black niiin because ho
prefers present ease to a doubtful prospective retirement
on a competency ? Australian blackfellows and Malays
are said to be impervious to kind treatment by a great
number of witnesses, the former appearing incapable of
gratitude, and the latter unable to resist the frequent
temptation to kill somebody. Not knowing anything
personally of either of these races, I can say nothing for
or against them.

All the coloured individuals that I have had to do
with have amply repaid any little kindness shown them
with fidelity and affection, but especially has this been
the case with Kanakas. The soft and melodious language
spoken by them is easy to acquire, and i.^ so pleasant to
speak that it is well worth learning, to say nothing
of the convenience to yourself, although the Kanaka
speedily picks up the mutilated jargon whica does duty
for English on board ship.

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 harpooner.
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

•\:\

l|!|

21(1

riiK cJiuisK OF 77/ a; " cAciiALorr

^v»'nt lic'forc 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,
hnn lit' ronihat, AVhile 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 opportunity.

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 windward, with all
boats ready for lowering, the skipper called me aft and
said, " Naow, Mr. Bullen, I cain't lower, because of this
condemned leg 'n arm of mine ; but how'r yew goin' ter
manage 'thout a harpooneer ? " I suggested that if ho
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 ef tliet Kanaka looks
skeered goin' on, take the iron frum him ter onct." I
promised, and the interview ended.

AVhen 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. I almost envied
him his exuberant delight, for a sense of responsibility
began to weigh upon me with somewhat depressing effect.

o.V TTtE "USE" (UiOl'NDS.

2 I

AVo gjiint'd a good wcathcr-gage, rouiidod to, uiul
lowered four boats. Getting away in good stylo, we liiul
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 wind-
ward, so that our sails were of no use. "We had them
in with as little delay as possible, and lay "^o our oars
for all we were worth, being i -esh and stron; , as well as
anxious to get amongst thtem. But I fancy all our
efforts would have availed us littlo had it not been for
the experience of Mr. Cruce, whose coyer eye dete kd
the fact that the fish were running on a gr' at eurvo,
and shaped our course to cut them off aloi : v, chord of
the arc.

Two and a half hours of energeti.. u^rk 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 mysicif keeping out, in
accordance with my instructions. Samuela was almost
distraught with rage and grief at the condition of things.
I quite pitied him, although I was anything Imt pleased
myself. However, when I ranged up alongside the mate's
fish, to render what assistni. - was needed, he shouted to
me, ** We's all right ; go'n git fas', if yew kin." That
was enough, and away we flew after a retreating spout
to leeward. Before ^.l; got there, though, there was an
upheaval in the w iter 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,

,. '■k'W.r^— ^■^■■^-»-Ji^»---

.it

I I

21S

THE CliUISE OF THE " CACHALOIT

the favoured sultana of his harem, I 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 wo 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 itself
in the same solid fashion.

" Starn — starn 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 ladyshij).
Our iirey was not apparently disposed to kick up much
fuss at first, so, anxious to settle matters, I changed
ends with Samuela, and pulled in on the whale. A good,
steady lance-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
otf at a great lick, accompanied, somewhat to my surprise,
by the cow. Thenceforward for another hour, in spite
of all our efforts, we could not get within striking distance,
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 was all
I could do to restrain myself from lancing the cow,
though T felt convinced that, if I did, I should spoil a

OS THE " J.ISK" OliOl'NDS.

210

I much

langed

good,

— was

whole

started

irprise,

spite

tance,

which

[ was

as all

I cow,

poil a

good job. Suddenly I caught sight of the ship right
ahead. We were still flying along, so that in a short
time we were comparatively close to her. My heart
heat high, and I burned to distinguish myself under
the friendly and appreciative eye of the skipper.

None of the other boats were in sight, from our level
at least, so that I had a reasonable hope of being able
to finish my game, with all the glory thereunto attaching,
unshared by any other of my fellow-officers. As we ran
quite closely past the ship, calling 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 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, our
victim settled down, leaving the water deeply stained
with his gushing blood. With him disappeared his con-
stant 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 very low, and I
was compelled to make signals to the ship for more. We
had hardly elevated the oars, when down dropped the
last boat with four men in her, arriving by my side
in a few minutes with two fresh tubs of tow-line.
We took them on board, and th<^ boat returned again.

220

THE CnUISK OF THE " CACHALOT."

^ '

By the time the slack came we had about four hundred
and fifty fathoms out — a goodly heap to pile up loose in
our stern-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 maybe imagined, when suddenly
we were compelled to slack away again, the sudden weight
on the line suggesting that the fish was again sounding.
If ever a j'^oung hand was perplexed, it was I. Never
before had I heard of such unseemly behaviour, 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 taffrail, 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 arrived, he said, ** Th' ol'
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 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 luid no leisure to take any notice

undrcd
0080 in
slioukl
b, I was
jurfaco,
hauled
until I
'athoms
iiddenly
L weight
unding.
Never
nor was
e away,
g blood,
od rate,
•iskly.
ly from
in easy
ommon,
re of the
Th' ol'
ir' loose
ai gwine
s out'cr
at's fast
caching
leaving
ly down
harpoon
was the
ny irons
y notice

0\ TfJK "UXF" niiOUSDS.

221

of them now, thouj.:!!, for whatever was on my line was
coming up hand-ovci-nst.

With a bound it reached the surface — the identical
cow so long attendant upon the dead whale. Having
boon 80 long below for such a small whale, she was quite
oxiiaustod, 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.

Wlien I reached the deck, the skipper called me, and
said several things that made 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 en-
tangled 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 tliat whales do not try to thus sever a
line, but, their teeth being several inches apart, conical,
and fitting into sockets in the uppev jaw instead of
meeting the opposed surfaces of other teeth, the accom-
plishment of sucb a feat must, I think, be impossible.

The sliip being now as good as anchored by the vast
mass of flesh hanging to her, there was a tremendous
task awaiting us to get the other fish alongside. Of
course they were all to windward ; they nearly always
are, unless the ship is persistently " turned to windward "
while the fishing is going on. Whalers believe that they
always work up into the wind while fast, and, when dead,
it is certain tliat they drift at a pretty good rate right in

This is accounted

ll ill

eye.

by the play

the body, wliich naturally lies head to wind ; and the

000

THE ciivisr: of tuk " cAaiiAi.nrr

wasli of the flukes, which, acting somewhat like the
"sculling" 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' things 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 practice being to cut off the tips
of the flukes, and tow them t..il 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 honour alongside 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 exertions. During these operations we
had drifted night and day, apparently without anybody
taking the slightest account of the direction we were
taking ; when, therefore, on the day after clearing up the
last traces of our fishing, the cry of " Land ho ! " came
ringing down from the crow's-nest, no one was surprised,
although the part of the Pacific in which we were
cruising has but few patches of tnra firma scattered

o.v Till': " USE" nnocsDs.

22.'»

about over its iiuuienso area when compared with the
crowded archipelagoes lying farther south and east.

We could not see the reported land from the deck for
two hours after it was first seen from aloft, although the
odd spectacle of z. scattered group of cocoa-nut trees
apparently growing out of the sea was for some time
presented to us before the island itself came into
view. It was Christmas Island, where the indefatigable
Captain Cook landed on December 24, 1777, for the
purpose of making accurate observations of an eclipse of
the sun. He it was who gave to this lonely atoll the
name it has ever since borne, with characteristic modesty
giving his own great name to a tiny patch of coral which-
almost blocks the entrance to the central lagoon. Hero
we lay " off and on " for a couple 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.

H 1

221

THE cnvisr. of the '' c.xcuAiorr

CHAPTER XIX.

'I <

I i

EDGING SOUTHWAIID.

TiiR line whaling grounds embrace an exceedingl}'
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 e>dst, so that falling in
with them is purely a matter of coincidence. To m«
it seems a conclusive proof of the enormous numbexs
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 extinction 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

sight

obtail

exhal

did

we hi

thefij

tohaj

as it

idingly
whales
means
hem in
[ling in
To m*^
iimbcis
readths
jn with,
a day's
ifallibly
in the
of the
vessels
size to
[dly fleet
square
lay yet
iG hears
bear in
of years
instead

EDGING SOUTHWAJilh

225

of wanin<^. 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 dealing with
a catch, is not made use of, the art and 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 sui)stitutes that it has been practically eliminated
from the English markets, except 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 kingdoms,
and others who can hardly be said to have any minds
at all, the long monotony of unsuccessful seeking for
whales is very wearying. The ceaseless motion of the
vessel rocking at the centre of a circular space of blue,
with a perfectly symmetrical dome of azure enclosing
her above, unflecked by a single cloud, becomes at last
almost unbearable from its changeless sameness of
environment. Were it not for the trivial round and
common task of everyday ship duty, some of the crew
must become idiotic, 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

i M

r.ili

;

! i

' t

226

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

ulmoBt Mufuly liuvu been left tu luok after herself. After
what we had recently been accuHtomed to, the game
seemed trifling to get up much excitement over ; but
still, for a good day's sport, commend me to a few hvely
black-fish.

In less than ten minutes we were in the thick of the
crowd, with harpoons flying right and left. Such a
scene of wild confusion and uproarious merriment
ensued as I never saw before in my life. The skipper,
true to his traditions, got fast to four, all running
different ways at once, and making the calm sea boil
iigain 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 main 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,

After
game
; but
lively

of the
luch a
riment

kippei'.
unning
ea boil
e other
00 near
t it was
other's
Ic among
the big

supine.

second
a day's
rroove in
lat when
it when
a great
like the
ain line,
hale-line
arpoons,
)y means
he had
•ough the
rror was
irections,

KDGINO SOUTHWARD

007

ripping tlu; boat in two halves lengthways, like u
Dutchman splitting a salt herring.

Away went the lish with tlie 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 misfortune, in-
volving the loss of several lives, must have occurred.
As it was, the loss was considerable, almost outweighing
the gain on the day's lishing, 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 remem-
bered, this statement may seem somewhat overdrawn; but
it has been so frequently corroborated 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 ship-
mates sacrificed to the manes of a mere black-fish, after
successfully encountering so many mighty whales. The
episode gave us a great deal of unnecessary 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 regime we were
sure of a good rest, so that did not trouble us ; it
rather made the lounge on deck in the balmy evening
air and the well-filled pipe of peace doubly sweet.

Our next day's work completed the skinning of the

K .;?

228

TIIK aitUISK OF THE "CACHALOT.''

haul wo had made, the last of the carcasscH going over-
board with a thunderouB splash at four in the afternoon.
The aHscmblage of sharks round the ship on this occaHion
was incredible for its number and the great size of the
creatures. Certainly no mariners see 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 wize undreamed of by the ordinary
seafarer, some of them full thirty feet in length, more
like whales than sharks. Most of them wee striped
diagonally with bands of yellow, contrasting curiously
with the dingy grey of their normal colour. From this
marking is derived their popular name — " tiger sharks,"
not, as might be supposed, from their ferocity. That
attribute cannot properly be applied to the sqiialiia at
all, which is one of the most timid fish afloat, and
whose ill name, as far as regards blood-thirstiness, is
quite undeserved. Rapacious the shark certainly is ;
but what sea-fish is not ? He is not at all particular as
to his diet ; but what sea-fiah is ? With such a great
bulk of body, such enormous vitality and vigour 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 neighbours, 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 or an acquired taste begetting a decided pre-
ference 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.

Kuaiso sorr/nvAnn.

•j.jH

g over-
jrnoon.
BcaHion
> of the
)r Hucli
»revious
klany of
fi'dinary
h, more

striped
uriously
•om this
sharks,"
y. That
inalua at
oat, and
ihiess, is
ainly is;
icular as

a great
rigour to
[lice he is
him to
urs, he is
ul part of

, because
n natural

ided pre-
s infested
lan-eating

hing will

) hungry.

Demerara Uivor literally swarms with sharks, yot I have
often seen a negro, clad only in a beaming Htnilo, slip into
its muddy waters, and, after a fow Hlmrp blows with his
open hand upon thu surfucu, calmly swhu down to the
bottom, clear a ship's anchor, or do whatever job was
required, coming up again as leisurely as if in a
swimming-bath. A similar disregard of the dangerous
attributes awarded by popular consent to the shark may
be witnessed everywhere among the people who know
him best. The cruelties perpetrated upon sharks by
seamen generally are the result of ignorance and super-
stition 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 disembowelling
of a tiger, say, and then letting him run in that horrible
condition somewhere remote from the possibility of
retaliating upon his torturers ? Yet that is hardly com-
parable 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 off its head and tail. It
died very speedily — for a shark — all muscular motion
ceasing in less than fifteen minutes. It was my inten-
tion 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 centre of the back. Beneath it the
backbone was thickened to treble its normal size, and
perfectly rigid ; in fact, it had become a mass of solid
bone. At some time or other this shark had been
harpooned so severely that, in wrenching himself free,

'IS

V. -.n

Tmm

u:JO

77/ A' cniJiSE OF Tin: " r AC //A lot:

ho must have nearly torn his body in two halves, sever-
ing the spinal column completely. 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 experience of securing him that ho could not
possibly have been more vigorous than he was.

A favourite practice 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 without immediately
coming to the surface. How long he might linger in
snch torture, one can only guess ; but unlcos 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 considerably 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 mouth elapsed
without any being seen, grumbling would be loud and
frequent, all the previous success being forgotten in the
present stagnation. Perhaps it is not so different in
other professions nearer home ?

/: no I ya f^ovrnwAnn.

2:5 1

Christmas Day drow nojir, bolovod of EnsIiHlimpn all
tho world over, though thought littlo of by Amoricans.
Tho two previous ones spent on board the Curhfilnf havo
been passed over without mention, absolutely no notice
being taken of tho soiison by any one on board, to all
appearance. In Enfjlish ships some attempt is always
made to give tho day somewhat of a festive character,
and to maintain the national tradition of good-cheer and
goodwill in whatever part of the world 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 th(^ great Christian anni-
versary very strongly ; although, had I been in London, I
should probably liavo spent it in lonely gloom, having
no relatives or friends whom I might visit. But what of
that ? Christmas is Christmas ; and, if we have no home,
we think of tho 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. ^Nfay its shadow never hv less !

On Christmas morning I mounted to thc! crow's-nest
at daybreak, and stood looking with never-failing awe
at the daily marvel of the sunrise. Often and often
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 outlook 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 in-
creased and briglitened, till with one exultant bound
the sun appeared.

For some time I stood gazing straight ahead of me

i I

232

Till': (JliUISK OF THE " CACHALOT:'

\ I

with eyes that saw not, filled with wonder and admiration.
I must have been looking directly at the same spot for
quite a quarter of an hour, w hen 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
through the stillness discordantly, startling all hands
out of their lethargy like bees out of a hive. After the
usual preliminaries, we were all afloat with sails set,
gliding slowly over the sleeping sea tov.ards the un-
conscious 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. Sometimes a full-sized
whale will show a small spout, while a twenty-barrel
cow will exhale a volume of vapour extensive 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 Itelieve he would have been
delighted to tackle a whole scliool 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 harpooncr stood up to dart, his foot slipped,
;/ad 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

EDOISG SOUTH WA Itl>.

'l:VA

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 direction. 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 closing over it. Oh,
it was a splendid dart, worthy of the finest harpooner
that ever lived ! There was no time for congratulations,
however, for we spun 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 marvellous, but I
comforted myself with the knowledge that these animals
usually run in circles — sometimes, it is true, of enormous
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 exception necessary lo prove the
rule, so I got out the compass and watched his course.
Due east, not a degree to north or south of it, straight
as a bee to its hive. The ship was now far out of sight
astern, but I knew that keen eyes had been watching
our movements from 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 faintest
symptom of slackening, to get up closer and lance him,
it was for some time impossible. After, at a rough

234

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT.'

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 exhausting. 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-directed strokes may be got in which will
promptly settle the business out of hand.

Now, when my whale sounded he was to all appearance
as frightened a beast as one could wish — one who had
run himself out endeavouring to get away from his
enemies, and as a last resource had dived into the
quieti. ss 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 l»(i rera(!iii-
bered that I was but young, and a comparat'vely n(!W
hand at this sort of thing ; so when I confess that I felt
more than a little scared at this sudden change in
the tactics of my opponent, I hope I shall be excused.
Eemembering, 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

over two
en us the
tie lived."
h, it was

I long, or
eatures at

r a longer | fj j

ixtra deep,

done up "
,nd daring,
wliicb will

appearance
le who had
y from his
3d into the
,way. So 1
m him with
him to get
7hen he did
n him. He
n the subject
•e traine<l to
e straight for
rtrar into the
ist l)e reraem-
aratlvely new
'ess that I felt
en change in

II be excused.
3 depended on
was frightened
lyself to think

Wk -■

VJiQ ISO S U Ti'l U'A /; /).

and act calmly, since I was rcRponsiblo for others. If
tlut animal had not been in so hlind a fury, I am afraid
my task would have been much harder ; but he was mad,
and his savafje rushes were, thouf^h disciuietinfj, unsyste-
matic and clumsy. It was essential, however, that ho
should not be allowed to persist too long in his evil
courses ; for a whale learns with amazing rapidity,
d(iveloping such cunning in an hour or two that all a
man's sraartntiss may be unable to cope with his newly-
acquired experience. Happily, Samuela was perfectly
unmoved. Like r. machine, he obeyed every gesture,
every look even, 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,
mucli 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 Ih'st 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, levelled it, and fired the bomb point-blank into his
bowels. Then all was blank. I do not evcai 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
notliing clear except the primitive desn-e for life, life,
life ! Nor do I know how long tl.is struggle lasted, except

.. \

i 'i

230

THE CnUlSE OF THE " CACHALOT."

that, in the nature of things, it could not have heeu very
long.

When I returned to a conpciousness of external
things, I was for some time perf ctly still, looking at the
sky, totally unable to real'ze what had happened or
where I was. Presently tlie 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 me
so that I sprung up as if shot. Then I took in the situa-
tion at a glance. There were all 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, I 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 ho went
clean rampageous loony. He rolled right over an' cvor
to'rds us, n' befo' we c'd rightly see ./a*^ wuz comin', we
cu'dnt see anythin' 'tall; we wuz all grabbin' atnothin',
some'rs imderneatli the whale. When I come to the top,
T lit eout fer the fust thing I c'd see to lay holt of, which
wuz old squarhcad himself, deader ";« pork. I guess thet
ar bomb o' yourn kinder upset Iks commissary depart-
ment. Anyn'av, I climed up oijto him, 'n bime-by the
rest ov us aisied themselves alongside ov me. Sam
Weller here; he cum last, towiu' you 'long with him. I
din'no whar he foun' ye, but ye was very near a g'^ner,
'n'3 full o' pickle as ye c'd hold." I turned a grateful eye

'in

EDOJNO SOUTHWARD.

237

lothin',
le top,
which
ss thet
depart -
hy the
Sam
iim. I
g-^ner,
ful eve

upon my dusky harpooner, who had saved my Hfo, but
WEH now apparently 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 nimhi 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 tiiought.
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 the incessant movement im-
parted 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 reasonable chance we had was, that the skipper had
almost certainly taken our bearings, and would, we were
sure, be anxiously seeking us on the course thus indicated.
Meanwhile, we were ravenously hungry and thirsty.
Samuela and Po}ly 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 fibre, I could hardly
help smiling as T thought how queer 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 cciisiderately emptied out upon u' i'. perfect torrent

.^^M

238

THE VHUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

\ t

of rain. It lillccl the cavity in tlio whale's side in a
twinkling; and though the water was greasy, stained
with hlood, and vilely Havoiired, it was as welcome a drink
as I have ever tasted. Thus fed, and with our thirst
slaked, we were ahle 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, especially
the former, who in their eagerness to get a portion of
the blubber fought, writhed, and tore at the carcass with
tireless energy. Once, one of the smaller ones actually
came sliding up right into our hollow ; but Samuela and
Polly promptly dispatched 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 yarns— 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 darkness 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 accumulated gases within the carcass
bursting it asunder, the unceasing assault of the sharks
made it highly doubtful whether they would not in a
few hours more have devoured it piecemeal. Already
they had scooped out some deep furrows in the solid

EDOINO SOUTHWARD.

239

in a
lined
Llrink
thirst
3\v of
lemecl
n fell,
while
scially
ion of
s witii
stually
la and
ending
elieved
;ast, as
)mrade

much
ttot feel

enipts
silent

en for
jeams

nd the

ake ns
would
to the

3arcass

sharks

t in a

Iready

e solid

blubber, making it easier to get bold and tear off more,
and their numbers were increasing ho 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 sighted
us lou},' 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 delight,
the reverence, with which I once more saw her ap-
proaching. Straight down upon us she bore, rounding
to within a cable's length, and dropping a boat simul-
taneously 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-place was hying hauled
alongside with great glee.

The captain shook hands with me cordially, pooh-
poohing the loss of the boat as an unavoidable incident
of the trade, but expressing his heart-felt delight at
getting us all back safe. The whale we had killed was
ample compensation for the loss of several boats,
though such was the vigour with which the sharks were
going for him, that it was deemed advisable to cut in at

i !

240

THE CltUlSK OF TIIK " CACffALOT."

once, working all night We who had hcen rescued,
however, were Hummarily ordevod helow by the skipper,
and forbidden, on pain of his severe displeasure, to re-
appear until the following morning. This great privilege
wo 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 mai y we had caught, he was so
amazingly rich in blubber that he actually yielded
twelve and a half tuns 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 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, incapable of being
digested, had become in some manner part of this
peculiar product.

( -'11 )

cued,
ipi>cr,
to rc-
ivilegc
lyliglit
queer

tlioufili
was so
yielded
avy toll
ks. In

secure
splosion
8 nearly

1 pounds
pe Nvortli

ale very
liad yet
trporated
al of the
3f being
of tbis

CHAPTER XX.

" IIUMPBACKINQ " AT VAU VAU.

Another tbree weeks* cruising brougbt us to tlio end
of the season on the lino, which had certainly not
answered all our expectations, although wo 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 Kapai and Tongataboo 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 hoped to be able to keep ray brave
harpooner Samuela. So when I heard of our 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 longing greatly for
his own orange grove and the embraces of a certain
tender " faline " that he averred was there awaiting
him. With such excellent reasons for his leaving us, I

1 I

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

1.1

iai28 12.5
ut lii |2.2
£f |i£ 12.0

IL25 III 1.4

Hiotographic

Sciences

Corporation

^.V

23 WIST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. MSSO

(716) •72-4S03

I
I

'.i'

-i'

242

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

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
commenced 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 Passtniiaquodih/, of Martha's Vineyard, South Sea
whaler ; eighteen months out, with one thousand barrels
of sperm oil on board. We felt quite veterans along-
side 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 " jumping
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 " Keb" drew
a bead on him at about a dozen yards distance, and
fired. He said he felt just as if somebody had punched
him in the chest, and knocked him fiat on his back on
top of a sharp stone — no pain at all, nor any further
recollection of what had happened, until he found him-
self at the base, in hospital. 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, penetrating it and shattering his breast
bone. But after torturing him vilely with the probe,
they were about to give up the search in despair when

picti
cipit

IWMPllACKINO" AT VAV VAU.

•il.T

he told them he felt a pain m his back. Kxamining
the spot indicated 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 breast-
bone, had glanced aside and travelled round his body
just beneath 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
Geriuans, 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 from. He replied, " London, England."
" Then," said the colonel, " how is it you find yourself
fighting for these accursed Yankees ? " The cockney
faltered out some feeble excuse or another, which his
captor cut short by saying, " I've 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 crews again, and parted with
many expressions of good-will — we to the southward, 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 pre-
cipitous, group of islands, the approach being singularly

244

THE OIimSK OF THE '* CACHALOT.''

free from dangers in the shape of partly hidden reefs.
Long and intricate >vere the passages we threaded, until
we finally came to anchor in a lovely little bay perfectly
sheltered from all winds. We moored, within a mile of
a dazzling white beach, in twelve fathoms. A few native
houses embowered in orange and cocoa-nut trees showed
here and there, while the two horns of the bay were
steep-to, and covered with verdure almost down to the
water's edge. The anchor was hardly down before a perfect
fleet of canoes flocked around us, all carrying 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 winning 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 for your
** flem," or friend, he from henceforward felt in 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,
massive 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 on
board in richest profusion, and, strangest thing of all,
not a copper was asked in return. I might have as
truly said nothing was asked, since money must have
been useless here. Many women came alongside, but none
climbed on board. Surprised at this, I asked Samuela
the reason, as soon as I could disengage him for a few
moment'' from the caresses of his friends. He informed

our

'• llVMriiAVKISa" AT VAIJ VAIf.

•-Mr»

reefs.
1, until
rfectly
mile of
native
showed
,y were
to the
I, perfect

familial'

dugouts

(Warmed

jhildren,

besought

questioti

we could

ired that

for your

in duty

ay within

[eliminary
appeared
oranges,
dusters of

lies, fowls
•ds full of
mbling on
hng of all,
it have as
,ust have
|e, but none
Samuela
for a few
informed

me that tiic ladies' reluctance to favour ma with tlioir
society was owing to their being in native dri'MM, wliicb
it is punishable to appear in among white ineit, tlio
punishment consisting of a rather heavy Iuh). Kvon
the men and boys, I noticed, before they ventured to
climb on board, stayed a while to put on trouHerw, or
what did duty for those useful articles of dnssH. At any
rate, they were all clothed, not merely enwrapped witli
a fold or two of " tapa," the native bark-cloth, but mode
awkward and ugly by dilapidated shirts and pantn.

She was a busy ship for the rest of that day, Tho
anchor down, sails furled and decks swept, the roHt of
the time was our own, and high jinks were tho result.
The islanders were amiability personified, merry as
children, nor did I see or hear one quarrolsome in-
dividual among them. While we were greedily devour-
ing the delicious fruit, which was piled on deck in
mountainous quantities, they encouraged us, tidling uh
that the trees ashore were breaking down under their
loads, and what a pity it was that there were ho few to
eat such bountiful supplies.

We were, it appeared, the first whale-ship that liad
anchored there that year, and, in that particular ))ay
where we lay, no vessel had moored for over two years.
An occasional schooner from Sydney called at the
"town" about ten miles away, where tho viceroy's
house was, and at the present time of speaking one of
Godefifroi's Hamburg ships was at anchor there, taking
in an accumulation of copra from her agent's store.
But the natives all spoke of her with a shrug— " No
like Tashman. Tashman no good." Why, I could not
ascertain.

Our Kanakas had promised to remain with uh till
our departure for the south, so, hard as it soomcd to

1 1

i I

■/J

i: '

is i i

246

THE CRUISE OF THE " AC J/ A LOT.**

them, they were not allowed to go aHhore, in cafie they

might not come back, nnd leave uh ghort'hundcd. But

as their relatives and friends could visit thorn whenever

they felt inclined, the restriction did not hurt them

much. The next day, being Sunday, all hands were

allowed liberty to go ashore by turns (except the

Kanakas), with strict injunctions to moU;st no one, but

to behave as if in a big town guarded by policemen.

As no money could be spent, none was giveti, and, best

of all, it was impossible to procure any intoxicating liquor.

Our party got ashore about 9.80, but not a soul was

visible either on the beach or in the sun^lit piiths which

led through the forest inland. Here and tlierc a house,

with doors wide open, stood in its litth; cleared space,

silent and deserted. It was like a country without

inhabitants. Presently, however, a, burst of melody

arrested us, and borne upon the scented breeze came —

oh, so sweetly ! — the well-remembered notes of " HoUing-

side." Hurriedly getting behind a tree, I lot myself go,

and had a perfectly lovely, soul-refreshing cry. Reads

funny, doesn't it ? Sign of weakness perhaps. But when

childish memories come back upon one torront'like in

the swell of a hymn or the scent of the hawthorn, it

seems to me that the flood-gates open without you

having anything to do with it. When I was a little

chap in the Lock Chapel choir, before the evil days

came, that tune was my favourite ; and when I heard

it suddenly come welling up out of tho depths of the

forest, my heart just stood still for a moment, and then

the tears came. Queer idea, perhaps, to some people ;

but I do not know when I enjoyed myself so much as I

did just then, except when a boy of sixteen home from

a voyage, and strolling along the Knightsbridgo Boad,

I " happened " into the Albert Hall. I did not in the

nUMPBACKIffO" AT I'AU VAU.

247

le they
. But
enovtr
; them
H were
[)t the
ao, but
ccmcn.
d, best
; liquor.

)Ul WJ18

i which
house,
Mpace,
without
melody
came —
loUing-
Hclf go,

ReadB
»t when
'like in

fin, it
,ut you

a little
il days
1 heard

of the
nd then
people ;
ich as I
De from

Road,

in thf

least know what was coming; the notices on the bills
did not mean anything to me ; but I paid my shilling, and
went up into the gallery. I had hardly edged myself
into a corner by the refreshment-stall, when a great
breaker of sound caught me, hurUul me out of time,
thought, and sense in one intolerable ecstasy — " For
unto us a Child is born ; unto us a Son in given " — again
and again — billows and billows of glory. 1 gasped for
breath, shook like one in an ague fit ; the tears ran
down in a continuous stream ; while people stared
amazed at me, thinking, I suppose, that I was another
drunken sailor. Well, I uas drunk, helplessly intoxi-
cated, but not with drink, with something Divine,
untenable, which, coming upon me unprepared, simply
swept me away with it into a heaven of delight, to which
only tears could testify.

But I am in the bush, whimpering over the tones of
" HoUingside." As soon as I had pulled myself together
a bit, we went on again in the direction of the sound .
Presently we came to a large clearing, in the middle of
which stood a neat wooden, pandanus-thatched church.
There were no doors or windows to it, just a roof supported
upon posts, but a wide verandah ran all round, upon
the edge of which we seated ourselves ; for the place was
full — full to suffocation, every soul within miles, I should
think, being there. No white man was present, but the
service, which was a sort of prayer-meeting, went with
a swing and go that was wonderful to see. There was
no perfunctory worship here ; no one languidly enduring
it because it was " the right sort of thing to show up at,
you know ; " but all were in earnest, terribly in earnest.
When they sang, it behoved us to get away to a little
distance, for the vigour of the voices, unless mellowed
by distance, made the music decidedly harsh. Everj'

248

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

one was dressed in European clothing — the women in
neat calico gowns ; but the men, nearly all of them, in
woollen shirts, pilot-coats, and trousers to match, and
sea-boots ! Whew ! it nearly stifled me to look at them.
The temperature was about ninety degrees in the shade,
with hardly a breath of air stirring, yet those poor
people, from some mistaken notion of propriety, were
sweating in torrents under that Arctic rig. However
they could worship, I do not know ! At last the meeting
broke up. The men rushed out, tore oflf their coats,
trousers, and shirts, and flung themselves panting upon
the grass, mother-naked, except for a chaplet of cocoa-
nut leaves, formed by threading them on a vine-tendril,
and hanging round the waist.

Squatting by the side of my "flem," whom I had
recognized, I asked him why ever he outraged all reason
by putting on such clothes in this boiling weather. He
looked at me pityingly for a moment before he replied,
" You go chapella Belitani ? No put bes' close on top ? "
** Yes," I said ; " but in hot weather put on thin clothes ;
cold weather, put on thick ones." ** S'pose no got
more ? " he said, meaning, I presumed, more than the
one suit. "Well," I said, "more better stop 'way
than look like big fool, boil all away, same like duff in
pot. You savvy duff? " He smiled a wide comprehen-
sive smile, but looked very solemn again, saying directly,
" You no go chapella ; you no mishnally. No mishnally
[missionary = godly]; vely bad. Me no close; no go
chapella; vely bad. Evelly tangata, evelly fafin6, got
close all same papalang [every man and woman has
clothes like a white man] ; go chapella all day Sunday."
That this was no figure of speech I proved fully that
day, for I declare that the recess between any of the
services never lasted more than an hour. Meanwhile

li ■

nUMVUACKlSO* AT VAU VAU.

240

the ^vor8hippcrB did not return to their homes, for in
many cases they had journeyed twenty or thirty railos
hut lay ahout in the verdure, refreshing themselves with
fruit, principally the delightful green cocoa-nuts, which
furnish meat and drink both — cool and refreshing in the
extreme, as well as nourishing.

We were all heartily welcome to whatever was going,
but there was a general air of restraint, a fear of
breaking the Sabbath, which prevented us from tres-
passing too much upon the hospitality of these devout
children of the sun. So we contented ourselves with
strolling through the beautiful glades and woods, lying
down, whenever we felt weary, under the shade of some
spreading orange tree loaded with golden fruit, and eat-
ing our nil, or rather eating until the smarting of our lips
warned us to desist. Here was a land where, apparently,
all people were honest, for we saw a great many houses
whose owners were absent, not one of which was closod,
although many hud a goodly store of such things as a
native might be supposed to covet. At last, not being able
to rid ourselves of the feeling that we were doing some-
thing wrong, the solemn silence and Sundayfied nir of
the whole region seeming to forbid any levity e. ;/•. in
the most innocent manner, we returned on board aguin,
wonderfully impressed with what we had seen, but
wondering what would have happened if some of the
ruffianly crowds composing the crews of many ships
had been let loose upon this fair island.

In the evening we lowered a stage over the bows to
the water's edge, and had a swimming-match, the
water being perfectly delightful, after the great heat of
the day, in its delicious freshness ; and so to bunk,
well pleased indeed with our first Sunday in Van Vau.
I have no doubt whatever that some of the gentry

< <i

250

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACnALOTr

) .

wlio Hwear at large about the evils of misMionarieH
would have been loud in their disgust at the entire
abuonce of drink and debauchery, and the prevalence
of what they would doubtless characterize as adjective
hypocrisy on the part of the natives; but no decent
man could help rejoicing at the peace, the security, and
friendliness manifested on every hand, nor help award-
ing unstinted praise to whoever had been the means of
bringing about so desirable a state of things. I felt
that their Sabbatarianism was carried to excess; that
they would have been better, not worse, for a little less
church, and a little more innocent fun ; but ten thousand
times better thus than such scenes of lust let loose and
abandoned animalism as we witnessed at Honolulu.
What pleased me mightily was the absence of the white
man with his air of superiority and sleek overlordship.
All the worship, all the management of affairs, was
entirely in the hands of the natives themselves, and
excellently well did they manage everything.

I shall never forget once going ashore in a somewhat
similar place, but very far distant, one Sunday morning,
to visit the mission station. It was a Church mission,
and a very handsome building the church was. By
the side of it stood the parsonage, a beautiful bungalow,
nestling in a perfect paradise of tropical flowers. The
somewhat intricate service was conducted, and the
sermon preached, entirely by natives — very creditably
too. After service I strolled into the parsonage to see
the reverend gentleman in charge, whom I found
supporting his burden in a long chair, with a tall glass
of brandy and soda within easy reach, a fine cigar
between his lips, and a late volume of Ouida's in his
hand. All very pleasant and harmless, no doubt, but
hardly reconcilable with the ideal held up in missiona ry

UUMPBAVKINQ" AT VAV VAU.

251

mant'H
ontiru
mlenco
Ijective
decent
ty, and
award-
eans of
I felt
9; that
tie lesH
lousand
oso and
molulu.
le white
)rdship.
rs, was
es, and

tuewhat
lorning,
nission,
as. By
ngalow,
8. The
nd the
editably
; to see
found
ill glass
e cigar
) in his
abt, but
siona ry

magazines. Yet I have no donbt whatever that this
gentleman would have been heartily commended by the
very men who can hardly find words harsh enough to
express their opinion of missionaries of the stamp of
I'aton, Williams, Mofifat, and Mackenzie.

Well, it is highly probable — nay, almost certain,
that I shall be accused of drawing an idyllic picture of
native life from first impressions, which, if I had only
had sufficient subsequent experience among the people,
I should have entirely altered. All I can say is, tiiat
although I did not live among them ashore, we had a
number of them on board ; we lay in the island harbour
five months, during which I was ashore nearly every
day, and from habit I observed them very closely ; yet
I cannot conscientiously alter one syllable of what I
have written concerning them. Bad men and women
there were, of course, to be found — as where not ? — but
the badness, in whatever form, was not allowed to
flaunt itself, and was so sternly discountenanced by
public (entirely native) opinion, that it required a good
deal of interested seeking to find.

But after all this chatter about my amiable friends,
I find myself in danger of forgetting the purpose of our
visit. We lost no time in preparation, since whaling
of whatever sort is conducted in these ships on pre-
cisely similar lines, but on Monday morning, at day-
break, after a hurried breakfast, lowered all boats and
commenced the compaign. We were provided with
boxes — one for each boat — containing a light luncheon,
but no ordered meal, because it was not considered
advisable to in any way hamper the boat's freedom to
chase. Still, in consideration of its being promptly
dumped overboard on attacking a whale, a goodly
quantity of fruit was permitted in the boats.

252

THE fniiTian OF Till': " vAcnAiorr

111 tliu c:ilin hoaiity of tho pearly «lii\vn, with a RoiitUj
IiuhIi over all natiins tlio lofty, tieu-chul hillH reHectcd
with Htartliiig fulclity in tlio Riassy, many-coloureil
waterH, tho only Kound audihlc tho occaHional cra-a*akt>
of the advance-guard of a llii^ht of fruit-hatH {pWa)
homeward from their nocturnal depredations, wo shipped
our ourK and started, pulling to a certain position
whence we could see over an immense area. Imme-
diately upon rounding the horn of our sheltered hay, the
fresh breeze of the south-east trades met us riglrii on
end with a vigour that made a ten-mile steady pull
against it somewhat of a breather. Arriving at the
station indicated by the chief, we set sail, and, separa-
ting as fiir as possible without losing sight of each other,
settled down for the day's steady cruise. Anything
more delightful than that excursion to those who love
seashore scenery combined with boat-sailing would bo
difticult to name. Every variety of landscape, every
shape of strait, bay, or estuary, reefs awash, reefs over
which wo could sail, ablazo with loveliness inexpressible ;
a steady, gentle, caressing breeze, and overhead one
unvarying canopy of deepest blue. Sometimes, when
skirting the base of some tremendous cliffs, great caution
was necessary, for at one moment there would obtain a
calm, death-like in its stillness ; the next, down through
a canon cleaving the mountain to the water's edge
would come rushing, with a shrill howl, a blast fierce
enough to almost lift us out of the water. Away we
would scud with flying sheets dead before it, in a
smother of spray, but would hardly get full way on her
before it was gone, leaving us in the same hush as before,
only a dark patch on the water far to leeward marking
its swift rush. These little diversions gave us no
uneasiness, for it was an unknown thing to make a

, penile
L'Hect»'<l
nlourcd
n-a-ake
(pna)
flipped
)ositioi)
Imme-
my, the
[gilt on
Ay pull
at the
separa-
1 other,
nything
ho love
ould bo
!, every
efs over
essible ;
Bad one
when
caution
)tain a
hrough
8 edge
st fierce
Avay we
in a
on her
before,
narking
us no
make a

4;
»

sheel
neve

C
varic
expe
that
quen
quiel
clos(
we r
spou
cruif
Yet:
Ithi
they
thin

]
dayi
so I
was
can
she
and

as i
the
our
eag
Th(
anc

SOD

" HUMPBACKINQ" AT VAU VAU.

253

sheet fast in one of our boats, so that a puff of wind
never caught us unprepared.

On that first day we seemed to explore such a
variety of stretches of water that one would hardly have
expected there could be any more discoveries to make in
that direction. Nevertheless, each day's cruise subse-
quently revealed to us some new nook or other, some
quiet haven or pretty passage between islands that, until
closely approached, looked like one. When, at sunset,
we returned to the ship, not having seen anything like a
spout, I felt like one who had been in a dream, the day's
cruise having surpassed all my previous experience.
Yet it was but the precursor of many such. Oftentimes
I think of those halcyon days, with a sigh of regret that
they can novur more be renewed to me ; but I rejoice to
think that nothing can rob me of the memory of them.

Mucii to the discomfort of the skipper, it was four
days before a solitary spout was seen, and then it was
so nearly dark that before the fish could be reached it
was impossible to distinguish her whereabouts. A
careful bearing was taken of the spot, in the hope that
she might be lingering in the vicinity next morning,
and we hastened on board.

Before it was fairly light we lowered, and paddled
as swiftly as possible to the bay where we had last seen
the spout overnight. When near the spot we rested on
our paddles a while, all hands looking out with intense
eagerness for the first sign of the whale's appearance.
There was a strange feeling among us of unlawfulness
and stealth, as of ambushed pirates waiting to attack
some unwary merchantman, or highwaymen waylaying
a fat alderman on a country road. We spoke in
whispers, for the morning was so still that a voice raised
but ordinarily would have reverberated among the rocks

254

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

which almost overhung us, multiplied indefinitely. A
turtle rose ghost-like to the surface at my side, lifting
his queer head, and, surveying us with stony gaze,
vanished as silently as he came.

What a sigh ! One looked at the other inquiringly,
but the repetition of that long expiration satisfied us all
that it was the placid breathing of the party we sought
somewhere close at hand. The light grew rapidly
better, and we strained our eyes in every direction to
discover the whereabouts of our friend, but for some
minutes without result. There was a ripple just audible,
and away glided the mate's boat right for the near shore.
Following him with our eyes, we almost immediately
beheld a pale, shadowy column of white, shimmering
against the dark mass of the cliff not a quarter of a
mile away. Dipping our paddles with the utmost care,
we made after the chief, almost holding our breath.
His harpooner rose, darted once, twice, then gave a yell
of triumph that rang re-echoing all around in a thousand
eerie vibrations, startling the drowsy peca in myriads
from where they hung in inverted clusters on the trees
above. But, for all the notice taken by the whale, she
might never have been touched. Close nestled to her
side was a youngling of not more, certainly, than five
days old, which sent up its baby-spout every now and
then about two feet into the air. One long, wing-like
lin embraced its small body, holding it close to the
massive breast of the tender mother, whose only care
seemed to be to protect her young, utterly regardless of
her own pain and danger. If sentiment were ever
permitted to interfere with such operations as ours, it
might well have done so now; for while the calf
continually sought to escape from the enfolding fin,
making all sorts of puny struggles in the attempt, the

" HUMPBACKINO ' AT VAU VAU.

2r)5

mother scarcely moved from her position, although
streaming with blood from a score of wounds. Once,
indeed, as a deep-searching thrust entered her very
vitals, she raised her massy flukes high in air with an
apparently involuntary movement of agony; hut even
in that dire throe she remembered the possible danger
to her young one, and laid the tremendous weapon aa
softly down upon the water as if it were a feather fan.

So in the most perfect quiet, with scarcely a writhe,
nor any sign of flurry, she died, holding the calf to her
side until her last vital spark had fled, and left it to a
swift despatch with a single lance-thrust. No slaughter
of a lamb ever looked more like murder. Nor, when the
vast bulk and strength of the animal was considered,
could a mightier example have been given of the force
and quality of maternal love.

The whole business was completed in half an hour
from the first sight of her, and by the mate's hand alone,
none of the other boats needing to use their gear. As
soon as she was dead, a hole was bored through the lips,
into which a tow-line was secured, the two long fins
were lashed close into the sides of the animal by an
encircling line, the tips of the flukes were cut off, and
away we started for the ship. We had an eight-m'le
tow in the blazing sun, which we accomplished in a littie
over eight hours, arriving at the vessel just before
two p.m. News of our coming had preceded us, and
the whole native population appeared to be afloat to
make us welcome. The air rang again with their
shouts of rejoicing, for our catch represented to them a
gorgeous feast, such as they had not indulged in for
many a day. The flesh of the humpbacked whale is not
at all bad, being but little inferior to that of the porpoise ;
so that, as these people do not despise even the coarse

H !

25fi

Tin: CRUISE OF THE " VACIIALOTr

rank flesh of the cachalot, their enthusiasm was natural.
Their offers of help were rather embarrassing to us, as
we could find little room for any of them in the boats,
and the canoes only got in our way. Unable to assist
us, they vented their superfluous energies on the whale in
the most astounding aquatic antics imaginable — diving
under it ; climbing on to it ; pushing and rolling each
other headlong over its broad back ; shrieking all the
while with the frantic, uncontrollable laughter of happy
children freed from all restraint. Men, women, and
children all mixed in this wild, watery spree ; and as to
any of them getting drowned, the idea was utterly
absurd.

When we got it alongside, and prepared to cut in,
all the chaps were able to have a rest, there were so
many eager volunteers to man the windlass, not only
willing, but, under the able direction of their com-
patriots belonging to our crew, quite equal to the work
of heaving in blubber. All their habitual indolence
was cast aside. Toiling like Trojans, they made the old
windlass rattle again as they spun the brakes up and
do\vn, every blanket-piece being hailed with a fresh
volley of eldritch shrieks, enough to alarm a deaf and
dumb asylum.

With such ample aid, it was, as may be supposed, a
brief task to skin our prize, although the strange
arrangement of the belly blubber caused us to lift some
disappointing lengths. This whale has the blubber
underneath the body lying in longitudinal corrugations,
which, when hauled oflf the carcass at right angles to
their direction, stretch out flat to four or five times their
normal area. Thus, when the cutting-blocks had reached
their highest limit, and the piece was severed from the
body, the folds flew together again, leaving dangling aloft

nUMPBACKISQ' J-" 'iU VAV.

2.'»7

aatural.
us, as
e boats,
assist
vbale in
—diving
ng each
; all the
f happy
en, and
nd as to
utterly

• cut in,
were so
lot only
ir com-
le work
idolence
) the old
up and
a fresh
eaf and

josed, a
strange
ft some
blubber
Rations,
igles to
es their
reached
om the
Qg aloft

but a miserable square of some tour or livo feet, inHtead
of a fine " blanket " of blubber twenty by five. Along the
edges of these rugse, as also upon the rim of the iowor
jaw, abundance of limpets and barnacloH had attached
themselves, some of the former large as a hor^o'M hoof,
and causing prodigious annoyance to the toih'iig car-
penter, whose duty it was to keep the spiiden ground. It
was no unusual thing for a spado to he handttd in witii
two or three gaps in its edge half an incli deep, whcro
they had accidentally come across one of thoHO big pieces
of flinty shell, undistinguishable from the grey subHtanco
of the belly blubber.

But, in spite of these drawbacks, in loss than ninety
minutes the last cut was reached, the vertebra Huvered,
and away went the great mass of meat, in tow of (count-
less canoes, to an adjacent point, where, in eager antici*
pation, fires were already blazing for the coming cookery.
An enormous number of natives had gatlicred from far
and near, late arrivals continually dropping in from all
points of the compass with breathless haste. No danger
of going short need have troubled them, for, large as
were their numbers, the supply was evidently fully ecpial
to all demands. All night long the feast proceeded, and,
even when morning dawned, busy figures wore Htill dis-
cernible coming and going between the reduced carcass
and the fires, as if determined to make au end of it
before their operations ceased.

258

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

CHAPTER XXL

PROGRESS OF THE

" IIUMPJJACK " HKAUON.

It will probably be inferred from the foregoing paragraph
that we were little troubled with visitH from tlio natives
next day ; but it would be doing tliom an injustice if I
omitted to state that our various " llcms ** put in an
appearance as usual with their daily offoringH of fruit,
vegetables, etc. They all presented a Homowhat jaded
and haggard look, as of men who had dinod not wisely
but too well, nor did the odour of stale whale-meat that
clung to them add to their attractions, Bepentance for
excesses or gluttony did not seem to trouble them, for
they evidently considered it would have been a sin
not to take with both hands the gifts the gods had so
bountifully provided. Still, they did not stay long, feel-
ing, no doubt, sore need of a prolonged rest after their
late arduous exertions; so, after aifectionato farewells,
they left us again to our greasy task of trying-out.

The cow proved exceedingly fat, making us, though
by no means a large specimen, fully fifty barrels of oil.
The whalebone (baleen) was so short as to bo not worth
the trouble of curing, so, with the exception of such pieces
as were useful to the " scrimshoners " for ornamenting
their nicknacks, it was not preserved. On the evening
of the third day the work was sq far finished that wo

[)aragrapli
lio natives
iistico if I
put in an
\n of fruit,
vhat jaded
pot wisely
meat that
ntance for
them, for
ecn a nin
)ds bad 80
long, feel-
after their
farewells,
•out.
us, though
rels of oil.
not worth
uch pieces
namenting
he evening
id that wo

PROGRESS OF TIIK " UUMPUACK" SEASOS, 251)

were able to go ashore for clothes washing, which
necessary process was accompanied with a good deal of
fun and hilarity. In the morning cruising was resumed
again.

For a couple of days wo met with no success, although
we had a very aggravating chase after some smart bulls
we fell in with, to our mutual astonishment, just as wo
rounded a point of the outermost island. They were
lazily sunning themselves close under the lee of the cUtt's,
which at that point were steep-to, having a depth of
about twenty fathoms close alongside. A fresh breeze
was blowing, so we came round the point at a great pace,
being almost among them before they had time to escape.
They went away gaily along the land, not attempting to
get seaward, we straining every nerve to get alongside of
them. Whether they were tantalizing us or not, I cannot
say, but certainly it looked like it. In spite of their well-
known speed, we were several times so close in their wake
that the harpooners loosed the tacks of the jibs to get a
clear shot ; but as they did so the nimble monsters shot
ahead' a length or two, leaving us just out of reach. It
was a fine chase while it lasted, though annoying ; yet
one could hardly help feeling amused at the way they
wallowed along — just like a school of exaggerated
porpoises. At last, after nearly two hours of the fun,
they seemed to have had enough of it, and with one
accord headed seaward at a greatly accelerated pace, as
who should say, "Well, s' long, boys; company's very
pleasant and all that, but we've got important business
over at Fiji, and can't stay fooling around here any
longer." In a quarter of an hour they were out of
sight, leaving us disgusted and outclassed pursuers
sneaking back again to shelter, feeling very small Not
that we could have had much hope of success under the

200

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

circumstances, knowing the peculiar habits of the hump-
back and the almost impossibility of competing with him
in the open sea ; but they had lured us on to forget all
these things in the ardour of the chase, and then exposed
our folly.

Then ensued a week or two of uneventful cruising,
broken only by the capture of a couple of cows — one just
after the fruitless chase mentioned above, and one several
days later. These events, though interesting enough to
us, were marked by no such deviation from the ordinary
course as to make them worthy of special attention ; nor
do I think that the cold-blooded killing of a cow-whale,
who dies patiently endeavouring to protect her young,
is a subject that lends itself to eulogium.

However, just when the delightful days were beginning
to pall upon us, a real adventure befell us, which, had we
been attending strictly to business, we should not have
encountered. For a week previous we had been cruising
constantly without ever seeing a spout, except those
belonging to whales out at sea, whither we knew it was
folly to follow them. We tried all sorts of games to
while away the time, which certainly did hang heavy,
the most popular of which was for the whole crew of the
boat to strip, and, getting overboard, be towed along at
the ends of short warps, while I sailed her. It was quite
mythological — a sort of rude reproduction of Neptune and
his attendant Tritons. At last, one afternoon as we were
listlessly lolling (half asleep, except the look-out man)
across the thwarts, we suddenly came upon a gorge
between two cliffs that we must have passed before several
times unnoticed. At a certain angle it opened, disclosing
a wide sheet of water, extending a long distance ahead.
I put the helm up, and we ran through the passage, find-
ing it about a boat's length in width and several fathoms

PROGRESS OF THE " IWMPRACK'' SEASON. 'H\\

e hump-
rith bim
orget all
exposed

cruising,
-one just
e several
Qough to
ordinary
ion ; nor
w-whale,
r young,

)eginning
[i, had we
not have
i cruising
ipt those
ew it was
Tamos to
heavy,
ew of the
along at
was quite
;une and
we were
)ut man)
a gorge
e several
iselosing
36 ahead,
age, find-
fathoms

deep, though overhead the cliffs nearly came together in
places. Within, the scone was very beautiful, but not
more so than many similar ones we had previously
witnessed. Still, as the place was new to us, our languor
was temporarily dispelled, and wo paddled along, taking
in every feature of the shores with keen eyes that lot
nothing escape. After wo had gone on in this placid
manner for maybe an hour, we suddenly came to a
stupendous cliff — that is, for those parts — rising almost
sheer from the water for about a thousand feot. Of
itself it would not have arrested our attention, but at its
base was a semicircular opening, like the mouth of a
small tunnel. This looked alluring, so I headed the
boat for it, passing through a deep channel between two
reefs which led straight to the opening. There was
ampla room for us to enter, as we had lowered the mast ;
but just as we were passing through, a heavo of the un-
noticed swell lifted us unpleasantly near the crown of
this natural arch. Beneath us, at a great depth, the
bottom could be dimly discerned, the water being of the
richest blue conceivable, which the sun, striking down
through, resolved into some most marvellous colour-
schemes ill the path of its rays. A delicious sense of
coolness, after the fierce heat outside, saluted us as we
entered a vast hall, whose roof rose to aminiuiuni height
of forty feet, but in places could not be seen at all. A
sort of diffused light, weak, but sullicient to reveal the
general contour of the place, existed, let in, I supposed,
through some unseen crevices in the roof or walls. At
first, of course, to our eyes fresh from the fierce glare
outside, the place seemed wrapped in impenetrable gloom,
and we dared not stir lest we should run into some
hidden danger. Before many minutes, however, the
gloom lightened as our pupils enlarged, so that, although

■ — • 4^ •«;i» <njA'::t »■»»■» * —

202

THE cnuiSE OF Tilt: " cachalot:'

thu light was faint, wo could find our way about with
flaso. Wo spoko in low tones, for the echoes wore ho
numerous and resonant that even a whisper gave buck
from those massy walls in a series of recurring hisses,
as if a colony of snakes had been disturbed.

We paddled on into the interior of this vast cave,
finding everywhere the walls rising sheer from the silent,
dark waters, not a ledge or a crevice where one might
gain foothold. Indeed, in some places there was a con-
siderable overhang from above, as if a great dome whoso
top was invisible sprang from some level below the water.
We pushed ahead until the tiny semicircle of light
through which we had entered was only faintly visible ;
and then, finding there was nothing to be seen except
what we were already witnessing, unless we cared to go on
into the thick darkness, which extended apparently into
the bowels of the mountain, we turned and started to go
back. Do what we would, we could not venture to break
the solemn hush that surrounded us as if we were shut
within the dome of some vast cathedral in the twilight.
So we paddled noiselessly along for the exit, till suddenly
an awful, inexplicable roar set all our hearts thumping
fit to break our bosoms. Beally, the sensation was most
painful, especially as we had not the faintest idea whence
the noise came or what had produced it. Again it filled
that immense cave with its thunderous reverberations ;
but this time all the sting was taken out of it, as wo
caught sight of its author. A goodly bull-humpback had
found his way in after us, and the sound of his spout,
exaggerated a thousand times in the confinement of
that mighty cavern, had frightened us all so that we
nearly lost our breath. So far, so good ; but, unlike the
old nigger, though we were "doin' blame well," we
did not "let blame well alone." The next spout that

t'/tOailKSS OF THE '* nUMPllACK" SKAtiOX *JG.'t

intruder gave, ho was right aloiigHido of us. This was
too much for the Henii-savago instincts of my gallant
harpooncr, and before I had tinu! to shout a caution ho
had plunged his weapon deep into old Blowhard's broad
back.

I should like to describe what followed, but, in the
lirst place, I hardly know ; and, in the next, even had I
been cool and collected, my recollections would sound
like the ravings of a fevered dream. For of all the
hideous uproars conceivable, that was, I should think,
about the worst. The big mammal seemed to have gone
frantic with the pain of his wound, the surprise of the
attack, and the hampering confinement in which ho
found himself. His tremendous struggles caused such
a commotion that our position could only be compared
to that of men shooting Niagara in a cylinder at night.
How we kept afloat, I do not know. Some one had the
gumption to cut the line, so that by the radiation of the
disturbance we presently found ourselves close to the
wall, and trying to hold the boat in to it with our finger
tips. Would he never be quiet? we thought, as the
thrashing, banging, and splashing still went on with un-
failing vigour. At last, in, I suppose, one supreme effort
to escape, he leaped clear of the water like a salmon.
There was a perceptible hush, during which we shrank
together like unfledged chickens on a frosty night ; then,
in a never-to-be-forgotten crash that ought to have
brought down the massy roof, that mountainous carcass
fell. The consequent violent upheaval of the water
should have smashed the boat against the rocky walls,
but that final catastrophe was mercifully spared us. I
suppose the rebound was sufficient to keep us a safe
distance off.

A perfect silence succeeded, during which we sat

•^i^awnpi**, «

204

Tin: CRVISK OF T/IK ' VACriALOT.

BpeochlcsB, awaiting a resumption of Ihe clamour. At
last Abncr broke the heavy silence by saying, " I doan'
see the do'way any mo' at all, sir." He was right.
The tide had risen, and that half-moon of light had dis-
appeared, 80 that we wore now prisoners for many hours,
it not being at all probable that we should be able to find
our way out during the night ebb. Well, wc were not
exactly children, to be afraid of the dark, although there
is considerable difTcrence between the velvety darkness
of a dungeon and the clear, fresh night of the open
air. Still, as long as that beggar of a whale would only
keep quiet or leave the premises, we should be fairly
comfortable. We waited and waited until an hour had
passed, and then came to the conclusion that our friend
was either dead or gone out, as he gave no sign of his
presence.

That being settled, we anchored the boat, and lit pipes,
preparatory to passing as comfortable a night as might
be under the circumstances, the only thing troubling me
being the anxiety of the skipper on our behalf. Presently
the blackness beneath was lit up by a wide baud of phos-
phoric light, shed in the wake of no ordinary-sized fish,
probably an immense shark. Another and another
followed in rapid succession, until the depths beneath
were all ablaze with brilliant foot-wide ribands of green
glare, dazzling to the eye and bewildering to the brain.
Occasionally, a gentle splash or rippio alongside, or a
smart tap on the bottom of the boat, warned us how thick
the concourse was that had gathered below. Until that
weariness which no terror is proof against set in, sleep
was impossible, nor could we keep our anxious gaze from
that glowing inferno beneath, where one would have
thought all the population of Tartarus were holding high
revel. Mercifully, at last we sank into a fitful slumber,

I'lionRKss OF Tin: " m .ui'/iack" .skasos. 2^i.'»

though fully aware "f the grrat 'langcr of our position.
One upward rush of uny of those ravening monBtors,
happening to strike the frail "lull of our hoat, nnd a few
fleeting seconds would have Butliccd for our obliteration
as if wo had never been.

But the terrible night passed away, nnd once more wo
saw the tender, irridesccnt light stream into that abode
of dread. As the day strengthened, we were able to see
what was going on below, and a grim vision it presented.
The water was literally alive with sharks of enormous size,
tearing with never-ceasing energy nt the huge carcass
of the whale lying on the bottom, who had met his fate
in a singular but not unheard-of way. At that last
titanic effort of his he had rushed downward with such
terrific force that, striking his head on the bottom, he had
broken his neck. I felt very grieved that we had lost the
chance of securing him ; but it was perfectly certain that
before we could get help to raise him, all that would bo
left on his skeleton would be quite valueless to us. 80
with such patience as we could command we waited near
the entrance until the receding ebb made it possible for
us to emerge once more into the blessed light of day. I
was horrified at the haggard, careworn appearance of ray
crew, who had all, excepting the two Kanakas, aged per-
ceptibly during that night of torment. But we lost no
time in getting back to the ship, where I fully expected a
severe wigging for the scrape my luckless curiosity had
led me into. The captain, however, was very kind, ex-
pressing his pleasure at seeing us all safe back again,
although he warned me solemnly against similar investi-
gations in future. A hearty meal and a good rest did
wonders in removing the severe effects of our adventure,
so that by next morning we were all fit and ready for the
day's work again.

.j>. I

266

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

It certainly seemed as if I was in for a regular series
of troubles. After cruising till nearly two p.m., we fell
in with the mate's boat, and were sailing quietly along
side by side, when we suddenly rounded a point and ran
almost on top of a bull-humpback that was basking in
the beautiful sunshine. The mate's harpooner, a
wonderfully smart fellow, was not so startled as to lose
his chance, getting an iron well home before the animal
realized what had befallen him. We had a lovely fight,
lasting over an hour, in which all the marvellous agility
with which this whale is gifted was exerted to the full
in order to make his escape. But with the bottom not
twenty fathoms away, we were sure of him. With all his
supple smartness, he had none of the dogged savagery of
the cachalot about him, nor did we feel any occasion to
beware of his rushes, rather courting them, so as to finish
the game as quickly as possible.

He was no sooner dead than we hurried to secure
him, and had actually succeeded in passing the tow-line
through his lips, when, in the trifling interval that passed
while we were taking the line aft to begin towing, he
started to sink. Of course it was, " Let go all ! " If you
can only get the slightest way on a whale of this kind,
you are almost certain to be able to keep him afloat, but
once he begins to sink you cannot stop him. Down he
went, till full twenty fathoms beneath us he lay com-
fortably on the reef, while we looked ruefully at one
another. We had no gear with us fit to raise him, and
we were ten miles from the ship ; evening was at hand, so
our prospects of doing anything that night were faint.

However, the mate decided to start off for home at
once, leaving us there, but promising to send back a boat
as speedily as possible with provisions and gear for the
morning. There was a stiff breeze blowing, and he was

FROGHESS OF THE *' HUMPBACK' SEASON. 2G7

soon out of sight ; but we were very uncomfortable. The
boat, of course, rode like a duck, but wo wore fully exposed
to the open sea ; and the mighty swell of the Pacific,
rolling in over those comparatively shallow grounds,
sometimes looked dangerously like breaking. Still, it
was better than the cave, and there was a good prospect
of supper. Long before we expected her, back came the
boat, bringing bountiful provision of yams, cold pork
and fruit — a regular banquet to men who were fasting
since daylight. A square meal, a comforting pipe, and
the night's vigil, which had looked so formidable, no
longer troubled us, although, to tell the trutii, we were
heartily glad when the dawn began to tint the east with
pale emerald and gold. We set to work at once, getting
the huge carcass to the surface without as much labour
as I had anticipated. Of course all hands came to the
rescue.

But, alas for the fruit of our labours ! Those
hungry monsters had collected in thousands, and, to judge
from what we were able to see of the body, they had
reduced its value alarmingly. However, we commenced
towing, and were getting along fairly well, when a long
spur of reef to leeward of us, over which the sea was
breaking frightfully, seemed to be stretching farther out
to intercept us before we could get into smooth water.
The fact soon faced us that we were in the remorseless
grip of a current that set right over that reef, and against
its steady stream all our efforts were the merest triviality.
Still, we hung on, struggling desperately to keep what
we had earned, until so close to the roaring, foaming line
of broken water, that one wave breaking farther out than
the rest very nearly swamped us all. One blow of an
axe, one twirl of the steer-oars, and with all the force wo
could muster, we were pulling away from the very jaws

268

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

of death, leaving our whale to the hungry crowds, who
would make short work of him. Downcast indeed, at
our bad luck, we returned on board, disappointing the
skipper very much with our report. Like the true
gentleman he was though, recognizing that we had done
our best, he did not add to the trouble by cursing us all
for a set of useless trash, as his predecessor would have
done ; on the contrary, a few minutes after the receipt
of the bad news his face was as bright as ever, his
laugh as hearty as if there was no such thing as a
misfortune in the world.

And now I must come to what has been on my mind
so long — a tragedy that, in spite of all that had gone
before, and of what came after, is the most indelible of
all the memories which cling round me of that eventful
time. Abner Gushing, the Vermonter, had declared at
different times that he should never see his native Green
Mountain again. Since the change in our commander,
however, he had been another man — always silent and
reserved, but brighter, happier, and with a manner so
improved as to make it hard to recognize him for
the same awkward, ungainly slab of a fellow that had
bungled everything he put his hand to. Taking stock
of him quietly during our day-long leisurely cruises in
the boat, I often wondered whether his mind still kept
its gloomy forebodings, and brooded over his tragical
life-history. I never dared to speak to him on the
subject, for fear of arousing what I hoped was growing
too faiut for remembrance. But at times I saw him

the moonlit evenings sitting on the rail alone,

steadfastly gazing down into the star-besprent waters
beneath him, as if coveting their unruffled peace.

Two-thirds of our stay in the islands had passed
away, when, for a wonder, the captain took it into his

,l._-

wds, who
adeed, at
nting the
the true
had done
ing us all
)uld have
le receipt
ever, his
ling as a

my mind
had gone
delible of
i eventful
dared at
ive Green
amander,
ilent and
lanner so

him for
that had
ing stock
;ruises in
still kept
I tragical
1 on the

growing
saw him
il alone,
it waters
!e.
d passed

into his

THE VAST KLIKES OK TlIK WIIAI.K . . . SHOKK OKK THK BOW OF THE

ATTACKING BOAT.

mooiiEss OF TiiK " i/rMPnACh"- Hi-:AH(ts. L'fin

head to go up to the chief viUago ono morning.
So he retained me on hoard, while the other three hoatH
left for the day's cruise as usual. Ono of the mate's
crew was sick, and to replace him lut took Ahncr out
of my boat. Away they went ; and shortly after hreak-
fast-time I lowered, received the captain on hoard, and
we started for the capital. Upon our arrival there w<!
interviewed the chief, a stout, pleasant-lookinj; man of
ahout fifty, who was evidently held in great reHpeet hy
the natives, and had a chat with th<! white \VeHl«fyan
missionary in charge of the station. Ahout tsvo p.tii.,
after the captain's business was over, we werct returning
under sail, when we suddenly caught Might of two of
our boats heading in towards one of the inhindH. Wo
helped her with the paddles to get up to them, seeing
as we neared them the two long fins of a whale (^Ioho
ahead of one of them. As we gazed breath lesHly at the
exciting scene, we saw the boat rush in between the
two flippers, the harpooner at the same time dartitig
an iron straight down. There was a whirl in the watern,
and quick as thought the vast flukes of the whale rose
in the air, recurving with a sidelong sweep aw of Homo
gigantic scythe. The blow shore off the bow of the
attacking boat as if it had been an egg-shell.

At the same moment the mate stooped, picked up tho
tow-line from its turn round the loggerhead, and threw
it forward from him. He must have unconscioUHly
given a twist to his hand, for the line fell in a kink round
Abner's neck just as the whale went down with a rush.
Struggling, clutching at the fatal noose, tlie haplesH
man went flying out through the incoming sea, and in
one second was lost to sight for ever. Too late, the
harpooner cut the line which attached the wreck to tho
retreating animal, leaving the boat free, but gunwale

;

270

THE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT."

under. Wo instantly hauled alonpjHido of tho wreck and
transferred her crew, all dazed and horror* Htricken at
the awful death of their late comrade.

I saw the tears trickle down tho rugjjed, mahogany-
coloured face of the captain, and honoured him for it,
but there was little time to waste in vain rcgreta. It
was necessary to save the boat, if poHHiblo, as wo
were getting short of boat-repairing matitrial ; certainly
we should not have been able to build a now one. Ho,
drawing the two sound boats together, one on either side
of the wreck, we placed the heavy steering oars across
them from side to side. We then lifted the battered
fore part upon the first oar, and with a big effort
actually succeeded in lifting the wholo of tho boat out
of water upon this primitive pontoon. Then taking
the jib, we " frapped " it round the opouing where the
bows had been, lashing it securely in that position.
Several hands were told off to jump into hor Htorn on
the word, and all being ready we launched her again.
The weight of the chaps in her stern-BhoctH cocked her
bows right out of water, and in that position we towed
her back to the ship, arriving safely before dusk.

That evening we held a burial nervice, at which
hundreds of natives attended with a solemnity of de-
meanour and expressions of sorrow that would not
have been out of place at the most elaborate funeral
in England or America. It was a memorable scene.
The big cressets were lighted, shedding their wild glare
over the dark sea, and outlining the spars against tho
moonless sky with startling effect. When we had
finished the beautiful service, the natives, as if swayed
by an irresistible impulse, broke into the splenr^i.i iuno
St. Ann's ; and I afterwards learned that the words they
sang were Dr. Watts' unsurpassable rendering of Moses'

PfiOOIiESS OF THE ''HUMPBACK'' SEASON. 271

i^rcck and
rickcn at

aljogany-
im for it,
;;rot8. It
D, as wo
certainly
mo. So,
itlier 8i(lo
VH across

battered
'ig effort
boat out
n taking
'hero the

poHition.
Htern on

r again.

;ked her

e towed

^t which
of de-
luld not
funeral
scene.
[Id glare
Inst the
m had
Uwayed
ii<i 'Une
|ds they
Moses'

pean of praise, "0 God, our help in ages past." No
elaborate ceremonial in towering cathedral could begin
to compare with the massive simplicity of poor Abner's
funeral honours, the stately hills for many miles re-
iterating the sweet sounds, and carrying them to the
farthest confines of the group.

Next day was Sunday, and, in pursuance of a promise
given some time before, I went ashore to my " fiem's "
to dinner, he being confined to the house with a hurt
leg. It was not by any means a festive gatliering, for
he was more than commonly taciturn ; his daughter
Irene, a buxom lassie of fourteen, who waited on us,
appeared to be dumb ; and his wife was " in the straw."
These trifling drawbacks, however, in nowise detracted
from the hospitality offered. The dining-room was a
large apartment furnished with leaves, the uprights of
cocoa-nut tree, the walls and roof of pandanus leaf.
Beneath the heaps of leaves, fresh and sweet-scented,
was the earth. The inner apartment, or chamber of
state, had a flooring of highly-polished planks, and con-
tained, I presume, the household gods ; but as it was in
possession of my host's secluded spouse, I did not enter.
A couch upon a pile of leaves was hastily arranged,
upon which I was bidden to seat myself, while a freshly-
cut cocoa-nut of enormous size was handed to me, the
soft top sliced off so that I might drink its deliciously
cool contents. These nuts must grow elsewhere, but I
have never before or since seen any so large. When
green — that is, before the meat has hardened into in-
digestible matter — they contain from three pints to two
quarts of liquid, at once nourishing, refreshing, and
palatable. The natives appeared to drink nothing else,
and I never saw a drop of fresh water ashore during
our stay.

•)70

THE cniJiSE OF Tin: " cachalot:'

Taking a huge knifo from some hiding-place, Irene
handed it to her father, who at once commenced to dig
in the ground by his side, while I looked on wondering
and amused. Presently he fished up a bundle of leaves
bound with a vine-tendril, which he laid carefully aside.
More digging brought to light a fine yam about three
pounds in weight, which, after carefully wiping the
knife on some leaves, he proceeded to peel. It was
immediately evident that the yam was perfectly cooked,
for it steamed as he removed the skin, revealing the
inside as white as milk. Some large, round leaves were
laid in front of me, and the yam placed upon them.
Then mine host turned his attention to the bundle first
unearthed, which concealed a chicken, so perfectly done
that, although the bones drew out of the meat as if it
had been jelly, it was full of juice and flavour; and
except for a slight foreign twang, referrible, doubtless,
to the leaves in which it had been enwrapped, I do not
think it could have been possible to cook anything in a
better way, or one more calculated to retain all the natural
juices of the meat. The fowl was laid beside the yam,
another nut broached ; then, handing me the big knife,
my " flem " bade me welcome, informing me that I
saw my dinner. As nothing would induce him to join
me, the idea being contrary to his notions of respect due
to a guest, I was fain to fall to, and an excellent meal
I made. For dessert, a basketful of such oranges freshly
plucked as cannot be tasted under any other conditions,
and crimson bananas, which upon being peeled looked
liked curved truncheons of golden jelly, after tasting
which I refused to touch anything else.

A corn-cob cigarette closed the banquet. After ex-
pressing my thanks, I noticed that the pain of his leg
was giving my friend considerable uneasiness, which he

>ce, Irene
ced to dig
vondering
of leaves
illy aside.
»out three
iping the
I. It was
ly cooked,
Baling the
3aves were
[)on them,
undle first
;ectly done
at as if it
our ; and
doubtless,
3, I do not
thing in a
he natural
the yam,
big knife,
Ine that I
m to join
ispect due
lent meal
;es freshly
londitions,
led looked
ir tasting

After ex-
)f his leg
which he

PliOORESS OF THE " HUMPBACK SEASON. '27'.\

was stolidly enduring upon my account rather than
appear discourteously anxious to get rid of mo. 80
with the excuse that I must needs bo going, having
another appointment, 1 left the good fellow and strolled
around to the chapel, where I sat enjoying the sight
of those simple-minded Kanakas at their devotions till
it was time to return on board. Before closing this
chapter, I would like, for the benefit of such of my
readers who have not heard yet of Kanaka cookery, to
say that it i* simplicity itself. A hole is scooped in
the earth, in which a fire is made (of wood), and kept
burning until a fair-sized heap of glowing charcoal
remains. Pebbles are then thrown in until the charcoal
is covered. Whatever is to be cooked is enveloped in
leaves, placed upon the pebbles, and more leaves heaped
upon it. The earth is then thrown back into the cavity,
and well stamped down. A long time is, of course,
needed for the viands to get cooked through ; but so
subtle is the mode that overdoing anything is almost
an impossibility. A couple of days may pass from the
time of " putting down " the joint, yet when it is dug up
it will be smoking hot, retaining all its juices, tender as
jelly, but, withal, as full of flavour as it is possible for
cooked meat to be. No matter how large the joint is,
or how tough the meat, this gentle suasion will render
it succulent and tasty ; and no form of civilized cookery
can in the least compare with it.

•274

THE CRUISE OF TUE " OACUALOT."

CIIAPTEU XXU.

I'AUEWKLL TO VAU VAU.

Takino it all rouiul, our visit to tlio Friendly lilandK
liad not boon particularly fortunate up till the iimu of
which I 8poko at tho conclusion of the last chapter.
Two-thirds of tho period during which tho season was
supposed to last had expired, but our catch had not
amounted to more than two hundred and Qfty barrels of
oil. Whales hnd been undoubtedly scarce, for our ill-
success on tackling bulls was not at ?M in consequence
of our clumsiness, these agile animals being always
a handful, but due to the lack of cows, which drove us
to take whatever we could get, which, as has been noted,
was sometimes a severe drubbing. Energy and watch-
fulness had been manifested in a marked degree by
everybody, and when the news circulated that our stay
was drawing to a close, there was, if anything, an increase
of zeal in the hope that we might yet make a favourable
season.

But none of these valuable qualities exhibited by us
could make up for the lack of "fish" which was
lamentably evident. It was not easy to understand
why, because these islands were noted as a breeding-
place for the humpbacked whale. Yet for years they
had not been fished, so that a plausible explanation of

tWHEWELL TO VAU VAU.

•J75

tho paucity of their numbors aH a coiiHO'|Ucnct) of imicli
liaraHsin^ could not bo reasonably otfcreil. Still, aft«'r
ccnturicH of wliale-liHbin^, little is known of tlie real
habits of whales. Where then; is abundance of " fued,"
in the case of MjiHtivrta it may be reasonal)ly inferred that
whales may be found in proportionately greater numbors.
With regard to tho wider-spread classes of the great
marine mammalia, beyond tho fact, ascertained from
continued observation, that certain parts of tho ocean
an; more favoured by them than others, there '\a
aiisolutoly no data to go upon as to why at times they
seem to desert their usual haunts and scatter themselvoH
far atid wide.

Tho case of tho cachalot is still more difTicult. All
the liitUicum seem to be compelled, by laws which wo
can only guess at, to frequent tho vicinity of land
pos.^e8sing shallows at their breeding times, so that they
may with more or less certainty bo looked for in such
places at tho seasons which have i)een accurately fixed.
They may be driven to seek other haunts, as was
undoubtedly the case at Vau Vau in a great measure,
by some causes unknown, but to land they must come
at those times. The sperm whale, however, needs no
shelter at such periods, or, at any rate, does not avail
herself of any. They may often be seen in the vicinity
of land where the water is deep close to, but seldom
with calves. Schools of cows with recently-born young
gambolling about them are met with at immense
distances from land, showing no disposition to seek
shelter either. For my part, I firmly believe that the
cachalot is so terrible a foe, that the great sharks who
hover round a gravid cow of the Jialaenas, driving her in
terror to some shallow spot where she may hope to
protect her young, never dare to approach a sperm cow

I I

270

WE CRUJ8E OF THE " CACHALOT.**

on kidnapping erramlH, or any other if thoy can help it,
until their unerring guides inform them that life in
extinct. When a sperni whalo is in health, nothing
that inhabits tho sea has any chance with him ; neither
does ho scruple to carry the war into tho enemy's
country, since all is fish that comes to his net, and ii
shark fifteen feet in length has been found in tho
stomach of a cachalot.

Tho only exception he scorns to make is in the case
of man. Instances have several — nay, many times
occurred where men have been slain by tho jaws of a
cachalot crushing tho boat in which they were ; but their
death was of course incidental to the destruction of the
boat. Never, as far as I liave been able to ascertain,
has a cachalot attacked a man swimming or clinging
to a piece of wreckage, although such opportunities
occur innumerably. I have in another place told tho
story of how I once saw a combat between a bull-
cachalot and so powerful a combination of enemies
that even one knowing the fighting qualities of the
sperm whale would have hesitated to back him to win,
but the yarn will bear repetition.

Two " killers " and a sword-fish, all of the largest size.
Description of these warriors is superfluous, since they
are so well known to museums and natural histories ;
but unless one has witnessed the charge of a Xipkias,
he cannot realize what a fearful foe it is. Still, as a
practice, these creatures leave the cachalot respectfully
alone, knowing instinctively that he is not their game.
Upon this memorable occasion, however, I guess the two
Orcas were starving, and they had organized a sort of
forlorn hope with the Xiphlas as an auxiliary who might
be relied upon to ensure success if it could be done.
Anyhow, the syndicate led off with their main force

FATiFWhll. TO VAU VAr.

•J77

1 help it,
at lifu Ik
, nothing
; noithcr
enemy' H
L't, and a
I in the

the case
ly times
aws of a
but their
)n of the
,scertain,
clinging
)rtunities
told the
I a bull-
enemies
of the
a to win,

gest size,
nee they
listories ;

till, as a
pectfully
iir game.
J the two
a, sort of
30 might
be done.
,in force

first ; for whjlo th«! two killers hunpj on the caclialot'H
flanks, div rtiug his attention, the sword-finh, a giant
some sixt* en fert long, la'.nched himself at tho most
vulnerablo part of tlu) whale, for all the world like a
Whitehead torpedo. The wary eye of tho wlmln saw the
long, dark mass coming, and, like a practised pugilist,
coolly swerved, taking for tho nonce no notice of thoso
worrying wolves astern. Tho shock came ; but instead
of the sword penetrating three, or maybe four feet just
where the neck (if a whale has any neck) encloses tho
huge heart, it met the mighty, impenetrable mass of tho
head, solid as a block of thirty tons of india-rubber.

So the blow glanced, revealing a white streak
running diagonally across the eye, while tho great
XiphiaH rolled helplessly over the top of that black
bastion. With a motion so rapid that the eye could
scarcely follow it, the whale turned, settling withal, and,
catching the momentarily motionless aggressor in tho
lethal sweep of those awful shears, crunched him in two
halves, which writhing sections he swallowed si'viathn.
And the allied forces aft — what of them? Well, they
had been rash — they fully realized that fact, and would
have fled, but one certainly found that he had lingered
on the scene too long. The thoroughl; roused leviathan,
with a reversal of his huge bulk that made the sea boil
like a pot, brandished his tail aloft and brought it dcwn
upon the doomed " killer," making him at once 'ihe
"killed." He was crushed hke a shrimp under one's
heel.

The survivor fled — never faster— for an avalanche of
living, furious licsh was behind him, and coming with
enormous leaps half out of the sea every time. Thus
they disappeared, but I have no doubts as to the
issue. Of one thing I am certain — that, if any of

278

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

the trio survived, they never afterwards attempted to
rush a cachalot.

Strange to say, the sperm whale does not appear to
he a fond mother. At the advent of danger she often
deserts her oflfspring, and in such cases it is hardly
conceivable that she ever finds it again. It is true that
she is not gifted with such long " arms " as the Balaenas,
wherewith to cuddle her young one to her capacious
bosom while making tracks from her enemies; nor is
she mucii " on the fight," not being so liberally furnished
with jaw as the fierce and much larger bull — for this
is the only species of wha)'^ in Twiich there exists a great
disproportion between the sexes in point of size. Such
difference as may obtain between i the Mysticeta is
slightly in favour of the female. I never heard of a
cow-cachalot yieldin/^ mere than fifty barrels of oil ; but
I have both hearo of, and seen, bulls carrying one
hundred and fifty. One individual taken by us down
south was seventy feet long, and furnished us with
more than the latter amount ; but I shall come to him
bj'-and-by. Just one more point before leaving this
(to me) fascinating subject for the present.

To any one studying the peculiar configuration of a
cachalot's mouth, it would appear a diflicult problem
how the calf could suck. Certainly it puzzled me more
than a little. But, when on the " line " grounds we got
among a number of cows one calm day, I saw a little
fellow about fifteen feet long, apparently only a few
days old, in the very act. The mother lay on one
side, with the breast nearly at the water's edge ; while
the calf, lying parallel to its parent, with its head in
the same direction, held the teat sideways in the
angle of its jaw, with its snout protruding from the
surface. Although we caught several cow-humpbacks

FAREWELL TO VAU VAU.

-4

Bmpted to

appear to
she often
is hardly
i true that
3 Btilacnse,
capacious
38; nor is
' furnished
— for this
sts a great
ze. Such
/sticeta is
leard of a
)f oil ; hut
rying one
f us down
us with
le to him
iving this

3.tion of a

, problem

me more

ds we got

w a little

ily a few

■f on one

re ; while

head in

in the

from the

mpbacks

with newly-born calves, I never had an opportunity
of seeing them suck.

Gradually our pleasant days at Vau Vau drew to a
close. So quiet and idyllic had the life been, so full of
simple joys, that most of us, if not all, felt a pang at
the thought of our imminent departure from the
beautiful place. Profitable, in a pecuniary sense, the
season had certainly failed to be, but that was the merest
trifle compared with the real happiness and peace
enjoyed during our stay. Even the terrible tragedy
which had taken one of our fellows from us could not
spoil the actual enjoyment of our visit, sad and touching
as the event undoubtedly was. There was always, too,
a sufficiently arduous routine of necessary duties to
perform, preventing us from degenerating into mere
lotus eaters in that delicious afternoon-land. Nor even
to me, friendless nomad as I was, did the thought ever
occur, " I will return no more."

But those lovely days spent in softly gliding over
the calm, azure depths, bathed in golden sunlight,
gazing dreamily down at the indescribable beauties of
the living reefs, feasting daintily on abundance of
never-cloying fruit, amid scenes of delight hardly to be
imagined by the cramped mind of the town dweller ;
islands, air, and sea all shimmering in an enchanted
haze, and silence scarcely broken by the tender ripple
of the gently-parted waters before the boat's steady keel
— though these joys have all been lost to me, and
I in " populous city pent " endure the fading years, I
would not barter the memory of them for more than I
can say, so sweet it is to me. And, then, our relations
with the natives had been so perfectly amicable, so free
from anything to regret. Perhaps this simple state-
ment will raise a cynical smile upon the lips of those

280

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

who know Tahiti, the New Hebrides, and kindred spots
with all their savage, bestial orgies of alternate unbridled
lust and unuainable cruelty. Let it be so. For my
part, I rejoice that I have no tale of weeks of drunken-
ness, of brutal rape, treacherous murder, and almost
unthinkable torture to tell.

For of such is the paradise of the beach-comber,
and the hell of the clean man. Not that I have been
able to escape it altogether. When I say that I once
shipped, unwittingly, as sailing-master of a little white
schooner in Noumea, bound to Apia, finding when too
late that she was a " blackbirder," "labour vessel,"
the wise call it, nothing more will be needed to convince
the initiated that I have moved in the "nine circles"
of Polynesia.

Some time before the day fixed for our departure, we
were busy storing the gifts so liberally showered upon us
by our eager friends. Hundreds of bunches of bananas,
many thousands of oranges, yams, taro, chillies, fowls,
and pigs were accumulated, until the ship looked like a
huge market-boat. But we could not persuade any of
the natives to ship with us to replace those whose con-
tract was now expiring. Samuela and Polly were, after
much difficulty, prevailed upon by me to go with us to
New Zealand, much to my gratification ; but still we were
woefully short-handed. At last, seeing that there was no
help for it, the skipper decided to run over to Futuna, or
Horn Island, where he felt certain of obtaining recruits
without any trouble. He did so most unwillingly, as may
well be believed, for the new-comers would need much
training, while our present Kanaka auxiliaries were the
smartest men in the ship.

The slop-chest was largely drawn upon, to the credit
of the crew, who wished in some tangible way to show

FAREWELL TO VAU VAU.

281

(Ired spots
unbridled
For my
I drunken-
ad almost

h -comber,
have been
lat I once
ittle white
when too
ir vessel,"
) convince
3 circles"

arture, we
d upon us

bananas,
ies, fowls,
ked like a
ie any of
hose con-

ere, after
ath us to
1 we were
re was no
utuna, or
g recruits
y, as may
!ed much

were the

ihe credit
^ to show

their appreciation of the unremitting kindness shown
them by their dusky friends. Not a whisper had been
uttered by any native as to desire of remuneration for
what he had given. If they expected a return, they cer-
tainly exercised great control over themselves in keeping
their wishes quiet. But when they received the clothing,
all utterly unsuited to their requirements as it was, their
beaming faces eloquently proclaimed the reality of their
joy. Heavy woollen shirts, thick dotl' trousers and
jackets, knitted socks ; but acceptable beyc nd all was a
pilot-suit — warm enough for the Channe«. in winter.
Happy above all power of expression was he who
secured it. With an eared cloth cap and a pair of
half-boots, to complete his preposterous rig, no Bond
Street exquisite could feel more calmly conscious of
being a well-dressed man than he. From henceforth
he would be the observed of all observers at chapel on
Sunday, exciting worldly desires and aspirations among
his cooler but coveting fellow-worshippers.

The ladies fared very badly, until the skipper, with
a twinkling eye, announced that he had " dug up " some
rolls of " cloth " (calico), which he was prepared to
supply us with at reasonable rates. Being of rather
pretty pattern, it went off like hot pies, and as the
" fathoms " of gaudy, flimsy material were distributed
to the delighted fafines, their shrill cries of gratitude
were almost deafening.

Inexorable time brought round the morning of our
departure. Willing hands lifted our anchor, and hoisted
the sails, so that we had nothing to do but look on. A
scarcely perceptible breeze, stealing softly over the tree-
tops, filled our upper canvas, sparing us the labour of
towing her out of the little bay where we had lain so
long, and gradually wafted us away from its lovely shores.

2R2

THE CnmSE OF TDE "CACHALOT:'

amid the fast-flowing tears of the great crowd. With
multitudinous cries of " Ofa, al-ofa, papalang " ringing
in our ears (" Good-bye ; good-l)ye, white man "), we
rounded the point, and, with increasing pace, bore away
through the outlying islands for the open sea. There was
a strong trade blowing, making the old barky caper like
a dancing-master, which long unfamiliar motion almost
disagreed with some of us, after our long quiet. Under
its hastening influence wo made such good time that
before dinner Vau Vau had faded into nothingness,
mingling like the clouds with the soft haze on the
horizon, from henceforth only a memory.

We were not a very cheerful crowd that night, most
of us being busy with his own reflections. I must
confess that I felt far greater sorrow at leaving Vau Vau
than ever I did at leaving England ; because by the
time I was able to secure a berth, I have usually drank
pretty deep of the bitter cup of the " outward bounder, "
than whom there is no more forlorn, miserable creature
on earth. No one but the much abused boarding-master
will have anything to do with him, and that worthy
is generally careful to let him know that he is but a
hanger-on, a dependant on sufferance for a meal, and
that his presence on shore is an outrage. As for the
sailors' homes, I have hardly patience to speak of them.
I know the sailor is usually a big baby that wants pro-
tecting against himself, and that once within the four
walls of the institution he is safe ; but right there com-
mendation must end. Why are good folks ashore syste-
matically misled into the belief that the sailor is an object
of charity, and that it is necessary to subscribe contin-
ually and liberally to provide him with food and shelter
when ashore ? Most of the contributors would be sur-
prised to know that the cost of board and lodging at the

i i

ir."

)wd. With

ringing

man"), we
, bore away

There waa
I caper like
tion almost
et. Under

time that
)thingness,
Lze on the

light, most
. I must
g Vau Vau
ise by the
lally drank
[bounder, "
e creature
ng-master
worthy

is but a
neal, and
Ls for the

of them,
'ants pro-

the four
lere com-
)re syste-
an object

e contin-
d shelter
be sur-

ig at the

3.t

FAREWELL TO VAU VAU.

28.".

'* home " is precisely the same as it is outside, and much
higher than a landsman of the same grade can live
for in better style. With the exception of th(! Hlccping
accommodation, most men prefer the board ing'houHo,
where, if they preserve the same commcTcial Htatus
which is a nine qua iton at the " home," they are treated
like gentlemen; but in what follows lieH the eHSontial
difference, and the reason for this outburHt of mine,
smothered in silence for years. An " outward bounder "
— that is, a man whose money is exhauHted and who is
living upon the credit of his prospective advance of pay
— is unknown at the " home." No matter what the con-
dition of things is in the shipping world ; though the man
may have fought with energy to get his diHchargo ac-
cepted among the crowd at the " chain-locker ; " tliough
he be footsore and weary with " looking for a «hip," when
his money is done, out into the street ho mUHt go, if
haply he may find a speculative boarding-master to
receive him. This act, although most unlikely in ap-
pearance, is often performed ; and though the boarding-
master, of course, expects to recoup himself out of the
man's advance note, it is none the less as merciful as
the action of the "home" authorities is merciiesH. Of
course a man may go to the " straw house," or, as it is
grandiloquently termed, the "destitute seaman's asylum,"
where for a season he will be fed on the refusf) from
the " home," and sheltered from the weather. JJut the
ungrateful rascals do not like the " straw hoUKO," and
use very bad language about it.

The galling thing about the whole affair is that the
" sailors* home " figures in certain official publications
as a charity, which must be partially supported by outside
contributions. It may be a charitable ini^titutiun, but
jt certainly is not so to the sailor, who pays fully for

i.!

t'ff

•J84

THE cnvisE or the " cachalot.''

■ t

everything he receives. The charity \h bcHtowcd upon
a far different class of people to merchant Jack. Let it
be granted that a man is sober and provident, always
getting a ship before his money in all gone, ho will pro-
bably be well content at the homo, although very few
seamen like to be reminded ashore of their »oa routine,
as the manner of the home is. If the institution does
not pay a handsome dividend, with its clothing shops
and refreshment bars, as well as the boarding-house
business on such a large scale, only one inference can
be fairly drawn— there must be something radically
wrong with the management.

After this burst of temper, perhapH I had better get
back to the subject in hand. It was, I suppose, in the
usual contrary nature of .hings that, while we were
all in this nearly helpless condition, one evening just
before sunset, along comes a sperm whale. Now, the
commonest prudence would hava suggeHted letting him
severely alone, since we were not only nhort-handed, but
several of our crew were completely crippled by large boils ;
but it would have been an unprecedented thing to do
while there was any room left in the hold. Consequently
we mustered the halt and the lame, and manned two
boats — all we could do — leaving the almost useless
cripples to handle the ship. Not to displace the rightful
harpooner, I took an oar in one of them, headed by the
captain.

At first my hopes were high that wo should not
succeed in reaching the victim before dark, but I was
grievously disappointed in this. Just as the whale was
curving himself to sound, we got fairly close, and the
harpooner made a " pitch-pole " dart ; that is, he hurled
his weapon into the air, where it described a line curve,
and fell point downward on the animarH back just as

37'."

FAREWELL TO VAV VAU.

28:)

4towo(l Upon
ack. Let it
ilont, always
ho will pro-
(?h very few
Moa routine,
itution does
thing Bhops
irrding-house
ifcrence can
ig radically

d better get

peso, in the

ile we were

ivcning just

Now, the

I lotting him

landed, but

large boils;

thing to do

onsequently

aanned two

}8t useless

he rightful

ded by the

should not
but I was
whale was
^ and the
he hurled
line curve,

licl{ just as

he was disappearing. lie stopped his descent imme-
diately, and turned savagely to see what had struck
liim so unexpectedly. At that moment the sun went
down.

After the first few minutes' "kick-up," he settled down
for a steady run, but not before the mate got good and
fast to him likewise. Away we went at a rare rate into
the gathering gloom of the fast-coming night. Now, had
it been about the time of full moon or thereabouts, wo
should doubtless hu,ve been able, by the flood of molten
light she sends down in those latitudes, to give a good
account of our enemy ; but alas for us, it was not. The
sky overhead was a deep blue-black, with steely sparkles
of starlight scattered all over it, only serving to accentuate
the darkness. After a short time our whale became
totally invisible, except for the phosphoric glare of the
water all around him as he steadily ploughed his way
along. There was a good breeze blowing, which soon
caused us all to be drenched with the spray, rendering
the general effect of things cold as well as cheerless.
Needless to say, we strove with all our might to get
alongside of him, so that an end might be put to so
unpleasant a state of affairs ; but in our crippled condition
it was not at all easy to do so.

We persevered, however, and at last managed to get
near enough for the skipper to hurl a lance into the
brightness of which the whale formed the centre. It
must have touched him, for he gave a bound forward and
disappeared. We suddenly came to a standstill, but in
a moment were whirled round as if on a pivot, and away
we went in the opposite direction. He had turned a com-
plete somersault in the water beneath us, giving us a
•' grue " as we reflected what would have happened had
he then chosen to come bounding to the surface. This

*■ I

t«

!!■

i <

\ t

f '

28(5

TflE CRUISE OF THE "CACHALOT:'

raanoouvre seemed to please him mightily, for he ran at
top speed several minutes, and then repeated it. This
time he was nearly successful in doing us some real
harm, for it was now so dark that we could hardly see
the other hoat's form as she towed along parallel to us
about three or four lengths away. The two boats swung
round in a wide circle, rushing back at each other out of
the surrounding darkness as if bent on mutual destruc-
tion. Only by the smartest manipulation was a collision
avoided, which, as each boat's bows bristled with lances
and harpoons, would have been a serious matter fur
some of us. However, the whale did not have it all his
own way, for the skipper, having charged his bomb-gun,
patiently laid for him, and fired. It was rather a long
shot, but it reached him, as we afterwards ascertained,
making an ugly wound in the small near his tail.

Its effect upon him was startling and immediate. He
rushed off at so furious a rate dead to windward that
for a great while we had all our work cut out to keep
her free by baling. The sea had risen a little, and as
we leapt from one wave to another the spray flew over
us in an almost continuous cloud. Clearly our situation
was a parlous one. We could not get near him ; we
were becoming dangerously enfeebled, and he appeared
to be gaining strength instead of losing it. Besides all
this, none of us could have the least idea of how the ship
now bore from us, our only comfort being that, by obser-
vation of the Cross, we were not making a direct course,
but travelling on the circumference of an immense circle.
Whatever damage we had done to him so far was evi-
dently quite superficial, for, accustomed as we were to
tremendous displays of vigour on the part of these
creatures, this specimen fairly surprised us.

TUe time could only be guessed at ; but, judging from

r ho ran at
(1 it. This
some real
hardly see
rallel to us
oats swung
other out of
lal destruc-
1 a collision
vith lances
matter for
e it all his
bomb-gun,
her a long
3certained,
lail.

diate. He
ward that
it to keep
le, and as
flew over
situation
him ; we
api)eared
esides all
J the ship
by obser-
ct course,
ise circle,
was evi-
3 were to
of these

;ing from

FAREWELL TO VAO VAU»

287

our feelings, it might have been two or three nights long.
Still, to all things an end, so in the midst of our dogged
endurance of all this misery we felt the pace give, and
took heart of grace immediately. Calling up all our
reserves, we hauled up on to him, regardless of pain or
weariness. The skipper and mate lost no opportunities
of lancing, once they were alongside, but worked like
heroes, until a final plunging of the fast-dying leviathan
warned us to retreat. Up he wont out of the glittering
foam into the upper darkness, while we held our breath
at the unique sight of a whale breaching at night. ]3ut
when he fell again, the effect was marvellous. Green
columns cf water arose on either side of the descending
mass as if from the bowels of the deep, while their ghostly
glare lit up the encircling gloom with a strange, weird
radiance, which, reflected in our anxious faces, made us
look like an expedition from the Fluinij Dutchman. A
short spell of gradually-quieting struggle succeeded as
the great beast succumbed, until all was still again,
except the strange, low surge made by the waves as they
broke over the bank of flesh passively obstructing their
free sweep.

While the final touch was being given to our task —
I.e. the hole-boring through the tail-fin — all hands lay
around in various picturesque attitudes, enjoying a
refreshing smoke, care forgetting. While thus pleasantly
employed, sudden death, like a bolt from the blue, leapt
into our midst in a terrible form. The skipper was
labouring hard at his task of cutting the hole for the
tow-line, when without warning the great fin swung back
as if suddenly released from tremendous tension.
Happily for us, the force of the blow was broken by
its direction, as it struck the water before reaching the
boat's side, but the upper lobe hurled the boat-spade

28H

THE cnuiSK OF Tnr. " cac/talot:

f i

from the ciiptain'H hands back into our midHt, whvro. it
Htnick tlio tub oarKUian, Hplittin^ his head in two halvoH.
TIk! liorror of tho tragody, tlio onvolopiuf; darkncHs, tbo
inexplicable rovivifyinK of tho moiiHter, which wo could
not liavo doubted to bo dead, all combined to Htupefy
and paralyze us for the time. Not a sound was licard
in our boat, though tho yells of incpiiry from our com-
panion craft arose in increasing volume. It was but
a brief accession of energy, only lasting two or three
minutes, when the whale collapsed finally. Having
recovered from our surprise, wo took no further chances
with so dangerous an opponent, but bored him as full
of holes as a colander.

Mournful and miserable were the remaining hours
of our vigil. Wo sat around poor Miguel's corpse with
unutterable feelings, recalling all the tragical events of
tho voyage, until we reached the nadir of despondency.
With the rosy light of morning came more cheerful
feelings, heightened by the close proximity of tho shii),
from which it is probable we had never been more than
ten miles distant during the whole night. She had
sighted us with the first light, and made all sail down to
us, all hands much relieved at our safety. Wo were
so sorely exhausted that we could hardly climb on board ;
and how we hoisted the boats, I hardly know. Tho whale
was secured by the efforts of the cripples we had left on
board, while we wayfarers, after a good meal, wore
allowed four hours' sound, sweet sleep.

When we returned to our duties, the first thing that
awaited us was the burial of the poor body. Very
reverently were the last sad offices performed, the flag
hoisted half-mast, the bell solemnly tolled. Then wo
gpthered at the gangway while the eternal words of
hope and consolation were falteringly read, and with a

FAItKWKLL TO VAU VAU.

'J HI)

Huddeii pltingo tho long, Htraight piirccl Hlid olT the hatch
into till) viist torah over ready for tho dead sailor.

Our dead out of Hij^ht, work claimed all our attention
and energy, wiping out with its hentlicent influence all
gloomy musingH over tho inevitahle, and replacing them
with tho preHsing needs of life. Tins whale was not a
largo one, but peculiar to look at. Like the fii)eciinen
that fought 80 liorcely with us in tho Indian Ocean, its
jaw was twisted round in a sort of hook, tho part that
curved being so thickly covered with long barnacles as
to give tho monster a most eerie look. One of the
Portuguese expressed his decided opinion that wo had
caught Davy Jones himself, and that, in consequence,
we should hr..e no more accidents. It was impossible
not to sympathize with the conceit, for of all tho queer-
looking monstrosities ever seen, this latest acquisition of
ours ^^ ould have taken high honours. Such malforma-
tions of tho lower mandible of the cachalot have often
been met with, and variously explained ; but the most
plausible opinion seems to bo that they have been
acquired when the animal is very young, and its bones
not yet indurated, since it is impossible to believe that
an adult could suffer such an accident without the broken
jaw drooping instead of being turned on one side.

The yield of oil was distressingly scanty, the whale
being what is technically known as a " dry skin." The
blubber was so hard and tough that we could hardly cut
it up for boiling, and altogether it was one of the most
disappointing affairs we had yet dealt with. This poor-
ness of blubber was, to my mind, undoubtedly due to the
diiticulty the animal must have had in obtaining food
with his disabhng defect of jaw. "Whatever it was, we
were heartily glad to see the last of the beast, fervently
hoping we should never meet with another like him.

• u

2!»0

THE cnuisK OF THE " cachalot:'

Diiriiif^ the progrt'HS of these luehmcholy operations
wc had drifted a considerable dlHtanco out of our courhc,
no attention being i)aid, as usual, to the direction of our
drift until the greasy work was done. Once the mess
was cleared away, wo hauled up again for our objective —
Futuna— which, as it was but a few hours' sail distant,
wo hoped to make the next day.

( ^'.>l )

itratiuiis
r cournc,
>n of Dur
lie mess
jective —
, (libiant,

CIIAPTEll XXIIl.

AT I'LTUNA, RKCUUITINil.

Huiiii enough, in accordance with our expectations, brcalc
of day revealed the twin masses of I'utuna ahead, some
ten or fifteen miles away. Witii the tine, steady breeze
blowing, by breakfast-time we were ofl' the entrance to a
pretty bight, where sail was shortened and the ship hove-
to. Captain Count did not intend to anchor, for reasons
of his own, he being assured that there was no need
to do so. Nor was there. Although the distance from
the beach was considerable, we could see numbers of
canoes putting off, and soon they began to arrive. Now,
some of the South Sea Islands are famous for the
elegance and seaworthiness of their canoes ; nearly all of
them have a distinctly definite style of canoe-l)uilding ;
but here at Futuna was a bewildering collection of almost
every type of canoe in the wide world. Dugouts, with
outriggers on one side, on both sides, with none at all ;
canoes built like boats, like prams, like irregular egg-
boxes, many looking like the first boyish attempt to
knock something together that would float ; and — not to
unduly prolong the list by attempted classification of
these unclassed craft — conuiea. Yes ; in that lonely
Pacific island, among that motley crowd of floating
nondescripts, were specimens of the ancient coracle of
our own islands, constructed in exactly the same \, ay ;

■T53T

("i

292

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACIfALOT."

I I

that is, of wicker-work, covered with some waterproof
substance, whether skin or tarpaulin. But the ingenious
Kanaka, not content with his coracles, had gone one
better, and copied them in dugouts of solid timber. The
resultant vessel was a sort of cross between a butcher's
tray and a wash-basin —

" A thing bcyoriil
Conception : such a wrctciied wherry.
Perliaps ne'er ventured on a pond,
Or crossed a ferry."

The proud possessors of the coracles, both wicker and
wood, must have been poor indeed, for they did not even
own a paddle, propelling their basins through the water
with their hands. It may be imagined what a pace they
put on ! At a little distance they were very puzzling,
looking more like a water-beetle grown fat and lazy than
aught else.

And so, in everything floatable, the whole male
population of that part of the coast came to visit us.
We were speedily the centre of a great crowd of canoes,
some of which were continually capsizing and spilling
their occupants, who took no more notice of such inci-
dents than one would of a sneeze. Underneath a canoe,
or on top, made but little difference to these amphibious
creatures. They brought nothing with them to trade ;
in fact, few of their vessels were capable of carrying
anything that could not swim and take care of itself.
As they came on board, each crossed himself more or
less devoutly, revealing the teaching of a Roman Catholic
mission ; and as they called to one another, it was not
hard to recognize, even in their native garb, such names
as Erreneo (Irena3Us), Al'seo (Aloysius), and other
favourite cognomens of saints.

A laughing, chattering, good-tempered crowd they

i I I

AT FUTIINA, RECRUITING.

2!»n

crowd they

were — just like a bevy of children breaking up, and
apparently destitute of the slightest sense of responsi-
bility. They spoke a totally different dialect, or maybe
language, to that of Vau Vau, for it was only an
isolated word here and there that Samuela could make
out. But presently, going forward through the crowd
that thronged every part of the deck, I saw a man
leaning nonchalantly against the rail by the fore-rigging,
who struck me at once as being an American negro.
The most casual observer would not have mistaken him
for a Kanaka of those latitudes, though he might have
passed as a Papuan. He was dressed in all the dignity
of a woollen shirt, with a piece of fine "tapa" for a
waistcloth, feet and legs bare. Around his neck was
a necklace composed of a number of strings of blue and
white beads plaited up neatly, and carrying as a pendant
a George shilling. Going up to him, I looked at the
coin, and said, '* Belitani money ? " " Oh yes," he said,
"that's a shilling of old Georgey Fourf," in perfectly
good English, but with an accent which quite confirmed
my first idea. I at once invited him aft to see the
skipper, who was very anxious to find an interpreter
among the noisy crowd, besides being somewhat uneasy
at having so large a number on board.

To the captain's interrogations he replied that he
was " Tui Tongoa " — that is. King of Tongoa, an island
a little distance away — but that he was at present under
a cloud, owing to the success of a usurper, whom ho
would reckon with by-and-by.

In the mean time he woiild have no objection to
engaging himself with us as a harpooner, and would
get us as many men as we wanted, selecting from
among the crowd on board, fellows that would, ho
knew, be useful to us.

k «> i im m

294

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

A bargain was soon struck, and Tui entered upon
his self-imposed task. It was immediately evident that
he had a bigger contract on hand than he had imagined.
The natives, who had previously held somewhat aloof
from him in a kind of deferential respect, no sooner got
wind of the fact that we needed some of them than
they were seized with a perfect frenzy of excitement.
There were, I should think, at least a hundred and
fifty of them on board at the time. Of this crowd,
every member wanted to be selected, pushing his
candidature with voice and gesture as vigorously as
he knew how. The din was frightful. Tui, centre of
the frantic mob, strove vainly to make himself heard,
to reduce the chaos to some sort of order, but for a
great while it was a hopeless attempt. At last, extri-
cating himself from his importunate friends, he gained
the captain's side. Panting, almost breathless, with
sweat streaming off him, he gasped out, " Oh, cap'n,
dese yer darn niggers all gone mad ! Dribe 'em ober-
bord ; clar 'em out, 'n I'll stan' by to grab some o' der
likely ones as de res' scatter." " But what about the
wages ? " said the skipper. " I'm not goin' ter give *em
whatever they like to ask." "You leab it ter me,
cap'n. I bet you'll be satisfy. Anyhow, dishyers no
time fer tradin' ; de blame niggers all ofl' dere coco-nuts.
Anybody fink j'ou'se payin' off 'stead o' shippin', an'
dcyse all afraid dey won't get 'nough."

Unpleasant as the job was to all of us, it had to be
done ; so we armed ourselves with ropes'-ends, which
we flourished threateningly, avoiding where possible
any actual blows. Many sprang overboard at once,
finding their way ashore or to their canoes as best they
could. The majority, however, had to swim, for we
now noticed that, either in haste or from carelessness.

AT FUTUXA, UKCRUiriNG.

2!»5

they had in most cases omitted to fasten their canoes
securely when coming alongside, so that many of them
were now far out to sea. The distance to shore heing
under three miles, that mattered little, as far as their
personal safety was concerned.

This summary treatment was eminently successful,
quiet heing rapidly restored, so that Tui was able to
select a dozen men, who he declared were the best in
the islands for our purpose. Although it seems some-
what premature to say so, the general conduct of the
successful candidates was so good as to justify Tui
fully in his eulogium. Perhaps his presence had
something to do with it ?

We now had all that we came for, so that we were
. 'dous to be off. But it was a job to get rid of the
visitors still remaining on board. They stowed them-
selves away in all manner of corners, in some cases
ludicrously inadequate as hiding-places, and it was not
until we were nearly five miles from the land that the
last of them plunged into the sea and struck out for
home. It was very queer. Ignorant of our destination,
of what would be required of them ; leaving a land of
ease and plenty for a certainty of short commons and
hard work, without preparation or farewells, I do not
think I ever heard of such a strange thing before. Had
their home been famine or plague-stricken, they could
not have evinced greater eagerness to leave it, or to
face the great unknown.

As we drew farther off the island the wind freshened,
until we had a good, whole-sail breeze blustering behind
us, the old ship making, with her usual generous fuss,
a tremendous rate of seven knots an hour. Our course
was shaped for the southward, towards the Bay of
Islands, New Zealand. In tliat favourite haunt of the

'ifl? - ■ ■r^afa JwjJ . r

29r.

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:*

South-seaman we were to wood and water, find letters
from home (those who had one), and prepare for the
stormy south.

Obviously the first thing to be done for our new
shipmates was to clothe them. When they arrived
on board, all, with the single exception of Tui, were
furnished only with a " maro " of ** tapa," scanty in its
proportions, but still enough to wrap round their loins.
But when they were accepted for the vacant positions
on board, they cast off even the slight apology for
clothing which they had worn, flinging the poor rags
to their retreating and rejected compatriots. Thus they
were strutting about, in native majesty unclad, which,
of course, could not be endured among even so uncon-
ventional a crowd as we were. So they were mustered
aft, and, to their extravagant delight, a complete rig-out
was handed to each of them, accompanied by graphic
instructions how to dress themselves. Very queer they
looked when dressed, but queerer still not long after-
wards, when some of them, galled by the unaccustomed
restraint of the trousers, were seen prowling about with
shirts tied round their waists by the sleeves, and pants
twisted turban-wise about their heads. Tui was called,
and requested to inform them that they must dress
properly, after the fashion of the white man, for that
any impromptu improvements upon our method of
clothes- wearing could not be permitted. As they were
gentle, tractable fellows, they readily obeyed, and,
though they must have suffered considerably, there
were no further grounds for complaint on the score
of dress.

It has been already noticed that they were Roman
Catholics — all except Tui, who from his superior mental
elevation looked down upon their beliefs with calm

^ 1

AT FdTUNA, RErjlVJTINn.

21)7

contempt, although really a greater hoathon than
any of them had ever been. It was quite pathetic to
see how earnestly they endeavoured to maintain the
form of worship to which they had havw accuHtomed,
though how they managed without their prieHt, I could
not find out. Every evening they had prayern together,
accompanied by many crossings and genuflexions, and
wound up by the singing of a hymn in such queer Latin
that it was almost unrecognizable. After much wonder-
ing, I did manage to make out ** Salutaris Ilostia! "
and " Tantum Ergo," but not until their queer pronun-
ciation of consonants had become familiar. Homo of
the hymns were in their own tongue, only one of which
I can now remember. Phonetically, it ran tliUH —

" Mall-lee-all, Kollyecii locki'*' ;
Oliselluli ino miillaiimli.
Alofali, keea ma toll ;
Fall ua oh, Mali lali ec ah " —

which I understood to be a native rendering of "0
Stella Maris ! " It was sung to the well-known •' Troces-
sional " in good time, and on that account, 1 Hupposc,
fixed itself in my memory.

Whenever any of them were ordered aloft, they
never failed to cross themselves before taking to the
rigging, as if impressed with a sense of their chance
of not returning again in safety. To me was given
the congenial task of teaching them the duties re-
quired, and I am bound to admit that they were
willing, biddable, and cheerful learners. Another
amiable trait in their characters was especially notice-
able : they always held everything in common. No
matter how small the portion receive<l l)y any one,
it was scrupulously shared with the others who lacked,

ilf

llf

W '

298

THE CRUISE OF THE '* f/ACffALOT."

and this subdivision was ofton carried to ludicrous
lengths.

As there was no roaHou to hurry south, wo took a
short cruise on the Vasquoz ground, more, I think, for
the purpose of training our recruits than anything else.
As far as the results to our profit were concerned, we
might almost as well have gone Htraight on, for we only
took one small cow-cachalot, JJut the time spent thus
cruising was by no means wasted. IJefore we left
finally for New Zealand, every one of those Kanakas
was as much at home in the whale-boats as ho would
have been in a canoe. Of course they were greatly
helped by their entire familiarity with the water, whicli
took from them all that dread of being drowned which
hampers the white " greenie " so sorely ; besides which,
the absolute confidence they had in our prowess amongst
the whales freed them from any fear on that head.

Tui proved himself to be a smart harpooner, and
was chosen for the captain's boat. During our con-
versations, I was secretly amused to hear him allude to
himself as Sam, thinking how little it accorded with his
soi-disant Kanaka origin. lie often regaled me with
accounts of his royal struggles to maintain his rule, all
of which narrations I received with a goodly amount of
reserve, though confirmed in some particulars by the
Kanakas, when I became able to converse with them.
But I was hardly prepared to find, as I did many years
after, upon looking up some detail in Findlay's " South
Pacific Directory," this worthy alluded to as "the
celebrated Sam," in a brief account of Futuna. There
he was said to be king of the twin isles ; ho I suppose he
found means to oust his rival, and resume his sovereignty;
though, how an American negro, as Ham undoubtedly
was, ever managed to gain such a position, remains to

,07'.'
to ludicrous

th, wo took a
c, I think, for
anything olse.
concerned, wo
II, for we only
me Hpcnt thus
k'foro wo left
hose Kanakas
H as he would
t were greatly
water, which
Irowned which
besides which,
rowess amongst
hat head,
larpooner, and
tiring our con-
f him allude to
jorded with his
t^aled me with
in his rule, all
lodly amount of
ticulars by the
rse with them,
lid many years
ndlay's " South
id to as "the
?'utuna. There
HO I suppose he
his sovereignty;
m undoubtedly
ion, remains to

AT FUTUXA, RECRUITISa.

209

me an unfathomable mystery. Certainly he did not
reveal any such masterful attribut(!S as one would have
expected in him, while he served as liarpooner on board
the Cachalol.

Gradually we crept south, until one morning wo
sighted the towering mass of Sunday Island, the prin-
cipal member of the small Kermadec group, which lies
nearly on the prime meridian of one hundred and
eighty degrees, and but a sliort distance north of the
extremity of New Zealand. Wo had long ago finisluid
the last of our fresh provisions, fish had been very
scarce, so the captain seized the opportunity to give us
a run ashore, and at the same time instructed us to do
such foraging as we could. It was rumoured that there
were many wild pigs to be found, and certainly abund-
ance of goats ; but if both these sources of supply failed,
we could fall back on fish, of which we were almost sure
to get a good haul.

The island is a stupendous mass of rock, rising sheer
from the waves, in some places to a height of fifteen
hundred feet. These towering cliffs are clothed with
verdure, large trees clinging to their precipitous sides in
a marvellous way. Except at one small bight, known
as Denham Bay, the place is inaccessible, not only from
the steepness of its cliffs, but because, owing to its
position, the gigantic swell of the South Pacific assails
those immense bastions with a force and volume that
would destroy instantly any vessel that unfortunately
ventured too near. Denham Bay, however, is in some
measure protected by reefs of scattered boulders, which
break the greatest volume of the. oncoming rollers.
Within those protecting barriers, with certain winds, it
is possible to effect a landing, with caution ; but even
then no tyro in boat-handling should venture to do so,

;{0()

THE CRUISE OF THE ''CACHALOT."

1 1 r

as the experiment would almost certainly be fatal to
boat and crew.

We hove-to off the little bay, the waters of which
looked placid enough for a pleasure-party, lowered two
boats well furnished with fishing gear and such other
equipment as we thought would be needed, and pulled
away for the landmg-place. As we drew near the beach,
we found that, in spite of the hindrance to the ocean
swell afforded by the reefs, it broke upon the beach in
rollers of immense size. In order to avoid any mishap,
then, we turned the boats' heads to seaward, and gently
backed towards the beach, until a larger breaker than
usual came thundering in. As it rushed towards us, we
pulled lustily to meet it, the lovely craft rising to its
foaming crest like sea-birds. Then, as soon as we were
on its outer slope, we reversed the stroke again, coming
in on its mighty shoulders at racing speed. The instant
our keels touched the beach we all leapt out, and,
exerting every ounce of strength we possessed, ran the
boats up high and dry before the next roller had time to
do more than hiss harmlessly around our feet. It was
a task of uncommon difficulty, for the shore was wholly
composed of loose lava and pumice-stone grit, into which
we sank ankle-deep at every step, besides being exceed-
ingly steep.

We managed, however, to escape without any mishap,
for the drenching was a boon to our burnt-up skins.
Off we started along the level land, which, as far as I
could judge, extended inland for perhaps a mile and a
half by about two miles wide. From this flat shelf the
cliffs rose perpendicularly, as they did from the sea.
Up their sides were innumerable goat-tracks, upon some
of which we could descry a few of those agile creatures
climbing almost like flies. The plateau was thickly

■^>

•i'lJ.iaj-iCxr-j^.'Sa.'

or.**
be fatal to

jra of which
lowered two
1 such other
[, and pulled
ir the beach,
;o the ocean
the beach hi
any mishap,
, and gently
)reaker than
ft-ards us, we
rising to its
1 as we were
;ain, coming
The instant
)t out, and,
ised, ran the
had time to
eet. It was
was wholly
into which
eing exceed-
any mishap,
it-up skins,
as far as I
mile and a
it shelf the
m the sea.
upon some
e creatures
vas thickly

AT FUTUNA, RKCRXTITINO.

'M)\

wooded, many of the trees having been fruit-))caring
once, but now, much to our disappointment, barren
from neglect.

A ruined house, surrounded by other vestiges of what
had once been a homestead, stood in the middle uf this
piece of land. Feeling curious to know what the history
of this isolated settlement might be, I asked the mate if
he knew anything of it. He told me that an American
named Halstead, with his family, lived here for years,
visited only by an occasional whaler, to whom they sold
such produce as they might have and be able to spare
at the time. What their previous history had been, or
why they thus chose to cut themselves off from the
world, he did not know; but they seemed contented
enough with their tiny kingdom, nor had any wish to
leave it. But it came to pass that one night they felt
the sure and firm-set earth trembling convulsively
beneath their feet. Eushing out of their house, they
saw the heavens bespread with an awful pall of smoke,
the under-side of which was glowing with the reflected
tires of some vast furnace. Their terror was increased
by a smart shower of falling ashes and the reverbera-
tions of subterranean thunders. At first they thought
of flight in their boat, not reckoning the wide stretch of
sea which rolled between them and the nearest land,
but the height and frequency of the breakers then
prevailing made that impossible.

Their situation was pitiable in the extreme. During
the years of peace and serenity they had spent hero, no
thought of the insecurity of their tenure had troubled
them. Though they had but been dwellers on the
threshold of the mountain, as it were, and any exten-
sion of their territory impossible by reason of the
insurmountable barrier around them, they had led an

\\\

mimiimm

inri

TIIK (JRUISK OF TllK " CAC/lALOT."

/ !

. fi

untroubled lift;, all unknowing of tlio fearful forces
beneath their feet. But now tlicy found the founda-
tions of the rocks beneath breaking up ; that withering,
incessant shower of ashes and scoria) destroyed all their
crops ; the mild and delicate air changed into a heavy,
sulphurous iniasma ; while overhead the beneficent face
of the bright-blue sky had become a horrible canopy of
deadly black, about which played lurid coruscations of
infernal fires.

What they endured throughout those days and nights
of woo, could never be told. Tliey flod from the home
they had reared with such abundance of loving labour,
taking refuge in a cave ; for not even the knowledge that
the mountain itself seemed to be in the throes of dis-
solution could entirely destroy their trust in those
apparently eternal fastnesses. Here their eldest son
died, worried to death by incessant terror. At last a
passing whaler, remembering them and seeing the con-
dition of things, had the humanity and courage to stand
in near enough to see their agonized signals of distress.
All of them, except the son buried but a day or two
before, were safely received and carried away, leaving
the terrible mountain to its solitude.

As I listened, I almost involuntarily cast my eyes
upwards ; nor was I at all surprised to see far overhead
a solitary patch of smoky cloud, which I believe to have
been a sure indication that the volcano was still liable
to commence operations at any time.

So far, we had not happened upon any pigs, or goats
either, although we saw many indications of the latter
odoriferous animal. There were few sea-birds to bo
seen, but in and out among the dense undergrowth
ran many short-legged brown birds, something like a
partridge — the same, I believe, as we afterwards became

AT FUTL'SA, lilJ'HUlTISQ,

;;o;i

fainiliiir with in Stcwaifw Islnnd by tlu- name of " Maori
liuuH." They were ho tame ami inijuisilivc that wi« had
no (lilheulty in Hocurinf;; a few by thf Kiniplo proccHH of
knocking them over with HtickH. From tht; main branch
of a large tree hung a big honey-comb, out of which the
honey was draining upon the earth. Around it buzzed a
busy concourse of bees, who appeared to us so formidable
that we decided to leave thera to the enjoyment of their
sweet store, in case we should invite an attack.

So far, our rambling had revealed nothing of any
service to us ; but just then, struck by the ai)pcarancc of a
plant which was growing profusely in a glado we were
passing over, I made bold to taste one of the leaves.
What the botanical name of the vegetable is, I do not
know; but, under the designation of "Maori cabbage,"
it is well known in New Zealand. It looks like a lettuce,
running to seed ; but it tastes exactly like young turnip-
tops, and is a 8i)lendid anti- scorbutic. What its dis-
covery meant to us, I can hardly convey to any one who
does not know what an insatiable craving for potatoes
and green vegetables possesses seamen when they have
for long been deprived of those humble but necessary
articles of food. Under the circumstances, no *' find "
could have given us greater pleasure — that is, in th^
food line — than this did.

Taking it all round, however, the place as a foraging
ground was not a success. We chased a goat of very
large size, and beard voluminous as a llabbi's, into a cave,
which may have been the one the Halsteads took shelter
in, for we saw no other. One of the Kanakas volunteered
to go in after him with a line, and did ho. The resul-
tant encounter was the best l)it of fun we had had for
many a day. After a period of darksome scullling within,
the entangled pair emerged, fiercely wrestling, Billy

"]<

.'lOl

77//-; VIliriSK OF rilK " VACnAI.OT."

buing to all iippuurunoo inuuli tliu froHhor of the two.
1*^iir play Hcuined to (Icmaiid that wo hIiouKI lut ihuiii
li;{lit it out ; but, Had to Hay, thoolliur KanaluiH could not
Hco IhingH in that light, and Itilly waH hoou doHpatulud.
JUithor noedloHH killing, loo; for no one, oxooptat ntarvu-
tion-point, could havo oatun the poor roniaiiiH of leathery
iloHli that Htill docorated that woathur-boaton framu.

J]ut this Hort of thing wan tiring and unproiitablc
Thu intorest of thu place noon ilzzlod out, when it wan
found there was ho little worth taking away ; ho, aH the
day waH getting on, it wan decided to launch olf and
Htart fiHhing. In a few minuten we were ailoat again,
and anchored, in about four fathoms, in aH favouralile
a spot for our Hport an ever 1 Haw. Finh Hwarnied
about us of many sorts, but principally of the " kauwhai,"
a kind of mullet very plentiful about Auckland, and
averaging live or six pounds. Much to my annoyance,
we laid not been able to get any bait, except a bit of raw
salt-pork, which hardly any lish but the shark tribe will
look at. Had I known or thought of it, a bit of goat
would have been far more attractive.

However, as there was no help for it, wo baited up
and started. *' Nary nibble ermong 'em ! " growled Sam,
as wo sat impatiently waiting for a bite. When wo
liauled up to see what was wrong, lish followed the hook
up in hundreds, letting us know plainly as possible that
they only wanted something tasty. It was outrageous,
exasperating beyond measure ! At last Samuela grew so
tired of it that lie seized his harpoon, and hurled it into
tho middle of a company of kauwhai that were calmly
nosing around tho bows. By the merest chance he
managed to impale one of them upon the broad point.
It was hardly in the boat before I had seized it, scaled
it, and cut it into neat little blocks. All hands rebaited

A T FU TVS. I , /.' llCli ( ITlSn.

;it».'»

with it, and fliin^ out again. Tlio cliaiigu waH aHtoiind-
iii^'. Up tlicy (Millie, two at a time, ilozeiiH and do/.unH of
tlu'iu — kanwhai, cavallt), yellow-tail, Hchnapper — lovely
i'lHli of doliciuurt flavour and goodly mio. Then ono of
UH got a fmli which made him yell, '• Shark ! shark ! "
with all liiK might. He had a Hinall line of Amtiriean
cotton, staunch aH coppor wire, but droad> illy jutting to
the hands. When ho took a turn round the loggorlu ad,
the friction of tho running lino cut right into u>.u w .itu
oak, but the wonderful cord and hook Hti'l held htiir
own. At laHt tho monster yielded, coming in at lirst
inch by inch, then moro rapidly, till raised in triuinpii
above tho gunwale — a yellow-tail six feet long. '. ".:• w
caught this splondid lish {FJatjatiH hipiiinnlatiiH) inu.\y
times before and since then, but never did I see such a
grand specimen as this one — no, not by thirty or forty
pounds. Then I got a giant cavalle. His broad,
shield-like body blazed hither and thither as 1 8tr'j::»gled
to ship him, but it was long ero ho gave in to superior
strength and excellence of line and hook.

Meanwhile, tho others had been steadily increasing
our cargo, until, feeling that we had quite as much fish
as would suftico us, besides being really a good load, I
suggested a move towards the ship. Wi were laying
within about half a mile of the shore, where the ex-
tremity of tho level land reached the cliffs. Up ono of
the well-worn tracks a fine, fat goa?; was slowly creeping,
stopping every now and then io browse upon the short
herbage that clung to the crevices of the rock. Without
saying a word. Tolly the Kanaka slipped over the side,
and struck out with swift overhead strokes for the foot
of the cliff. As soon as I saw what he was after, I
shouted loudly for him to return, but he cither could not
or would not hear me. The fellow's seal-like ability as a

:30G

riJE CRUISE OF THE " CACnMOTr

(1^

11 f

swimmer was , of course, well known to mo, but I must
confess I trembled for his life in such a weltering whirl
of rock-torn sea as boiled among the crags at the base
of that precipice. He, however, evidently knew what
he was going to do, and, though taking risks which
would have certainly been fatal to an ordinary swimmer,
was quite unafraid of the result.

We all watched him breathlessly as he apparently
headed straight for the biggest outlying rock — a square,
black boulder about the size of an ordinary railway car.
He came up to it on the summit of a foaming wave ; but
just as I looked for him to be dashed to pieces against
its adamantine sides, he threw his legs into the air and
disappeared. A stealthy, satisfied smile glowed upon
Samuela's rugged visage, and, as he caught my eye, he
said jauntily, " Polly savee too much. Lookeehim come
ontop one time ! " I looked, ard sure enough there was
the daring villain crawling up among the kelp far out
of reach of the hungry rollers. It was a marvellous
exhibition of coolness and skill.

Without waiting an instant, he began to stalk the
goat, dodging amongst the bushes with feet that clung to
the steep sides of the cliff as well as the animal's. Before
he could reach her, she had winded him, and was off up
the track. He followed, without further attempt to
hide himself ; but, despite his vigour and ability, would,
I fancy, have stood a microscopic chance of catching her
had she not been heavy with kid. As it was, he had all
his work cut out for him. When he did catch her,
she made so fierce a struggle for life and liberty that,
in the endeavour to hold her, he missed his insecure
foothold, and the pair came tumbling over and over down
the cliff in a miniature avalanche of stones and dust.
At the bottom they both lay quiet for a time ; while I

but 1 must
lering wbirl
at the base
knew wbat
risks wliicli
ry swiniDaer,

e apparently
jk— a square,
f railway ear.
ing wave ; but
)ieces against
to tbe air and

glowed upon
rbt my eye, be
okeebimcome
mgb tbere was
le kelp far out

a marvellous

|,n to stalk tbe
^ttbat clung to
[mal's. Before
land was off up
ler attempt to
1 ability, would,
)f catcbing ber
./as, be bad all
I did catcb ber,
Id liberty tbat,
|d bis insecure
and over down
mes and dust,
time ; wbile I

AT Fl'TUSA, HECRUITISG.

:jo:

anxiously waited, fearing the rash fool was seriously
injured; but in a minute or two be was on bis feet
again.

Lasbing tbo goat to his body, and ignoring ber
struggles, he crawled out as far among tlie rocks as he
could ; then, at the approach of a big breaker, he dived to
meet it, coming up outside its threatening top like a life-
buoy. I pulled in, as near as I could venture, to pick
him up, and in a few minutes had him safely on board
again, but suffering fearfully. In his roll down the cliff
be had been without his trousers, which would have been
some protection to him. Consequently, his thighs were
deeply cut and torn in many places, while the brine
entering so many wounds, though a grand styptic, must
have tortured him unspeakably. At any rate, though he
was a regular stoic to bear pain, he fainted wbile I was
" dressing him down " in the most vigorous language I
could command for his foolhardy trick. Then we all
realized what be must be going through, and felt that be
was getting all the punishment he deserved, and more.
The goat, poor thing ! seemed none the worse for ber
rough handling.

Tbe mate gave the signal to get back on board just
as Polly revived, so there were no inconvenient questions
asked, and we returned alongside in triumph, with such
a cargo of fish as would have given us a good month's
pay all round could we have landed them at Billingsgate.
Although the mate had not succeeded as well as we, the
catcb of the two boats aggregated half a ton, not a fish
among the lot less than five pounds weight, and one of a
hundred and twenty — the yellow-tail aforesaid. As soon
as we reached the ship, the bciats were run up, sailf filled,
and away we lumbered again towards New Zealand.

As the great mass of that solitary mountain faded

i
I

■Mi

■

I J.J

4-I

%".<'

! :i

308

rilE CRUISE OF r/IE " CAOHALOTr

away in the gathering shades of evening, it was impos-
sible to help remembering the sufferings of that afflicted
family, confined to those trembling, sulphurous, ash-
bestrewn rocks, amid gloom by day, and unnatural
glare by night, for all that weary while. And while I
admit that there is to some people a charm in being
alone with nature, it is altogether another thing when
your solitude becomes compulsory, your paradise a prison
from which you cannot break away. There are many
such nooks scattered about the ocean, where men have
hidden themselves away from the busy world, and been
forgotten by it ; but few of them, I fancy, offer such
potentialities of terror as Sunday Island.

We had hardly lost sight of the land, when Polly's
capture gave birth to a kid. This event was the most
interesting thing that had happened on board for a great
while, and the funny little visitor would have run great
risk of being completely spoiled had he lived. But, to
our universal sorrow, the mother's milk failed — from
want of green food, I suppose — and we were obliged to
kill the poor little chap to save him from being starved
to death. He made a savoury mess for some whose
appetite for flesh-meat was stronger than any senti-
mental considerations.

To an ordinary trader, the distance between the
Kermadecs and the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, roughly
represents a couple of days' sail ; but to us, who were
apparently incapable of hurry under any circumstance.-.,
it meant a good week's bludgeoning the protesting waves
before the grim outliers of the Three Kings came into
view. Even then, although the distance was a mere
bagatelle, it was another two days before we arrived
off that magnificent harbour where reposes the oldest
township in New Zealand — Eussell, where rest the mortal

t was impos-
that afflicted
lurous, asb-
d unnatural
And while I
rm in being
• thing when
idise a prison
ire are many
ire men have
rid, and been
ly, offer such

when Polly's
was the most
ird for a great
lave run great
ved. But, to

failed— from
jre obliged to
being starved

some whose
,n any senti-

between the
iland, roughly
lus, who were
[ircumstance..,

)testing waves

las came into
was a mere

:e we arrived
Ises the oldest

test the mortal

AT FUTUSA, PrCIiUITINO.

309

remains of the tirst really li ^.eha Maori, but which,
for some unaccountable reason, is still left undeveloped
and neglected, visited only by the wandering whalers
(in ever-decreasing numbers) and an occasional trim,
business-like, and gentlemanly man-o'-war, that, like a
Guardsman strolling the West End in mufti, stalks the
sea with never an item of her smart rig deviating by a
shade from its proper set or sheer.

mmmm

!)•

, It'

i,(

310 TIIECIIUISE OF THE "CACHALOT.'

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE BAY OF ISLANDS AND NEW ZEALAND COAST.

In a comparative now colony like New Zealand, where the
marvellous growth of the yoiuif,' state can be traced
within living memory, from the privations of the pioneer
to the fully developed city with all the machinery of our
latest luxurious civilization, it is exceedingly interesting
to note how the principal towns have sprung up arbi-
trarily, and without any heed to the intentions of the
ruling powers. The old-fashioned township of Korora-
rika, or Port Russell, is a case very much in point. As
we sailed in between the many islets from which the
magnificent bay takes its name, for all appearances to
the contrary, we might have been the first discoverers.
Not a house, not a sail, not a boat, broke the loneliness
and primeval look of the placid waters and the adjacent
shores. Not until we drew near the anchorage, and saw
upon opening up the little town the straight-standing
masts of three whale-ships, did anything appear to dispel
the intense air of solitude overhanging the whole. As
we drew nearer, and rounded-to for mooring, I looked
expectantly for some sign of enterprise on the part
of the inhabitants — some tradesman's boat soliciting
orders ; some of the population on the beach (there was
no sign of a pier), watching the visitor come to an

JJAr OF ISLANDS AND NHW ZEALASh COAST. .'* I 1

anchor. Not a bit of it. Tlic wholf placo Hoemcd a
maritime sleepy hollow, the dwellorH in which luul loHt
all interest in life, and had become far Ichh energetic
than the much-maligned Kanakas in their dreamy IbIoh
of summer.

Yet this was once intended for tlm capital of Now
Zealand. When the large and Bplondidly-biiilt city of
Dunedin, Otago, was a barren bush, haunted only by the
" morepork " and the apteryx, UuhkoU waw humming
with vitality, her harbour busy with iU-ciH of shipH,
principally whalers, who found it the moHt convenient
calling-place in the southern temperate zone. Terrible
scenes were enacted about its " blackguard beach,"
orgies of wild debauchery and bloodshed indulged in by
the half-savage and utterly lawless crcwH of the whale -
ships. But it never attained to any real itnportance.
As a port of call for whalers, it enjoyed a certain kind of
prosperity; but when the South Sea fisbery dwindhul,
Eussell shrank in immediate sympathy. It never had
any vitality of its own, no manufactures or products,
unless the wretched coal-mines adjacent, with their dirty
output, which is scoffed at by the grimiest tug afloat,
could be dignified by the name.

Remembering, as I did, the beauty, the energy, and
prosperity of the great New Zealand ports, somo of them
with not a tithe of the natural advantages of IttiHsell,
I felt amazed, almost indignant, at its dead-and-alive
appearance.

Our anchor was no sooner down than the captains
of the James Arnold, Matilda Saijcr, and Coral, lowered
and came on board, eager to hear or to tell such news as
was going. As we had now grown to expect, all work
was over immediately the sails were fast and decks
cleared up, so that we were free to entertain our visitors.

Mjy

>i^

312

r///? CRUISE OF T/IK " fJACIfALOT:'

And a Iiigb old time we had of it that afternoon ! What
with songs, dances, and yarns, the hours flew by with
lightning speed. Our Kanakas, too, were overjoyed to
find compatriots among the visitors, and S(!ttlcd down to
a steady stream of talk which lasted, without intermission,
the whole night through. It was a wonderful exhibition
of tongue-wagging, though what it was all about puzzled
me greatly.

Life on board those three ships, though described in
glowing terms by the visitors, was evidently not to be
mentioned for comfort in the same breath as ours. But
we found that our late captain's fame as a " hard
citizen " was well known to all ; so that it is only ordi-
nary justice to suppose that such a life as he led us
was exceptional for even a YankcfO spoutcr. Our friends
gave us a blood-curdling account of the Holander whaling
ground, which we were about to visit, the Juhwh Arnold
and Coral having spent a season there that cruise. I
did not, however, pay much attention to their yarns, feel-
ing sure that, even if they were fact, it would not help to
brood over coming hardships, and inclined to give liberal
discount to most of their statements. The incessant
chatter got wearisome at last, and I, for one, was not
sorry when, at two in the morning, our visitors departed
to their several ships, and left us to got what sleep still
remained left to us.

A pleasant expedition was planned for the next day.
Our visit being principally for wooding and watering,
both of which it was necessary for us to do ourselves.
Captain Count showed his usual promptitude in com-
mencing at once. Permission having been obtained and,
I suppose, paid for, we set out with two boats and a
plentiful supply of axes for a well-wooded promontory to
Ijrepare a store of wood. Wood chopping is not usually

,07''

BA Y OF ISLA NDS J ND NE W ZEAL A A'/) CO A ST. 313

lOon ! What
flew by with
overjoyed to
ittlccl down to
t intermission,
rful exhibition
about puzzled

li described in
titly not to be
as ours. But

as a

hard
it is only ordi-
as he led us
. Our friends
lander whaling
JamcH Arnold
liat cruise. I
eir yarns, feel-
Id not help to
to give liberal
The incessant
one, was not
litors departed
hat sleep still

I the next day.
|and watering,

do ourselves,
itude in com-

I obtained and,
boats and a

promontory to

Is not usually

looked upon as a sailor's pastime ; but we had had con-
siderable experience during the voyage, as a result of
which most of us could swing an axe in fine style. But
the Kanakas beat us all hollow. Delighted to j^ct ashore
again, pleased with the fine axes as children with new
toys, they laid about them in grand style, the young trees
falling right and left in scores. Anybody would have
judged that we were working pit- ;e-work, at so much a
cord, the pile grew so fast. There was such a quantity
collected that, instead of lightering it off in the boats,
which is very rough and dirty usage for them, I con-
structed a sort of raft with four large spars arranged
in the form of an oblong, placing an immense quantity
of the smaller stuff in between. Upright sticks were
rudely lashed here and there, to keep the pile from
bobbing out underneath, and thus loaded we proceeded
slowly to the ship with sufficient wood for our wants
brought in one journey. It was immediately hoisted
on board, sawn into convenient lengths, and stowed
away, the whole operation being completed, of getting
between eight and ten tons of firewood cut, ferried, and
stowed, in less than eight hours.

Next day was devoted to watering ; but as I have else-
where described that necessary if prosaic occupation, I
will not repeat the story. Sufiicient to say that the job
was successfully " did " in the course of the day.

All the work being accomplished for which we had
come, it only remained to give the crew "liberty." So
the port watch, in their best (?) rig, were mustered aft ;
each man received ten shillings, and away they went in
glee for the first genuine day's liberty since leaving
Honolulu. For although they had been much ashore in
Vau Vau, that was not looked upon in the same light as
a day's freedom in a town where liquor might be procured,

(

i tf'

\ .;

.311

TIIK CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

and the questionable privile^'e of <,'ettinp drunk taken
advanta<:;c of. Envious eyes watched their i)rogrcss
from the other ships, but, much to my secret satisfac-
tion, none of their crews were allowed ashore at the same
time. There were quite sufficient possibilities of a row
among our own crowd, without further complications
such as would almost certainly have occurred had the
strangers been let loose at the same time. Unfortunately,
to the ordinary sailor-man, the place presented no other
forms of amusement besides drinking, and I was grieved
to see almost the whole crowd, including the Kanakas,
emerge from the grog-shop plentifully supplied with
bottles, and, seating themselves on the beach, commence
their carouse. The natives evinced the greatest eager-
ness to get drunk, swallowing down the horrible " square
gin " as if it were water. They passed with the utmost
rapidity through all the stages of drunkenness. Before
they had been ashore an hour, most of them were lying
like logs, in the full blaze of the sun, on the beach.
Seeing this, the captain suggested the advisability of
bringing them on board at once, as they were only
exposed to robbery by the few prowling Maories that
loafed about the beach — a curious contrast to the stately
fellows met with in other parts of New Zealand.

So we set to work, and brought them on board again,
handing them over to their compatriots by way of warn-
ing against similar excesses, although, it must be con-
fessed, that they were hardly to blame, with the example
of their more civilized shipmates before their eyes. Sam
was energetic in his condemnation of both the Kanakas
for getting drunk, and the captain for giving them any
money wherewith to do so. The remainder of the watch
fortunately concluded their carouse without any serious
disorder. A few bruises bestowed upon one another,

'» ' r.

HAY OF ISLANDS AXP A'A'H' ZEAL A SI) rOAST. .)\.>

more in clumsy horseplay than real fii^htiiif?, HUinnud
up the casualties among them. l?y ten o'clock that
evenin},' we had them all safely on hoard a<^ain, ready
for sore heads and repentance in the mornin},'.

During the day I had evolved a scheme, which I had
great hopes of carrying out when our watch should ho
let loose on the morrow. When morning came, and the
liherty men received their money, I called them t(>g('th(a-
and unfolded my plan. Briefly, I proposed a sort of
picnic at a beautiful spot discovered during our wooding
expedition. I was surprised and very pleased at the
eager way in which all, with the sole exceptions of Tui
and his fellow-harpooner, a Portuguese, fell in with my
suggestions. "Without any solicitation on my part, my
Kanakas brought me their money, begging me to expend
it for them, as they did not know how, and did not want
to buy gin.

Under such favourable auspices as these, we landed
shortly after eight a.m., making a bee-line for the only
provision shop the place boasted. Here we laid in a
stock of such savouries as we had long been strangers to,
both eatables and drinkables, although I vetoed fire-water
altogether. Beer in bottle was substituted, at my sugges-
tion, as being, if we must have drinks of that nature,
much the least harmful to men in a hot country, besides,
in the quantity that we were able to take, non-intoxicant.
We also took tea, sugar, milk, and a kettle. Thus fur-
nished, we struck for the country, merry as a group of
schoolboys, making the quiet air ring again with song,
shout, and laughter — all of which may seem puerile and
trivial in the extreme ; but having seen liberty men ashore
in nearly every big port in the world, watched the help-
less, dazed look with which they wander about, swinging
hands, bent shoulders, and purposeless rolling gait, I

(

IJ16

THE CliUJSK OF THE " CACHALOT:'

have often Aiivently wiHlicd that some one would take
a party of them for a ramble with a definite purpoHe,
hoIpin<; them to a little enjoyment, instead of them falling,
from sheer lack of knowing; what else to do, into some
dirty, darksome Rin-mill, to be besotted, befooled, and
debased.

I do earnestly wish that some of the }^ood folk in
London and Liverpool, who are wrin}j;in^ their hands for
want of somcthiuK to do amonf; their fellow-men, would
pay a visit to sailor-town for the purpose of getting up
a personally-conducted party of sailors to see the sif^hts
worth seeing. It is a cheap form of pleasure, evcm if they
paid all expenses, though that would not bo likely. They
would have an uphill job at first, for the sailor has been
so long accustomed to being preyed upon by the class
he knows, and neglected by everybody else except the
few good people who want to preach to him, that ho
would probably, in a sheepish, shame-faced sort of way,
refuse to have any " truck" with you, as he calls it. If
the " sailors' home " people were worth their salt, they
would organize expeditions by carriage to such beautiful
places as — in London, for instance — Hampton Court,
Zoological Gardens, Crystal Palace, Epping Forest, and
the like, with competent guides and good catering
arrangements. But no ; the sailor is allowed to step
outside the door of the " home " into the grimy, dismal
streets with nothing open to him but the dance-house
and brothel on one side, and the mission hall or reading-
room on the other. God forbid that I should even
appear to sneer at missions to seamen ; nothing is farther
from my intention ; but I do feel that sailors need a
little healthy human interest to be taken in providing
some pleasure for them, and that there are unorthodox
ways of " missioning " which are well worth a trial.

.or."

HAY or ISLANDS ASP SHW Zt'.ALASP roAST. 'Ml

10 would lake
nito purpose,
fthumfallin^^,
do, into HoiTK!
befooled, iind

) Kood folk in
lieir luindH for
»w-men, would
of getting up
see the Hii^lits
ro, cvcsn if they
D likely. They
jailor litiH been
,n by the cIuhh
jlse except tbc
) him, that ho
3d sort of way,
ho calls it. If
heir salt, they
such beautiful
,nipton Court,
g Forest, and
good catering
llowed to step
grimy, dismal
lie danco-house
jiall or reading-
should even
ihing is farther
lailors need a
in providing
ro unorthodox
th a trial.

I once took a party (while I was an A.R.) from Wells-
streot Homo to the South Kensington Museum. Tlare
were six of them— a Frenchman, a IJano, a Russian Finn,
two Englishmen, and an Irishman. Though continually
sailing from London for years, this was the lirst oeeasion
they had ever been west of Aldgate. The only mistake I
made was in going too deep at one step. The journey from
Shadwell to South Kensington, under the guidance of
one familiar, through the hardest personal experienees,
with every corner of the vast network, was (piite enough
for one day. So that by the time wo entered the Museum
they were surfeited temporarily with sight-seeing, and
not able to take in tho wonders of the mighty place.
Seeing this, I did not persist, but, after some rest and
refreshment, led them across the road among the naval
models. Ah ! it was a rare treat to see them there. For
if there is one thing more than another which interests a
sailor, it is a well-made model of a ship. Sailors are
model makers almost by nature, turning out with the
most meagre outfit of tools some wonderfully-finished
replicas of the vessels in which they have sailed. And
the collection of naval models at South Kensington is,
I suppose, unsurpassed in tho world for tho number and
finish of the miniature vessels there shown.

Our day was a groat success, never to bo forgotten
by those poor fellows, whose only recreation previously
had been to stroll listlessly up and down the gloomy,
stone-flagged hall of tho great barracks until sheer
weariness drove them out into tho turbid current of the
"Highway," there to seek speedily some of the dirty
haunts where the " runner" and tho prostitute awaited
them.

But I have wandered far from tho Bay of Islands
while thus chattering of the difficulties that beset the

II!
» r

tWi

.']ls

/'///; ciu'iHE or TiiK " VACUA J.orr

'''

piitli of rational enjoyment for the sailor ashore. Roturn-
in^r to that happy day, I rotneniber viviflly how, just
after wo got clear of the town, we were turning down a
lano between hedgerows wonderfully like one of our own
country roads, when something — 1 could not tell what—
gripped my heart and sent a lump into my throat.
Tears sprang unhidden^o my eyes, and I trembled from
head to foot with emotion. AVliatever could it be ?
Howildered for the moment, I looked around, and saw a
hedge laden with white hawthorn blossom, the sweet
Fnglish " may." Every Londoner knows how strongly
that beautiful scent appeals to him, even when wafted
from draggled branches borno slumwards by tramping
urchins who have been far afield despoiling the trees of
their lovely blossoms, careless of the damage they have
been doing. But to mc, who had not seen a bit for years,
the flood of feeling, undammcd by that odoroua breath,
was overwhelming. I could hardly tear myself away
from the spot, and, when at last I did, found myself
continually turning to try and catch another whift' of one
of the most beautiful scents in the world.

Presently we came to a cottage flooded from ground
to roof-ridge with blossoms of scarlet geranium. There
must have been thousands of them, all borne by one
huge stem which was rooted by the door of the house.
A little in front of it grew a fuchsia, twelve or fourteen
feet high, with wide-spreading branches, likewise loaded
with handsome blooms ; while the ground beneath was
carpeted with the flowers shaken from their places by
the rude wind.

So, through scenes of loveliness that appealed even
to the dusky Kanakas, we trudged gaily along, arriving
pretty well fagged at our destination — a great glade of
tcnderest green, surrounded by magnificent trees on three

lor:

IHV OF IS,'. ASPS AND Si:\\' /I'M.ASD rttA^T. .';l!l

loni. Uctiirn-
(lly how, just
ivuinj? JoNvii a
me of o\ir own
lot toll what—
Lo ray throat,
trcmhletl from

could it ho?
unci, and saw a
lom, the Hweet
,-H how strongly
m when waftoil
Ih hy trampins
ing the trees of
mage they have
n a hit for years,
pdoroua ureath,
u myself a^Yay
I, found myself

her whiff of cue

[ed from ground
ranium. There
|l homo by one
)r of the house,
jlve or fourteen
likewise loaded
id beneath was
their places by

|t appealed even

along, arriving

[a great glade of

lit trees on three

sides ; the fourth opening on to a dazzling white heftcli
Hloping gently down to the sea. Looking seaward,
amidst the dancing, sparkling wavelets, rose numerous
tree-clothed islets, making a perfectly beautiful seascape.
On either side of the stretch of beach fantastic masses
of rock lay about, as if scattered by some tremendous
explosion. Where the sea reached them, they were
covered with untold myriads of oysters, ready to bo eaten
and of delicious flavour.

What need to say more? With oyster-feeding,
fishing, bathing, tree-climbing, tea-making, song-singing,
the hours fled with pitiless haste, so tluit, before wo had
half emptied the brimming cup of joys proffered us, tiio
slanting rays of the setting sun warned us to return
lest we should get " bushed " in the dark. We came on
board rejoicing, laden with spoils of flowers and iisli,
with two-thirds of our money still in our pockets, and
full of happy memories of one of the most delightful
days in our whole lives.

A long night's sound sleep was rudely broken into
in the morning by the cry of " Man the windlass."
Having got all we wanted, we were bound away to finish,
if luck were with us, the lading of our good ship from
the teeming waters of the Solander grounds. I know
the skipper's hopes were high, for he never tired of
telling how, when in command of a new ship, he once
fished the whole of his cargo — six thousand barrels
of sperm oil — from the neighbourhood to which we
were now bound. He always admitted, though, that
the weather he experienced was unprecedented. Still,
nothing could shake his belief in the wonderful numbers
of sperm whales to be found on the south coasts of
New Zealand, which faith was well warranted, since he
had there won from the waves, not only the value of

•C

f' *■■

-->

,( .;■ V

' i

1.;

320

THE anil IS E OF THE " A Oil A LOT."

his new ship, but a handsome profit in addition, all in
one season.

Hearing this kind of thing every day made me feel
quite hungry to reach the battle-field ; but, for reasons
which doubtless were excellent, altliough I cannot pre-
tend to explain them, we started north about, which not
only added nearly one hundred miles to the distance we
had to go, but involved us in a gale which effectually
stopped our progress for a week. It was our first taste
of the gentle zephyrs which waft their sweetness over
Now Zealand, after sweeping over the vast, bleak,
iceberg-studded expanse of the Antarctic Ocean. Our
poor Kanakas were terribly frightened, for the weather
of their experience, except on the rare occasions when
they are visited by the devastating hurricane, is always
fine, steady, and warm. For the first time in their lives
they saw hail, and their wonder was too great for words.
But the cold was very trying, not only to them, but to
us, who had been so long in the tropics that our blood
was almost turned to water. The change was nearly as
abrupt as that so often experienced by our seamen, who
at the rate of sixteen knots an hour plunge from a
temperature of eighty degrees to one of thirty degrees in
about three days.

We, with the ready adaptability of seamen, soon got
accustomed to the bleak, bitter weather, but the Kanakas
wilted like hothouse plants under its influence. They
were well fed and well clothed, yet they seemed to
shrivel up, looking thinner every day, several of them
getting deep coughs strongly suggestive of a cemetery.
It was no easy task to get them to work, or even move,
never a one of them lumbering aloft but J expected
him to come down by the run. This was by no
means cheering, when it was remembered what kind of a

ion, all in

ie me feel
or reasons
mnot pre-
which not
listance we
effectually
■ first taste
Btness over
ast, bleak,
sean. Our
he weather
isions wlieu
e, is always
m their lives
it for words,
them, but to
at our blood
as nearly as
leamen, who
Lnge from a
;y degrees in

len, soon got
Ithe Kanakas
lence. They
seemed to
^ral of them

a cemetery.

even move,
J" expected

was by no

lat kind of a

DA r OF ISL A NDS A ND XE W ZEA L A ND CO A S T. o 2 I

campaign lay before us. Captain Count seemed to be
quite easy in his mind, however, and as wo had implicit
confidence in his wisdom and judgment, we were some-
what reassured.

The gale at last blow itself out, the wind veering to
the northward again, with beautiful, spring-like weather,
just cool enough to be pleasant, and, withal, favourable
for getting to our destination. We soon made the land
again about New Plymouth, jogging along near enough
to the coast to admire the splendid rugged scenery of
the Britain of the south. All hands were kept busily
employed preparing for stormy weather — reeving new
running-gear, bending the strongest suit of sails, and
looking well to all the whaling gear.

In this active exercise of real sailor-work, the time,
though long for an ordinary passage, passed quickly
and pleasantly away, so that when we hauled round
the massive promontory guarding the western entrance
to Foveaux Straits, we were almost surprised to find
ourselves there so soon.

This, then, was the famous and dreaded Solander
whaling ground. Almost in the centre of the wide
stretch of sea butwcon Preservation Inlet, on the Middle
Island, and the western end of the South, or Stewart's
Island, rose a majestic mass of wave-beaten rock some
two thousand feet high, like a grim sentinel guarding the
Straits. The extent of the fishing grounds was not more
than a hundred and fifty square miles, and it was rarely
that the vessels cruised over the whole of it. The most
likely area for finding whales was said to be well within
sight of the Solander Eock itself, but keeping on the
western side of it.

It was a lovely day when we first entered upon our
cruising ground, a gentle north-east wind blowing, the

It,

;J22

THE cnUISE OF THE ' CAClIALOrr

sliy a d(icp, cloudless blue, so that the rugged outline
of Stewart's Island was distinctly seen at its extreme
distance from us. To the eastward the Straits narrowed
rapidly, the passage at the other end being scarcely five
miles wide between the well-known harbour of the Bluff,
the port of Invercargill, and a long rocky island which
almost blocked the strait. This passage, though cutting
off a big corner, not only shortening the distance from
the westward considerably, but oftentimes saving out-
ward bounders a great deal of heavy weather oft' the
Snares to the south of Stewart's Island, is rarely used
by sailing-ships, except c ' sters ; but steamers regularly
avail themselves of it, bemg independent of its con-
tlicting currents and baffling winds.

( .32:^ )

ed outline
ts extreme
} narrowed
2arccly five
[ the Bluff,
laud which
Ligh cutting
stance from
Baving out-
lier off the
rarely used
TB regularly
of its con-

CHAPTER XXV.

ON THE HOI^VNDKU GROUNDS.

Our opening day was an auspiciouH one. We had not
b(!en within the cruising radius more than four hours
before the long-silent cry of "Blo-o-o-w!" resounded
from the mainmast head. It was a lone whale, ap-
parently of large size, though spouting almost as feebly
as a calf. But that, I was told by the skipper, was
nothing to go by down here. He believed right firmly
tliat there were no small whales to be found in these
waters at all. He averred that in all his e.Kperienco
he had never seen a cow-cachalot anywhere around
Stewart's Island, although, as usual, he did no theorizing
as to the reason why.

Eagerly we took to the boats and made for our first
fish, getting alongside of him in less than half an hour
from our first glimpse of his bushy breath. As the
irons sank into his blubber, he raised himself a little,
and exposed a Ijack Uke a big ship bottom up. Verily,
the skipper's words were justified, for we had seen
nothing bigger of the whale-kind that voyage His
manner puzzled us not a little. He had not a kick
in him. Complacently, as though only anxious to
oblige, he laid quietly while we cleared for action, nor
did he show any signs of resentment or pain while he

' ;•

1
r

I ,i

«-;

.'}24

T/IE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

was being lanced with all the vigour we possessed.
Ho just took all our assaults with perfect quietude
and exemplary patience, so that wo could hardly help
regarding him with great suspicion, suspecting some deep
scheme of deviltry hidden by this abnormally sheep-like
demeanour. But nothing happened. In the same
peaceful way he died, without the slightest struggle
suUicient to raise even an eddy on the almost smooth sea.

Leaving the mate by the carcass, we returned on
board, the skipper hailing us immediately on our arrival
to know what was the matter with him. We, of course,
did not know, neither did the question trouble us. All
we were concerned about was the magnanimous way in
which he, so to speak, made us a present of himself,
giving us no more trouble to secure his treasure than as
if he had been a lifeless thing. We soon had him
alongside, finding, upon ranging him by the ship, that
lie was over seventy feet long, with a breadth of bulk
quite in proportion to such a vast length.

Cutting in commenced at once, for fine weather
there was by no means to be wasted, being of rare
occurrence and liable at the shortest notice to be
succeeded by a howling gale. Our latest acquisition,
however, was of such gigantic proportions that the
decapitation alone bade fair to take us all night. A
nasty cross swell began to get up, too — a combination of
north-westerly and south-westerly which, meeting at an
angle where the Straits began, raised a curious "jobble,"
making the vessel behave in a drunken, uncertain
numncr. Sailors do not mind a ship rolling or pitching,
any more than a rider minds the motion of his horse ; but
when she does both at once, with no approach to regularity
in her mcvements, it makes them feel angry with her.
What, then, must our feelings have been under such

If."

e possessed,
jt quietude
hardly help
i<^ some deep
ly sheep-like
1 the same
est struggle
t smooth sea.
returned on
m our arrival
Ve, of course,
uhle us. All
imous way in
it of himself,
asure than as
oon had him
the ship, that
eadth of bulk

fine weather
being of rare
notice to he
it acquisition,
ions that the
lall night. A
[omhination of
_eeting at an
ious " jobhle,"
|en, uncertain

ig or pitching,
Ihis horse ; but

h to regularity

igry with her.

m under such

ON THE SOLANDKlt HOUNDS.

O'Jf)

trj'ing conditions, with thatmountiiln of matter alon^aido
to which so much sheer hard liibour Inul to br done,
while the sky was getting greawy and the wind beginning
to whine in that doleful key which is the certain prelude
to a gale ?

Everybody worked like Chinainoji on a contract, as
if there was no such feeling as fatigue. liittle was said,
but we all realized that unless this job was got over
before what was brooding burst ui)on uh, wo hIiouUI
certainly lose some portion of our liard-won wlnUo. Still,
our utmost possible was all we could do; and when at
daylight the head was hauled alongside for cutting up,
the imminent possibility of losing it, thoiigii grievous to
think of, worried nobody, for all bad don<! their best.
The gale had commenced in busineHH-liko fnHhion, Init
the sea was horrible. It was almost irripOHHibK) to ktnp
one's footing on the stage. At tlines the whoh; mass of
the head would be sucked down by the hjo roll of the
ship, and go right under her keel, the llul<e-r;haiti which
held it grinding and straining as if it would tear the
bows out of her. Then when hIio rolletl back again
the Jiead would rebound to the surface right away from
the ship, where we could not reach it to cut. Once or
twice it bounced up beneath our feei, strikin};; the stage
and lifting it with its living load several irich<H, lotting
it fall again with a jerk that made us all cling for dear
life to our precarious perch.

In spite of these capers, we managed to get the
junk ofi' the head. It was a treuK'ndoiis lift for -is ;
I hardly think v,e had ever raised such a weight before.
The skipper himself estimated it at jifteen tonn, which
was no small load for the tackles iu jin<; woatlier, but
with the ship tumbling about in lu-r present fanhion, it
threatened to rip the mainmast out by the roots -not,

■II

— - I I ij iiiff w »< I i miK ««» n

32C

THE CRUIHE OF TIIE " ('ACJIALOT.

of course, the dead-weight Htmin ; hut wlun it was nearly
aboard, her sudden lee wallow Homc'imes floated the
whole mass, which the next inHtant, on the return roll,
would be torn out of water, with all the force of the ship
suddenly rolling the other way. Every splinter, every
rope-yarn of her groaned again under this savage treat-
ment ; but so splendid was lur conHtruction that she
never made a drop of water more than just sufticient to
sweeten the limbers.

It was with great and genuine satisfaction that wc
saw it at last safely lowered on deck and secured.
But V'hen we turned our attention to the case, which,
still attached to the skull, battered alongside, any
chance of saving it was at onco 8ccn to be hopeless.
Indeed, as the old man said, it was time for us to "up
stick" and run for shelter. Wo had been too fully
occupied to notice the gradual increase of the wind ; but
when we did, there was no gainsaying the fact that it
was blowing a very stiff breeze iAiDjVicr, a violent gale).
Fortunately for us, it was from tin; w(!stward, ftiir for
the harbour of Port William, on the Slewaa's Island
side of the Straits, so that we were free from the appre-
hension of Viing blown out to sea or on a jagged. Ice
shore.

While we were thus thi'iking durinr, i brief pause to
tab breath, the old packet herself solved our last
diffi ulty in empl bti« fashiim. Hhe j.ni,ve a tremendous
lee ii rcli, T.hich would inevitably iiave destroyed the
cutting stage if we had not hoisted it, driving right ov^r
the heal, which actually rose to the surface to wind-
ward, having passed under her bottom. The weather
roll immediately following was swift and sudden. From
the nature of things, it was evident that soraethi.ig muse
give way this time. It did. For the first and only

was nearly
loatcd the
return roll,
of the ship
ntcr, every
ivaj^e treat-
n that Hhc
^uilicient to

ion that wc
nd secured,
case, wliich,
igKide, any
be hopeless.
r us to "up
)n too fully
ic wind ; hut

fact that it
iolent gale),
ard, ftiir for

aA's Island
m the apprc-
a jagged lee

»rief pause to
ed our last
tremendous
stroyed the
ng right ov^r
ace to wind-
'I'he weather
ddon. From
nethi.ig murfi
rst and only

ON rriE SOLAXDElt OROUXDS.

:VJ7

time in my experience, the lluke-chain was actually lorn
through the piece to which it was fast — two feet of solid
gristle ripped asunder. Away went the head with its
£ir)0 to 1'200 worth of pure spermaceti, disappearing
from view almost immediately.

It had no sooner gone than more sail was set, the
yards were si^uartd, and the vessel kept away up tiio
Straits for shelter, li, was a big improvement, for she
certainly had begun to make dirty weather of it, and no
wonder. Now, however, running almost dead before the
gale, getting into smoother water at every fathc^n, she
was steady as a rock, allowing us to pursue our greasy
avocation in comparative comfort. The gale was still
increasing, although now blowing with great fury ; but,
to our satisfaction, it was dry and not too cold, llunning
before it, too, lessened our appreciation of its force ;
besides which, we were exceedingly busy clearing away
the enormous mass of the junk, which, draining con-
tinually, kept the decks running with oil.

We started to run up the Straits at about ten a.m.
At two p.m. we suddenly looked up from our toil, our
atttr.tion called by a sudden lull in the wind. We had
rounded Saddle Point, a prominent headland, which
shut off from us temporarily the violence of the galo.
Two hours later we found ourselves hauling up into the
pretty little harbour of Port William, where, without
taking more than a couple of hands off the work, the
vesse-. was rounded-to and anchored with quite as littk"
fpss as bringing a l>oat alongside a ship. It was tlie
perfection of sear.anship.

Once inside the bay, a vessel was sheltered (vow. iill
winds, the land being high and the entrance ii tricato.
The water was smooth as a mill pond, though the leiulcii
masses of cloud flying overhead and the muftled roiu' uf

r'\

1528

THE CnUISE OF THE " CACTTALOT."

l!i

the giilc told elofiuently of the uuploasant state of affairs
prevailing outside. Two whalc-sbips lay here — the
Tninrrhiiic, of New Bedford, and the Cliancr, of Bluff
Harbour. I am bound to confess that there was a great
difference in appearance between the Yankee and the
colonial — very much in favour of the former. She was
neat, smart, and seaworthy, looking as if just launched ;
but the CIkuicc looked like some poor old relic of a
bygone day, whoso owners, unable to sell her, and too
poor to keep her in repair, were just letting her go while
keeping up the insurance, praying fervently each day
that she might come to grief, and bring them a little
profit at last.

But although it is much safer to trust appearances
in ships than in men, any one who summed up the
Chance from her generally outworn and poverty-stricken
looks would have been, as I was, "way off." Old she
was, with an indefinite antiquity, carelessly rigged, and
vilely unkempt as to her gear, while outside she did not
seem to have had a coat of paint for a generation. She
looked what she really was — the sole survivor of the
once great whaling industry of New Zealand. For
although struggling bay whaling stations did exist in a
few sheltered places far away from the general run of
traffic, the ti'ade itself might truthfully be said to be
practically extinct. The old Chance alone, like some
shadow of the past, haunted Foveaux Straits, and
made a better income for her fortunate owners than
any of tlie showy, swift coasting steamers that rushed
contemptuously past her on their eager way.

In many of the preceding pages I have, though
possessing all an Englishman's pride in the prowess
of mine own people, been compelled to bear witness to
the wonderful smartness and courage shown by the

ON THE SOLAS!) En O ROUS' PS

•.\'2\i

of affairs

here — the

f, of Bluff

ms a great

DC and the

. She was

launched ;

relic of a

5r, and too

er go while

f each day

icm a little

ippearances
ned up the
rty-stricken
'." Old she
rigged, and
she did not
,tion. She
Ivor of the
and. For
d exist in a
eral run of
said to he
like some
[traits, and
ners than
Ihat rushed

je, though

le prowess

witness to

\n by the

American whalemen, to whom their perilous calling
seems to have become a second nature. And on otluT
occasions I have lamented that our own whalers, (itlicr
at home or in the colonies, never seemed to take so
kindly to the sperm whale fishery as the hardy "down
Easters," who first taught them the business ; carried it
on with increasing success, in spite of their competition
and the depredations of the Alabama; flourished long
after the English fishery was dead ; and even now
muster a fleet of ships engaged in the same hold and
hazardous calling. Therefore, it is the more pleasant
to me to be able to chronicle some of the doings of
Captain Gilroy, familiarly known as " Paddy," the
master of the Chance, who was unsurpassed as a
whale-fisher or a seaman by any Yankee that ever sailed
from Martha's Vineyard.

He was a queer little figure of a man — short, tubby,
with scanty red hair, and a brogue thick as pea-soup.
Eccentric in most things, he was especially so in his
dress, which he seemed to select on the principle of
finding the most unfitting things to wear. Humour
credited him with a numerous half-breed progeny —
certainly he was greatly mixed up with the Maories,
half his crew being made up of his dusky friends and
relations by marriaye. Overflowing with kindliness and
good temper, his ship was a veritable ark of refuge for
any unfortunate who needed help, which accounted for
the numerous deserters from Yankee whalers who were
to be found among his crew. Such whaling skippers as
our late commander hated him with ferocious intensity ;
and but for his Maori and half-breed bodyguard, I have
little doubt he would have long before been killed.
Living as he had for many years on that storm-beaten
coast, he had become, like his Maories, familiar with

'.m)

THE oni'rs/-: of thk " cACHAiorr

' t

every rock nnd tree in fog or cloai, by night or day ;
ho knew them, one might almost Hay, aw the seal known
them, and feared them as little. His men adored him.
They believed him capable of anything in the way of
whaling, and would as soon have thought of questioning
the reality of daylight as the wisdom of his decisions.

I went on board the evening of our arrival, hearing
some rumours of the doings of the old Clnincr. and
her crew, also with the idea that perhaps I might find
some countrymen among his very mixed crowd. The
first man I spoke to was Whitechapel to the backbone,
plainly to be spotted as such as if it had been tattooed
on bis forehead. Making myself at homo with him,
I desired to know what brought him so far from the
"big smoke," and on board a whaler of all places in the
world. Ho told mo he had been a Pickforu's van-driver,
but had emigrated to New Zealand, finding that ho
did not at all like himself in the now country. Trying to
pick and choose instead of manfully choosing a pick and
shovel for a beginning, ho got hard up. During one of
Captain Gilroy's visits to the Bluff, he came across my
ex-drayman, looking hungry and woe-begone. Invited
on board to have a feed, he begged to be allowed to
remain; nor, although his assistance was not netided, was
he refused. "An nar," he said, his face glowing with
conscious pride, "y'ort tor see me in a bloomin' bowt.
I ain't a-gowin' ter say as I kin fling wun o' them 'ere
bloomin' 'arpoones like ar bowt-steerers kin ; but I kin
do my bit o' grawft wiv enny on 'em — don'tchu make no
bloomin' herror." The glorious incongruity of the thing
tickled me immensely ; but I laughed more heartily
still when on going below I was hailed as " Wot cher,
chummy ; 'ow yer hoppin* up ? " by another barbarian
from the wilds of Spitalfields, who, from the i-ecure

■)Tr

oy THE SOLAS 1) Eli aitousits.

n3i

t^ht or day;

floal known
a«lorc(l him.

1 tho way ol"
f (lucstioning
I (1( cisionfl.
•ival, hearing;

Clninn' and
i I miRht find
crowd. Tho
ho 1)ackhono,
hcon tattooed
no with him,
far from the
[ places in tho
Vs van-driver,
ding that ho
•y. Trying to
ing a pick and
)iiring one of
mo across my
tone. Invited
)c allowed to
ot needed, was
glowing with
(loom in' bowt.
o' them 'ere
liin ; but I kin
tchu make no
ty of tho thing
move heartily
,s " Wot cher,
Iher barbarian
Im tho Kcciirc

fiholter of his cats'-mtat round in 'Oxton, had got
adrift, and, after being severely butYtted by tempestuous
ill-fortune, had finally found bimsrlf in the conifortiiblf
old ('hanrr, a haven of rest in tlu; midst of storms.
There were sixteen white men on board tho Clutiif,
including thi> skipper, drawn as usual from various
European and American sources, the rest of Iter
larg(! crew of over forty all told being madn ui) of
Maories and half-breeds. One common interist unitid
them, making them the jolliest crowd 1 ever saw
their devotion to their commander. There was here to
be found no jealousy of the Maories being oflicers and
harpooners, no black looks or discontented murmuring ;
all hands seemed particularly well satisfied with tluir
lot in all its bearings; so that, although the old tub
was malodorous enough to turn even a pretty strong
stomach, it was a pleasure to visit her cheerful crowd
for the sake of their enlivening society.

Of course, under our present circumstances, with the
debris of our late enormous catch filling every available
space and loudly demanding attention, we had little time
to spare for ship visiting. Some boat or other from the
two ships was continually alongside of us, though, for
until the gale abated they could not get out to the
grounds again, and time hung heavy on their hands.
Tho Tamerlane' a captain avoided Paddy as if he were
a leper — hated the sight of him, in fact, as did most
of his emij'rereit ; but our genial skipper, whose crew
were every whit as well treated and contented as the
Chance's, and who therefore needed not to dread losing
them, met the little philanthropist on the most friendly
terms.

The first fine weather, which came four days
after our arrival, both our harbour mates cleared out.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

S* L£ 12.0

1.0 ^^ Ui

IliilUi^U^

FhotogFaphic

ScMices

Corporalion

*<^

^j^/-^

23 WIST MAIN STMR

WIISTIR.N.Y. )45M

(716)I73-4S03

)

.^<^

,<i

F.<^

n^^

332

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOTr

{

Characteristically, the Chance was away first, before day-
light h.nl quite asserted itself, and while the bases of
the cliffs and tops of the rocks were as yet hidden in
dense wreaths of white haze. Paddy lolled on the taft-
rail near the wheel, which was held by an immense
half-breed, who leant back and carried on a desultory,
familiar conversation with his skipper ; the rest of the
crew were scattered about the decks, apparently doing
what they liked in any manner they chose. The
anchor was being catted, sails going up, and yards
being trimmed; but, to observers like us, no guiding
spirit was noticeable. It seemed to work all right, and
the old ark herself looked as if she was as intelligent
as any of them; but the sight was not an agreeable
one to men accustomed to discipline. The contrast
when the Tamerlane came along an hour or so after
was emphatic. Every man at his post; every order
carried out with the precision of clockwork ; the captain
pacing the quarter-deck as if she were a line-of-battle
ship — here the airs put on were almost ludicrous in
the other direction. Although she was only "a good
jump" long, as we say, whenever an order was given,
it was thundered out as if the men were a mile away,
each ofl&cer appearing to vie with the others as to who
could bellow the loudest. That was carrying things to
the opposite extreme, and almost equally objectionable
to merchant seamen.

We were thus left alone to finish our trying-out,
except for such company as was afforded by the only
resident's little schooner, in which he went oyster-
dredging. It was exceedingly comfortable in the small
harbour, and the fishing something to remember all
one's life. That part of New Zealand is famous for a
fish something like a bream, but with a longer snout,

O.V THE SOLAN D Eli OliOUNDH.

333

before day-
he bases of
it hidden in
on the taff-
,n immense
a desultory,

rest of the
rently doing
hose. The

and yards

no guiding
11 right, and
s intelligent
n agreeable
]he contrast

or so after
every order

the captain
line-of-battle

udicrous in

y "a good
was given,

mile away,
fs as to who

ng things to

jjectionable

trying-out,
by the only
vent oyster-
n the small
member all
amous for a
nger snout,

and striped longitudinally with black and yellow. I
am ignorant of any polysyllabic prefix for it, only
knowing it by its trivial and local appellation of tiie
"trumpeter," from the peculiar sound it makes when
out of water. But no other fish out of the innumer-
able varieties which I have sampled in all parts of the
world could compare with the trumpeter for flavour
and delicacy. These qualities are well known to the
inhabitants of the large towns, who willingly pay high
prices for the scanty supply of these delicious fish which
they are able to obtain. Of other succulent fish there
was a great variety, from the majestic "grouper,"
running up to over a hundredweight, down to the
familiar flounder. Very little fishing could be done
at night. Just as day was dawning was the ideal
time for this enticing sport. As soon as the first few
streaks of delicate light enlivened the dull horizon, a
stray nibble or two gladdened the patient fishermen ;
then as the light strengthened the fun became general,
and in about an hour enough fish would be caught to
provide all hands with for the day.

One morning, when a stark calm left the surface of
the bay as smooth as a mirror, I was watching a few
stealthily-gliding barracouta sneaking about over the
plainly visible bottom, though at a depth of seven or
eight fathoms. Ordinarily, these fish must be taken
with a live bait ; but, remembering my experience with
the dolphin, I determined to try a carefully-arranged
strip of fish from one recently caught. In precisely
the same way as the dolphin, these long, snaky rascals
carefully tested the bait, lying still for sometimes as
long as two minutes with the bait in their mouths,
ready to drop it out on the first intimation that it was
not a detached morsel. After these periods of waiting

;];j4

THE CltUISE OF J'JIK " CAC/fALOT."

J '.

V I

the artful creature would turn to go, and a sudden
jerk of the line then reminded him that he was no
longer a free agent, but mounting at headlong speed
to a strange bourne whence he never returned to tell
the tale. My catch that lovely morning scaled over a
hundredweight in less than an hour, none of the fish
being less than ten pounds in weight.

The Maories have quite an original way of catching
barracouta. They prepare a piece of " rimu " (red pine)
about three inches long, by an inch broad, and a quarter
of an inch thick. Through one end of this they drive
an inch nail bent upwards, and filed to a sharp point.
The other end is fastened to about a fathom of stout
fishing-line, which is in turn secured to the end of a
five-foot pole. Seated in a boat with sail set, they slip
along until a school of barracouta is happened upon.
Then the peak of the sail is dropped, so as to deaden
the boat's way, while the fishermen ply their poles with
a sidelong sweep that threshes the bit of shining red
through the water, making it irresistibly attractive to a
btrugghng horde of ravenous fish. One by one, as
swiftly as the rod can be wielded, the lithe forms drop
off the barbless hook into the boat, till the vigorous arm
can no longer respond to the will of the fisherman, or
the vessel will hold no more.

Such were the goodly proportions of this first Solander
whale of ours that, in spite of the serious loss of the
case, we made thirteen and a half tuns of oil. When
the fifteen huge casks containing it were stowed in
their final positions, they made an imposing show,
inspiring all of us with visions of soon being homeward
bound. For the present we were, perforce, idle ; for
the wind had set in to blow steadily and strongly right
up the Straits, preventing any attempts to get out while

)r."

OS THE SOLASDEIi OIlOrNPS.

;]3.')

1 a BUtlden
he was no
idlong speed
irncd to tell
caled over a

of the fish

y of catching
i" (red pine)
and a quarter
lis they drive
, sharp point,
hom of stout
the end of a
[ set, they slip
ppened upon.

1 as to deaden
sir poles with
)f shining red
attractive to a
e by one, as
he forms drop
) vigorous arm

fisherman, or

first Solander
us loss of the
of oil. When
ere stowed in
nposing show,
sing homeward
)rce, idle; for

strongly right
) get out while

it lasted. The time did not hang heavy on our liand»,
for the surrouiuling country otTorod many attractions,
which we wore allowed to take full advantage of. Spear-
ing eels and flounders at night by means of a cresset
hung out over the boat's bow, as she was slowly scull'd
up the long, shallow creeks, was a favourite form of
amusement. Mr. Cross, the resident, kindly allowed us
to raid his garden, where the ripe fruit was rotting by
the bushel for want of consumers. We needed no
pressing ; for fruit, since we left Vau Vau, of any kind
had not come in our way ; besides, these were " homey "
— currants, gooseberries, strawberries — delightful to see,
smell, and taste. So it came to pass that we had a high
old time, unmarred by a single regrettable incident,
until, after an enforced detention of twenty days, we
were able to get to sea again.

Halfway down the Straits we sighted the Chance, all
hands ripping the blubber off a sizeable whale in the
same "anyhow" fashion as they handled their ship.
They were in high glee, giving us a rousing cheer as we
passed them on our westward course. Arriving on the
ground, we found a goodly company of fine ships, which
I could not help thinking too many for so small an area.
During our absence the Tamerlane had been joined by
the Eliza Adams, the Matilda Saijer, the Coral, and the
Rainbow ; and it was evident that no whale venturing
within the radius of the Solander in the daytime would
stand much chance of escaping such a battery of eager
eyes. Only three days elapsed after our arrival when
whales were seen. For the first time, I realized how
numerous those gigantic denizens of the sea really are.
As far as the eye could reach, extending all round one-
half of the horizon, the sea appeared to be alive with
spouts — all sperm whales, all bulls of great size. The

>il

33G

Tine CRUISK OF Til 1 1 " CACirALOT."

i'\

valuo of this incredible school must have been incalcul-
able. Subsequent experience satisfied mo that such a
sight was by no means uncommon here ; in fact, " lone
whales " or small " pods " were quite the exception.

Well, we all " waded in," getting, some two, some one
whale apiece, according to the ability of the crews or the
fortune of war. Only one fell 'to our lot in the Cachalot,
but it was just as well. We had hardly got him fast by
the fluke alongside when it began to pipe up from the
north-east. In less than one watch the sea was fairly
smoking with the fierceness of the wind. We were
unable to get in anywhere, being, with a whale along-
side, about as handy as a barge loaded with a haystack ;
while those unfortunate beggars that had two whales
fast to them were utterly helpless as far as independent
locomotion went, unless they could run dead before the
wind. Every ship made all snug aloft, and hoisted the
boats to the top notch of the cranes, fully anticipating a
long, hard struggle with the elements before they got
back to the cruising ground again. Cutting-in was out
of the question in such weather ; the only thing possible
was to hope for a shift of wind before she got too far
out, or a break in the weather. Neither of these events
was probable, as all frequenters of South New Zealand
know, bad weather having there an unhappy knack of
being as persistent as fine weather is brief.

Night drew on as our forlorn and heavily-handi-
capped little fleet bore steadily seaward with their
burdens, the angry, ever-increasing sea battering at us
vengefully, while the huge carcasses alongside tore and
strained at their fastenings as if they would rend the
ships asunder. Slowly our companions faded from
sight as the murky sky shut down on us, until in
lonely helplessness we drifted on our weary way out into

OS TIIK SOLAyDKIi onovsDs.

n37

incalcul-
at such a
ict, " lono
ption.
, some one
ew8 or tho
e Cachalot,
lim fast by
p from the

was fairly

We were
lale along-
k haystack ;
two whales
adependent
i before the
hoisted the
iticipating a
ire they got
;.in was out
ing possible

got too far
hese events
lew Zealand

ly knack of

ivily-handi-
with their
tering at us
tde tore and
lid rend the
Ifaded from
until in
fay out into

the vast, inhospitable Southern Ocean. Tlirouglmut tlio
(lark and stormy night our bravo old sliip lield on her
unwilling way right gallantly, making no water, in spite
of the fearful strain to wliich she was subjected, nor
taking any heavy sea over all. Morning broke cheer-
lessly enough. No abatement in tho gale or change in
its direction; indeed, it looked like lasting a month.
Only one ship was visible far to leeward of us, and slie
was hull down. Our whale was beginning to swell
rapidly, already floating at least three foot above tiic
surface instead of just awash, as when newly killed.
The skipper eyed it gloomily, seeing tho near prospect
of its entire loss, but he said nothing. In fact, very
little was said ; but the stories we had heard in the Bay
of Islands came back to us with signilicant force now
that their justification was so apparent.

Hour after hour went by without any change what-
ever, except in the whale, which, like some gradually-
tilling balloon, rose higher and higher, till at nightfall
its bulk was appalling. All through the night those on
deck did little else but stare at its increasing size, wliich,
when morning dawned again, was so great that the
animal's bilge rode level with the ship's rail, while in
her lee rolls it towered above the deck like a mountain.
The final scene with it was now a question of minutes
only, so most of us, fascinated by the strange spectacle,
watched and waited. Suddenly, with a roar like the
bursting of a dam, the pent-up gases tore their furious
way out of the distended carcass, hurling the entrails in
one horrible entanglement widespread over the sea. It
was well for us that it was to leeward and a strung
gale howling; for even then the unutterable factor
wrought its poisonous way back through that tierce, pure
blast, permeating every nook of the ship with its tilthy

3n8

rjiK cRumK OF Tin: "cachalot:

vapour till the stoutest stomach there protested in
unmistakable terms against such vile treatment. Know-
ing too well that the blubber was now worthless, the
skipper gave orders to cut the corrupt mass adrift. This
was speedily eifected by a few strokes of a spade through
the small. Away went eight hundred pounds' worth of
oil — another sacrifice to the exigencies of the Solauder,
such as had gained for it so evil a reputation.

Doubtless a similar experience had befallen all the
other ships, so that the aggregate loss must have run
into thousands of pounds, every penny of which might
have been saved had steam been available.

That gale lasted, with a few short lulls, for five days
longer. When at last it took off, and was succeeded by
fine weather, we were so far to the southward that we
might have fetched the Aucklands in another twenty-
four hours. But, to our great relief, a strong southerly
breeze set in, before which, under every rag of canvas,
we sped north again.

Steady and reliable as ever, that good south wind
carried us back to our old cruising ground ere it blew itself
out, and we resumed our usual tactics as if nothing had
happened, being none the worse as regards equipment
for our adventures. Not so fortunate our companions,
who at the same time as ourselves were thrust out
into the vast Southern Ocean, helplessly burdened and
exposed defenceless to all the ferocity of that devouring
gale. Two of them were here prowling about, showing
evident signs of their conflict in the battered state of
their hulls. The glaring whiteness of new planking in
many places along the bulwarks told an eloquent story
of seas bursting on board carrying all before them,
while empty cranes testified to the loss of a boat in
both of them. As soon as we came near enough.

gave

'://

O.V THE SOLAS DKIi GROUSDS.

3:jo

tested in
t. Know-
liless, the
rift. This
le through
}• worth of
Solauder,

len all the
, have run
lich might

)r five days
icceeded hy
ird that we
aer twenty-
ig southerly
of canvas,

south wind
it blew itself
lothing had

equipment
ompanions,

thrust out
irdened and
it devouring
lut, showing
red state of
planking in
Dquent story
efore them,

[ a boat in

ar enough.

" gamming " commenced, for all of us were anxious to
know how each other had fared.

As we anticipated, every whalo was lost that had
been caught that day. The disappointment was in
nowise lessened by the knowledge that, with his usual
good fortune, Captain Gilroy had not only escaped all
the bad weather, but while we were being threshed
within an inch of our lives down in the bitter south, ho
was calmly trying-out his whalo (which wo had seen
him with on our outward journey) in the Hheltcrcd
haven of Port William. Many and deep wore the
curses bestowed upon him by the infuriated crows of
those two ships, although he had certainly done thorn
no harm. But the sight of other people's good fortinio
is gall and wormwood to a vast number of people,
who seem to take it as a personal injury done tu
themselves.

Only two days elapsed, however, before we again
saw an immense school of sperm whales, and each ship
succeeded in securing one. We made no attempt to
get more this time, nor do I think either of the others
did ; at any rate, one each was the result of the day's
work. They were, as usual, of huge size and apparently
very fat. At the time we secured our fish alongside,
a fresh north-westerly wind was blowing, the weather
being clear and beautiful as heart could wish. But
instead of commencing at once to cut-in, Captain Count
gave orders to pile on all sail and keep her away up the
Straits. He was evidently determined to take no more
chances, but, whenever opportunity oflfered, to follow the
example set by the wily old skipper of the Chunce.
The other ships both started to cut-in at once, tempted,
doubtless, by the settled appearance of the weather, and
also perhaps from their hardly concealed dislike of

nio

Tin: ciinsi: of tjii: " cAcriALorr

poinrr into port. Wf bowled along at a iino rate, towing
our prize, that plunged and rolled by our side in
eccentric style, almost as if still alive. Along about
midnight we reached Saddle Point, where there was
some shelter from the sea which rolled up the wide
open strait, and there wo anchored.

Leaving me and a couple of Kanakas on watch, the
captain, and all hands besides, went below for a little
sleep. My instructions were to call the captain if the
weather got at all ugly-looking, so that we might run in
to Port "William at once, but he did not wish to do so if
our present position proved sufficiently sheltered. He
had not been below an hour before there was a change
for the worse. That greasy, filmy haze was again drawn
over the clear blue of the sky, and the light scud began
to fly overhead at an alarmingly rapid rate. So at four
bells I called him again. He came on deck at once,
and after one look round ordered the hands up to man
the windlass. By eight bells (four a.m.) wo were
rounding the frowning rocks at the entrance of Port
William, and threading our way between the closely-set,
kelp-hidden dangers as if it were broadest, clearest
daylight. At 4.30 we let go the anchor again, and all
hands, except the regular "anchor- watch," bolted below
to their bunks again like so many rabbits.

It was very comfortable, cutting-in a sperm whale in
harbour, after the dire difficulty of performing the same
operation in a seaway. And, although it may seem
strange, this was the first occasion that voyage that I
had had a really good opportunity of closely studying
the whale's anatomy. Consequently the work was
exceedingly interesting, and, in spite of the labour
involved, I was almost sorry when the job was done.
Under the present favourable circumstances we were

ON Tilt: SOLAHDER QROVSDS,

311

2, towing
Hido in
iR about
licro was
the wUlo

vatcl), the
or a little
tain if the
iht run in
to do 80 if
tcred. He
s a change
min drawn
3cud began

So at four
ck at once,

up to man

^vo were

ice of Port

closely-set,
st, clearest

,in, and all

lolted below

fm whale in
^ig the same
may seem
jyage that I
|ely studying
work was
the labour
was done,
ees we were

ready to cut the carcass adrift shortly after midday, tlio
head, of course, having buun taken off first. Just after
wo started to cut iu a boat appeared alongside with six
Maorios and half-breods on bjard. Tlieir leader came
up and civilly asked the skipper whether ho intended
doing anything with the carcass. Upon being promptly
answered iu the negativo, ho said that ho and his
companions proposed hooking on to tho groat mass
when wo cut it adrift, towing it ashore, and getting out
of it what oil we had been unable to extract, which
at sea is always lost to the ship. He also suggested
that he would bo prepared to take reasonable terms for
such oil, which wo should be able to mingle with ours
to our advantage. An arrangement was speedily
arrived at to give him £20 per tun for whatever oil ho
made. They parted on tho best of terms with each
other, and as soon as wo cut tho carcass loose tho
Maories made fast to it, speedily beaching it iu a
convenient spot near where they had previously erected
a most primitive try- works.

That afternoon, after the head was inboard, the
skipper thought he would go ashore and see how they
were getting on. I was bo fortunate as to bo able to
accompany him. When we arrived at the spot, we found
them working as I have never seen men work, except
perhaps the small riggers that at home take a job — three
or four of them — to bend or unbend a big ship's sails for
a lump sum to be paid when the work is done. They
attacked the carcass furioualy, as if they had a personal
enmity against it, chopping through the massive bones
and rending off huge lumps of the tlesh with marvellous
speed. They had already laid open the enormous cavity
of the abdomen, and were stripping the intermiimblo in-
testines of their rich coating of fat. In the maw there

i 1

I, \

.142

TiiK cnvist: OF the "caviimot:'

were, bcBidc'S a Inr^o quantity of disnitmbcrcd squid of
^aoat Hi/c, a number of finb, Huch as rock-cod, barra-
couta, Hcbnapper, and the like, >vhoHO presence there waH
a revehition to uie. How in the name of wonder so huge
and unwieUlly a creature as the cachalot could manage
to catch those nimble members of the finny tribe, I could
not for the life of me divine ! Unless — and after much
cogitation it was the only feasible explanation that I
could see — as the cachalot swims about with his lower
juw hanging down in its normal position, and his huge
gullet gaping like some submarine cavern, the fish
unwittingly glide down it, to find egress impossible.
This may or may not be the case ; but I, at any rate, can
find no more reasonable theory, for it is manifestly
absurd to suppose the whale capable of catchiiKj fish in
the ordinary sense, indicating pursuit.

Every part of the animal yielded oil. Even the
bones, broken up into pieces capable of entering the pot,
were boiled ; and by the time we had finished our trying-
out, the result of the Maories' labour was ready for us.
Less than a week had sufficed to yield them a net sum
of six guineas each, even at the very low rate for which
they sold us the oil. Except that it was a little darker in
colour, a defect that would disappear when mixed with
our store, there was no difference between the products
that could be readily detected. And at the price we
paid for it, there was a clear profit of cent per cent, even
had we kept it separate and sold it for what it was.
But I suppose it was worth the Maories' while thus to
dispose of it and quickly realize their hard earnings.

So far, our last excursion had been entirely satis-
factory. "We had not suflfered any loss or endured any
hardship; and if only such comfortable proceedings
were more frequent, the Solauder ground would not

o.v Tin: aoi.ASDF.R onovsns.

:]I3

squid of
lI, barra-
Lhcre waw
ir BO huge
1 manage
le, 1 could
fter much
on tbat I
his lower
I his huge

the fish
upossible.
y rate, can
mauifeBtly
mij fish in

Even the
ng the pot,
3ur trying-
uly for UB.
a net sum
3 for which
B darker in
nixed with
e products
price we
cent, even
lat it was.
le thus to
nings.
rely satis-
dured any
proceedings
would not

have any torrorn for \\n at least. But ono aftomooii
there crept in around the eastern horn of the harbour
tiirue forlorn and hulf-dismuntlcd vossels, whoso weathor>
worn crows looked wistfully at us engaged in clearing
up decks and putting away gear upon the finishing of
our trying-out. Poor follows ! they had soon rough
times since that unforgottabh; evening when we parted
from them at th(> other end of the island, and watched
them slowly fade into the night. Two of them were so
badly damaged that no further fishing was possible for
them until they had undergone a thorough retit, such as
thoy could not manage there. Ono was leaking badly,
the tremendous strain put upon her hull in the vain
attempt to hold on to the two whales she had during the
gale having racked her almost all to pieces. The third
one was still capable of taking the ground again, with
sundry repairs such as could be effected by her crew.
])ut the general fooling among all three crews was that
there was more loss than gain to bo expected here, in
spite of the multitudo of whales visiting tho place.

As if to iill up their cup, in came the old Chance
again, this time with a whale on each side. Captain
Gilroy was on the house aft, his chubby red face in a
ruddy glow of delight, and his crew exuberant. When
he passed tho American ships, as ho was bound to do
very closely, the sight of their scowling faces seemed to
afford him the most exquisite amusement, and he
laughed loud and long. His crew, on the impulse of
the moment, sprang to tho rail and cheered with might
and main. No one could gainsay that they had good
reason, but I really feared for a time that wo should
have "ructions." As Paddy said, it was not wise or
dignified for those ollicers to be so angry with him on
account of his success, wliich he frankly owned was due

' vw«^tf I w$ > ■ *'*■ I »*■ ^ i» " ■

•f-^r.-a^'O***.

^tk

344

Tfft! CnUlSE OF TIIK " CACIfALOT."

almost entirely to the local knowledge he possessed,
gained in many years' study of the immediate neigh-
bourhood. He declared that, as far as the technical
duties of whale-fishing went, all the Americans could
beat him hollow ; but they ought to realize that some-
thing else was needed here which no man could hope
to have unless he were content to remain on the
coast altogether. With which words of wisdom our
skipper cordially agreed, bearing in mind his own
exploits in the bygone time around those rugged
shores.

The strong breeze \yhich brought Paddy and his
whales home died down that night, enabling us to start
for the grounds again — a concession gratefully received,
for not the least of the hindrances felt there was the
liability to be " wind-bound " for a long time, while fine
weather was prevailing at the fishing grounds.

We made a fine passage down the Straits with a
leading wind, finding our two late companions still
cruising, having managed to get their whales aboard
without mishap, and being somewhat inclined to chaff
our old man for running in. He gave a wink full of
wisdom, as he replied, " I'm pretty ole whale myself
naouw ; bu^ I guess I ain't too old to learn ; *n wut I
learn I'm goin' ter use. See ? " Of course the fine
weather did not last long — it never does ; and seeing the
gloomy masses of violet-edged cumuli piling up on the
southern horizon, we hugged the Solander Rock itself
pretty close, nor ventured far to seaward. Our two
consorts, on the contrary, kept well out and on the
northern verge, as if they intended the next gale that
blew to get north, if they could. The old man's object
in thus keeping in was solely in order that he might be
able to run for shelter ; but, much to his delight and

'ni :

ON TEE SOL AND KR BOUNDS.

345

certainly surprise, as we passed about a mile to the
southward of the lonely, towering crags of the great
rock, there came from aloft the welcome cry of " Sperm
whale ! "

There was only one, and he was uncomfortably near
the rock; but such a splendid chance was not to be
missed, if our previous training was of any avail. There
was some speculation as to what he could be doing so
close inshore, contrary to the habit of this animal, who
seems to be only comfortable when in deep waters ; but
except a suggestion that perhaps he had come in to
scrape off an extra accumulation of barnacles, nobody
could arrive at any definite conclusion. When we
reached him, we found a frightful blind swell rolling,
and it needed all our seamanship to handle the boats
so that they should not be capsized. Fortunately, the
huge rollers did not break, or we should hardly have
got back safely, whale or no whale.

Two irons were planted in him, of which he took
not the slightest notice. We had taken in sail before
closing in to him on account of the swell, so that we
had only to go in and finish him at once, if he would
let us. Accordingly, we went in with a will, but for all
sign of life he showed he might as well have been
stuffed. There he lay, lazily spouting, the blood
pouring, or rather spirting, from his numerous wounds,
allowing us to add to their number at our pleasure, and
never moving his vast body, which was gently swayed
by the rolling sea. Seeing him thus quiescent, the
mate sent the other two boats back to the ship with
the good news, which the captain received with a grave
smile of content, proceeding at once to bring the ship as
near as might be consistent with her safety. W^e were
now thoroughly sheltered from sight of the other ships

> 1

340

WE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT:'

,11

•!(

I'M

I M

by the enormous mass of the island, so that they had
no idea of our proceedings.

Finding that it was not wise to take the ship in any
closer, while we were yet some distance from our prize, a
boat was sent to Mr. Cruce with the instructions that he
was to run his line from the whale back to the ship, if the
creature was dead. He (the mate) replied that the whale
died as quietly as he had taken his wounds, and imme-
diately started for the ship. When he had paid out all
his line, another boat bent on, until we got the end on
board. Then we merrily walked him up alongside,
while sufficient sail was kept drawing to prevent her
being set in any nearer. When he was fast, we
crowded on all canvas to get away; for although the
sea was deep close up to the cliff, that swell was a very
ugly feature, and one which has been responsible for
the loss of a great number of ships in such places
all over the world. Notwithstanding all our efiforts, we
did get so near that every detail of the rock was clearly
visible to the naked eye, and we had some anxious
minutes while the old ship, rolling tremendously, crawled
inch after inch along the awful side of that sea-encircled
pyramid.

At one point there was quite a cave, the floor of
which would be some twenty feet above high-water mark,
and its roof about the same distance higher. It appeared
to penetrate some distance into the bowels of the
mountain, and was wide and roomy. Sea-birds in great
numbers hovered around its entrance, finding it, no
doubt, an ideal nesting-place. It appeared quite inac-
cessible, for even with a perfect calm the swell dashed
against the perpendicular face of the cliff beneath with
a force that would have instantly destroyed any vessel
unfortunate enough to get within its influence.

i > ■h««i « «i,, pj p

,»...-■■«*•,.•♦•--••■—.-* ■

ON THE SOLANDER GROUNDS.

34^

Slowly, slowly we forged past the danger; but the
moment we opened out the extremity of the island, a
fresh breeze, like a saving hand, swept across the bows,
filling the head-sails and swinging the old vessel away
from the island in grand style. Another minute, and
the other sails filled also. We were safe, all hands
breathing freely once more.

Now the wind hung far round to the eastward — far
enough to frustrate any design we might have had of
going up the Straits again. The old man, however, was
too deeply impressed with the paramount necessity of
shelter to lightly give up the idea of getting in some-
where ; so he pointed her for Preservation Inlet, which
was only some thirty miles under her lee. We crowded
all sail upon her in the endeavour to get in before night-
fall, this unusual proceeding bringing our two friends
up from to leeward with a run to see what we were
after. Burdened as we were, they sailed nearly two
knots to our one, and consequently intercepted us
some while before we neared our port. Great was their
surprise to find we had a whale, and very anxious their
queries as to where the rest of the school had gone,
l^eassured that they had lost nothing by not being
nearer, it being a " lone " whale, off they went again.

With all our efforts, evening was fast closing in when
we entered the majestic portals of Preservation Inlet,
and gazed with deepest interest upon its heavily-wooded
shores.

i\.

: I

\ ■

• i
I

348

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACIIALO'IV'

CHAPTER XXVI.

paddy's latest exploit.

New Zealand is pre-eminently a country of grand
harbours ; but I think those that are least used easily
bear the palm for grandeur of scenery and facility of
access. The wonderful harbour, or rather series of
harbours, into which we were now entering for the first
time, greatly resembled in appearance a Norwegian fjord,
not only in the character of its scenery, but from the
interesting, if disconcerting, fact that the cliffs were
so steep-to that in some places no anchorage is found
alongside the very land itself. There are, however,
many places where the best possible anchorage can be
obtained, so securely sheltered that a howling south-
wester may be tearing the sea up by the roots outside,
and you will know nothing of it within, except what may
be surmised from the motion of the clouds overhead. It
was an ideal place for a whaling station, being right on
the Solander.

We found it exceedingly convenient, and much nearer
than Port William, but, from the prevailing winds, diffi-
cult of access in nine cases out of ten, especially when
hampered with a whale. Upon cutting-in our latest
catch, an easy explanation of his passive attitude was
at once forthcoming. lie had been attacked by some

■*4j»fcift:* * w<w»**fc mmth.. -^

'-•**•*»«'. • * • «-,

'if'

of grand
used easily
facility of
f series of
for the first
egian fjord,
t from the
cliffs were
;e is found
I, however,
age can he
ing south-
is outside,
what may
erhead. It
ig right on

mch nearer
vinds, diffi-
ially when
our latest
titude was
d by some

PADDYS LATEST EXPLOIT.

340

whale-ship, whose irons had drawn, leaving deep tracts
of their presence ; but during the battle he had received
seven bombs, all of which had entered around his
small, but had not exploded. Their general effect had
been, I should think, to paralyze the great muscles
of his flukes, rendering him unable to travel ; yet
this could not have taken place until some time after
he had made good his escape from those aggressors.
It was instructive, as demonstrating what amount of
injury these colossi really can survive, and I have no
doubt that, if he had been left alone, he would have
recovered his normal energy, and been as well as ever.
From our point of view, of course, what had happened
was the best possible thing, for he came almost as a
gift — the second capture we had made on those grounds
of a like nature.

At the close of our operations the welcome news was
made public that four more fish like the present one
would fill us bung-up, and that we should then, after a
brief visit to the Bluff, start direct for home. This
announcement, though expected for some time past,
gave an amazing fillip to everybody's interest in the
work. The strange spectacle was witnessed of all hands
being anxious to quit^a snug harbour for the sea, where
stern, hard wrestling with the elements was the rule.
The captain, well pleased with the eagerness manifested,
had his boat manned for a trip to the entrance of the
harbour, to see what the weather was like outside, since
it was not possible to judge from where the ship lay.
On his return, he reported the weather rough, but
moderating, and announced his intention of weighing
at daylight next morning. Satisfied that our days in
the southern hemisphere were numbered, and all anxiety
to point her head for home, this news was most pleasing,

•i;

, ' 1

350

Till-: OR nisi': of Tiit: "cachalot:'

putting all of us in the best of humours, and provoking
quite an entertainment of song and dance until nearly
four bells.

During the grey of dawn the anchor was weighed.
There was no breath of wind from any quarter, so that
it was necessary to lower boats and tow the old girl out
to her tield of duty. Before she was fairly clear of the
harbour, though, there came a " snifter " from the hills
that caught her unprepared, making her reel again, and
giving us a desperate few minutes to scramble on board
and hoist our boats up. As we drew out from the land,
wo found that a moderate gale was blowing, but the sky
was clear, fathomless blue, the sun rose kindly, a heavenly
dream of soft delicate colour preceding him ; so that, in
spite of the strong breeze, all looked promising for a good
campaign. At first no sign could be seen of any of the
other ships, though we looked long and eagerly for them.
At last we saw them, four in all, nearly hull down to
seaward, but evidently coming in under press of sail.
So slow, however, was their approach that we had made
one "leg" across the ground and halfway back before
they were near enough for us to descry the reason of
their want of speed. They had each got a whale alongside,
and were carrying every rag of canvas they could spread,
in order to get in with their prizes.

Our old acquaintance, the Chance, was there, the three
others being her former competitors, except those who
were disabled, still lying in Port William. Slowly, pain-
fully they laboured along, until well within the mouth of
the Straits, when, without any warning, the wind which
had been bringing them in suddenly flew round into the
northward, putting them at once in a most perilous posi-
tion. Too far within the Straits to " up helm " and run
for it out to sea ; not far enough to get anywhere that an

ni ;

PADDY'S LATKsr HXI'LOIT.

n:.i

)rovokinK
til neurly

weighed,
r, 80 that
id girl out
sar of the
I the hills
igain, and
1 on hoard
I the land,
ut the sky
a, heavenly
BO that, in
for a good
any of the
y for them.
Jl down to

ss of sail.

lad made
ack hefore

reason of

alongside,
d spread,

!, the three
those who
iwly, pain-
mouth of
ind which
d into the
lous posi-
" and run
re that an

anchor might hold ; and there to leeward, within loss tlian
a dozen miles, loomed prim and gloomy onn of the most
terrific rock-hound coasts in the world. The shift of
wind had placed the Clutnrr farther to leeward than all
the rest, a good mile and a half nearer the shore ; and we
could well imagine how anxiously her movements were
heing watched by the others, who, in spite of their
jealousy of his good luck, knew well and appnciated
fully Paddy's marvellous seamanship, as well as his
unparalleled knowledge of the coast.

Having no whale to hamper our movements, besides
being well to windward of them all, we were perfectly
comfortable as long as we kept to seaward of a certain
line and the gale was not too fierce, so for the prcssent all
our attention was concentrated upon the labouring ships
to leeward. The intervention of the land to windward
kept the sea from rising to the awful height it attains
under the pressure of a westerly, or a south-westerly
gale, when, gathering momentum over an area extending
right round the globe, it hurls itself upon those rugged
shores. Still, it was bad enough. The fact of the gale
striking across the regular set of the swell and current
had the effect of making the sea irregular, short, and
broken, which state of things is considered worse, as far
as handling the ship goes, than a much heavier, longer,
but more regular succession of waves.

As the devoted craft drifted helplessly down upon that
frowning barrier, our excitement grew intense. Their
inabiUty to do anything but drift was only too well known
by experience to every one of us, nor would it be possible
for them to escape at all if they persisted in holding on
much longer. But it was easy to see why they did so.
While Paddy held on so far to leeward of them, and con-
sequently in so much more imminent danger than they

352

THE CRUISE OF THE ** CACHALOT:'

I *

II'

were, it would be derogatory in the highest degree to
their reputation for seamanship and courage were they
to slip and run before he did. He, however, showed no
sign of doing so, although they all neared, with an
accelerated drift, that point from whence no seamanship
could deliver them, and where death inevitable, cruel,
awaited them without hope of escape. The part of the
coast upon which they were apparently driving was
about as dangerous and impracticable as any in the
world. A gigantic barrier of black, naked rock, extend-
ing for several hundred yards, rose sheer from the sea
beneath, like the side of an ironclad, up to a height of
seven or eight hundred feet. No outlying spurs of sub-
merged fragments broke the immeasurable landward rush
of the majestic waves towards the frowning face of this
world-fragment. Fresh from their source, with all the
impetus accumulated in their thousand-mile journey,
they came apparently irresistible. Against this perpen-
dicular barrier they hurled themselves with a shock that
vibrated far inland, and a roar that rose in a domi-
nating diapason over the continuous thunder of the
tempest-riven sea. High as was the summit of the cliff,
the spray, hurled upwards by the tremendous impact, rose
higher, so that the whole front of the great rock was
veiled in filmy wreaths of foam, hiding its solidity from
the seaward view. At either end of this vast rampart
nothing could be seen but a waste of breakers seething,
hissing, like the foot of Niagara, and effectually conceal-
ing the chcvaux defrisc of rocks which produced such a
vortex of tormented waters.

Towards this dreadful spot, then, the four vessels were
being resistlessly driven, every moment seeing their
chances of escape lessening to vanishing-point. Suddenly,
as if panic-stricken, the ship nearest to the Chance gave

1 «' ■

PADDY'S LATHST F.XPLOIT.

;{'.3

a great sweep round on to the other tack, a few tl utter-
ing gleams aloft showing that even in that Htorm they
were daring to set some sail. What the manojuvro
meant we knew very well— they had cut adrift from their
whale, terrified at last heyond endurance into the belief
that Paddy was going to sacrifice himself and his crew
in the attempt to lure them with him to inevitable de-
struction. The other two did not hesitate longer. The
example once set, they immediately followed ; but it was
for some time doubtful in the extreme whether their
resolve was not taken too late to save them from destruc-
tion. We watched them with breathless interest, unable
for a long time to satisfy ourselves that they were out of
danger. But at last we saw them shortening sail again
— a sure sign that they considered themselves, while the
wind held in the same quarter, safe from going ashore
at any rate, although there was still before them the
prospect of a long struggle with the unrelenting ferocity
of the weather down south.

Meanwhile, what of the daring Irishman and his old
barrel of a ship ? The fugitives once safe off the land,
all our interest centred in the Chance. We watched her
until she drew in so closely to the seething cauldron of
breakers that it was only occasionally we could distin-
guish her outline ; and the weather was becoming so
thick and dirty, the light so bad, that we were reluctantly
compelled to lose sight of her, although the skipper
believed that he saw her in the midst of the turmoil of
broken water at the western end of the mighty mass of
perpendicular cliff before described. Happily for us, the
wind veered to the westward, releasing us from the pro-
spect of another enforced visit to the wild regions south
of the island. It blew harder than ever ; but being now
a fair wind up the Straits, we fled before it, anchoring

2 A

! I

t !

i}i

:}54

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT.'

tt^ain in Tort William before midnight. Here we were
compelled to remain for a week ; for after the f^iilo blew
itself out, the wind still hun^ in the same quarter, refusing
to allow us to get back again to our cruisinj^ station.

But on the second day of our enforced detention a
ship poked her jibboom round the west end of the little
bay. No words could describe our condition of spell-
bound astonishment when she rounded-to, cumbrously
as befitting a ship towiuj^ a whale, and revealed to us
the well-remembered outlines of the old Chanci'. It was
like welcoming,' the first-fruits of the resurrection ; for
who among sailor men, having seen a vessel disappear
from their sight, as we had, under such terrible condi-
tions, would ever have expected to see her again ? She
was hardly anchored before our skipper was alongside,
thirsting to satisfy his unbounded curiosity as to the un-
heard-of means whereby she had escaped such apparently
inevitable destruction. I was fortunate enough to
accompany him, and hear the story at first-hand.

It appeared that none of the white men on board,
except the redoubtable Paddy himself, had ever been
placed in so seemingly hopeless and desperate a position
before. Yet when they saw how calm and free from
anxiety their commander was, how cool and business-
like the attitude of all their dusky shipmates, their con-
fidence in his ability and resourcefulness kept its usual
high level. It must be admitted that the test such
feelings were then subjected to was of the severest, for
to their eyes no possible avenue of escape was open.
Along that glaring line of raging, foaming water not a
break occurred, not the faintest indication of an opening
anywhere wherein even so experienced a pilot as Paddy
might thrust a ship. The great black wall of rock
loomed up by their side, grim and pitiless as doom — a

•■ h

PAI>PY'S LATEST EXPLOIT

• 1 * *

wc were
;iilo blew
rcfuBing
tiun.
cntion a
the little
of spell-
oibrously
led to us
. It was
ition; for
disappear
)le concli-
n ? She
alongside,
to the un-
ipparently
nough to
<,iid.

|on board,
iver been
a position
free from
business-
iheir con-
its usual
test such
[verest, for
was open.
,ter not a
,n opening
as Paddy
,11 of rock
doom — a

very door of ndainant closed agaiuHt all hope. Nuarrr
and nearer tliey dmw, until the roar of tlio baflled
Pacific was drafcning, maddening, in its ovorwlu'liniiig
voluuiu of chaotic sound. All hands stood motionless,
with eyes fixed in horrible fascination upon iio indescrib-
able vortex to which they were being irresistibly driven.

At last, just as the fringes of the back-beaten billows
hissed up to greet them, they felt her motion ease.
Instinctively looking aft, they saw the skipper coolly wave
his hand, signing to them to trim the yards. As they
hauled on the weather braces, she plunged through the
maelstrom of breakers, and before they had got the yards
right round they were on the other side of that enormous
barrier, the anchor was dropped, and all was still. The
vessel rested, hke a bird on her nest, in a deep, still tarn,
shut in, to all appearance, on every side by huge rock
barriers. Of the furious storm but a moment before
howling and raging all around them, nothing remained
but an all-pervading, thunderous hum, causing the deck
to vibrate beneath them, and high overhead the jagged,
leaden remnants of twisted, tortured cloud whirling past
their tiny oblong of sky. Just a minute's suspension of all
faculties but wonder, then, in one spontaneous, heartfelt
note of genuine admiration, all hands burst into a cheer
that even overtopped the mighty rumble of the balUed sea.

Here they lay, perfectly secure, and cut in their whale
as if in dock ; then at the first opportunity they ran out,
with fearful ditficulty, a kedge with a whale-line attached,
by which means they warped the vessel out of her hiding-
place — a far more arduous operation than getting in had
been. But even this did not exhaust the wonders of that
occasion. They had hardly got way upon her, beginning
to draw out from the land, when the eagle-eye of one of
the Maories detected the carcass of a whale rolling among

I ,,

«il

'MSi\

THE CnUISE OF WK "CACJJAIO'JV

tlio breakers about half a mile to the westward. Inimo-
(liatoly a boat was lowered, a double ul'owanco of line put
into her, and off they went to the valuable flotsnm.
Dangerous in the highest degree was the task of getting
near enough to drive harpoons into the body ; but it waH
successfully accomplished, the line run on board, and tho
prize hauled triumphantly alongside. This was the whale
they had now brought in. We shrewdly suspected that
it must have been one of those abandoned by the un-
fortunate vessels who had fled, but etiquette forbade us
saying anything about it. Even had it been, another
day would have seen it valueless to any one, for it was by
no means otto of roses to sniff at now, while they had
certainly salved it at the peril of their lives.

When we returned on board and repeated the story,
great was the amazement. Such a feat of seamanship was
almost beyond belief; but we were shut up to believing,
since in no other way could the vessel's miraculous escape
be accounted for. The little, dumpy, red-faced figure,
rigged like any scarecrow, that now stood on his cutting-
stage, punching away vigorously at the fetid mass of
blubber beneath him, bore no outward visible sign of a
hero about him ; but in our eyes he was transfigured — a
being to be thought of reverently, as one who in all those
qualities that go to the making of a man had proved
himself of the seed royal, a king of men, all the more
kingly because unconscious that his deeds were of so
exalted an order.

I am afraid that, to a landsman, my panegyric may
smack strongly of gush, for no one but a seaman can
rightly appraise such doings as these ; but I may be per-
mitted to say that, when I think of men whom I feel glad
to have lived to know, foremost among them rises the
queer little figure of Paddy Gilroy.

( •I'H )

CHAPTKU XX\1I.

ronx pKOAHus.

TiiB wind still holding steadily in tho old (jiiartei-, our
skipper got very restless. He recalled bis former exploits,
and, firing at the thought, decided then and there to have
a trip round to Port Pegui^us, in tho hope that he might
meet with some of his former good luck in tho vicinity
of that magnificent bay. With the greatest alacrity wo
obeyed his summons, handling the old barky as if sho
were a small boat, and the same morning, for the first
time, ran out of the Straits to the eastward past liuapuke
Island. Beautiful weather prevailed, making our trip a
delightful one, the wonderful scenery of that coast appeal-
ing to even the most callous or indifferent among us.
We hugged the land closely, the skipper being familiar
with all of it in a general way, so that none of its beauties
were lost to us. The breeze holding good, by nightfall
we had reached our destination, anchoring in the north
arm near a tumbling cascade of glittering water that
looked like a long feather laid on the dark-green slope of
the steep hill from which it gushed.

We had not been long at anchor before we had visitors
—half-breed Maories, who, I'ke the Finns and Canadians,
are farmers, fishermen, sailors, and shipwrights, as
necessity arises. They L^uaght us potatoes — most
welcome of all fruit to the sailor — cabbages, onions, and

358

THE ciiUTSi: OF Till: "cachalot:'

" mutton birds." This latter delicacy is a great staple
of their flesh food, but is one of the strangest dishes
imaginal)lc. When it is being cooked in the usual way,
i.r. by grilling, it smells exactly like a piece of roasting
mutton ; but it tastes, to my mind, like nothing else in
the world so much as a kippered herring. There is a gas-
tronomical paradox, if you like. Only the young birds
are taken for eating. They are found, when unfledged, in
holes of the rocks, and weigh sometimes treble as much
as their parents. They are exceedingly fat ; but this
substance is nearly all removed from their bodies before
they are hung up in the smoke-houses. They are split
open like a haddock, and carefully smoked, after being
steeped in brine. Baskets, something like exaggerated
strawberry pottles of the old conical shape, are prepared,
to hold each about a dozen birds. They are lined with
leaves, then packed with the birds, the melted fat being
run into all the interstices until the basket is full. The
top is then neatly tied up with more leaves, and, thus
preserved, the contents will keep in cool weather an
indefinite length of time.

Captain Count was soon recognized by some of his
old friends, who were delighted to welcome him again.
Their faces fell, however, when he told them that his
stay was to be very brief, and that he only required four
good-sized fish to fill up. Inquiry as to the prevalence
of sperm whales in the vicinity elicited the news that they
were as plentiful as they had ever been — if anything, more
so, since the visits of the whalers had become fewer.
There were a couple of " bay " whaling stations existing ;
but, of course, their success could not be expected to be
great among the cachalots, who usually keep a respect-
ful distance from harbours, while they had driven tlio
right whales awaj' almost entirely.

ponr pi'XfASUs.

3:»9

No one could help being struck by the manly bearing,
splendid physique, and simple manners of the inhabitants.
If ever it falls to the lot of any one, as I hope it will, to
establish a sperm whale fishery in these regions, there
need be no lack of workers while such grand specimens
of maiiliviod abound there as wc saw — all, moreover,
fishermen and whalers from their earliest days.

We did not go far afield, but hovered within ten or
fifteen miles of the various entrances, so as not to bo
blown off the land in case of sudden bad weather. Even
with that timid ofling, we were only there two days,
when an enormous school of sperm whales hove in sight.
I dare not say how many I believe there were, and my
estimate really might be biassed ; but this I know, that
in no given direction could one look to seaward and not
see many spouts.

We got among them and bad a good time, being
more hampered by the curiosity of the unattached fish
than by the pugnacity of those under our immediate
attention. So we killed three, and by preconcerted
signal warned the watchers ou the lofty points ashore of
our success. As speedily as possible off came four boats
from the shore stations, and hooked on to two of our fish,
while we were busy with the third. The wind being off
shore, what there was of it, no time was to be lost, in
view of the well-known untrustworthiness of the weather ;
so we started to cut-in at once, M'hile the shore people
worked like giants to tow the other two in. Considering
tlie weakness of their forces, they made marvellous
progress ; but seeing how terribly exhausting the toil was,
one could not help wishing them one of the small London
tugs, familiarly known as "jackals," which would have
snaked those monsters along at three or four knots an,
liour^.

1 i

I ]

300

77//. ciii'/s/-: OF Tin-: " CAcnMOT:'

However, all went well ; the usual gale did blow, but
not till we had got the last piece aboard and a good
"slant" to run in, arriving at our previous moorings
at midnight. In the morning the skipper went down in
his boat to visit the stations, and see how they had fared.
Old hand as he was, I think he was astonished to see
what progress those fellows had made with the fish.
They did not reach the stations till after midnight, but
already they had the whales half flenched, and, by the
way they were working, it looked as if they would be
through with their task as soon as we were with ours.
Their agreement with the skipper was to yield us half
the oil they made, and, if agreeable to them, we would
take their moiety at £40 per tun. Consequently they
had something to work for, even though there were
twenty of them to share the spoil. They were a naerry
party, eminently good tempcTed, and working as though
one spirit animated them all. If there was a leader of
the band, he did his office with great subtilty, for all
seemed equal, nor did i[».ny appear to need directing what
to do. Fired by their example, we all worked our hardest ;
but they beat us by half a day, mainly, I think, by dint
of working nearly all the time with scarce any interval
for sleep. True, they were bound to take advantage of
low water when their huge prize was high and dry — to
get at him easily all round. Their method was of the
simplest. With gaff-hooks to haul back the pieces, and
short-handled spades for cutting, they worked in pairs,
taking off square slabs of blubber about a hundredweight
each. As soon as a piece was cut off, the pair tackled
on to it, dragging it up to the pots, where the cooks
hastily sliced it for boiling, interspersing their labours
with attention to the simmering cauldrons.

Their efforts realized twenty-four tuns of clear oil

POIiT I'F.GASUf^.

'M\\

and spermaceti, of which, acconlinp; to bargain, we took
twelve, the captain buying the other twelve for X' 480,
as previously arranged. This latter portion, however,
was his private venture, and not on ship's account, as
he proposed selling it at the Bluflf, when we should call
there on our way liome. So that we were still two whales
short of our quantity. What a little space it did seem
to fill up ! Our patience was sorely tested, when,
during a whole week following our last haul, we were
unable to put to sea. In vain we tried all the old
amusements of fishing, rambling, bathing, etc. ; they
had lost their " bite ; " we wanted to get home. At
last the longed-for shift of wind came and set us free.
We had hardly got well clear of the heads before we
saw a school of cachalots away on the horizon, some
twelve miles off the land to the southward. We made
all possible sail in chase, but found, to our dismay,
that they were " making a passage," going at such a
rate that unless the wind freshened we could hardly hope
to come up with them. Fortunately, we had all day
before us, having quitted our moorings soon after day-
light ; and unless some unforeseen occurrence prevented
us from keeping up our rate of speed, the chances were
that some time before dark they would ease up and allow
us to approach them. They were heading to the west-
ward, perhaps somewhat to the northward withal, to all
appearance making for the Solander. Hour after hour
crawled by, while we still seemed to preserve our relative
distance, until we had skirted the southern shore of the
island and entered the area of our old fishing ground.
Two vessels were cruising thereon, well to the northward,
and we thought with glee of the excitement that would
seize them did they but gain an inkling of our chase.
To our great dielight, what we had hoped, but hardly

I' II

i> I

'MVZ

rni: ami is/-: or r/n-: '* cAaiiMor:'

dared expect, came to paHS. The Hcliool, aH If with one
irapulHO, hauled up on their courHo four points, which
made thoni head direct for the weHtern verj^o of the
Sohmdor ground, and — what was more iniportant to us
— made our coming up with them a matter of a short
time. Wo made the cuHtomary Hignalw with the uppir
sails to our friends to the nortliward, who recognized
them immediately, and horo down towards us. Not
only had the school shifted their eourse, but they had
slackened speed ; so that hy four o'clock we were able;
to lower for them at less than a mile distance.

It was an ideal whaling day — smooth water, a brisk
breeze, a brilliant sun, and plenty of whales. I was, as
became my position, in the rear when we went into
action, and hardly hoped for an opi»ortui\ity of doing
much but dunce attendance upon my seniors. ]iut
fortune favoured me. lie fore I had any idea whether
the chief was fast or not, all other considcsrations were
driven clean out of my head by the unexpected apparition
of a colossal head, not a ship's length away, coming
straight for us, throwing up a swell in front of him
like an ironclad. There was barely time to sheer to one
side, when the giant surged past us in a roar of foaming
sea, the flying flakes of which went right over us.
Samuela was "all there," though, and as the great
beast passed he plunged a harpoon into him with such
force and vigour that the very socket entered the
blubber. It needed all the strength I could muster, even
with such an aid as the nineteen feet steer-oar, to swing
the boat right round in his wake, and prevent her being
capsized by his headlong rush.

For, contrary to the usual practice, he paused not an
instant, but rather quickened his space, as if spurred.
Heavens, how he went ! The mast and sail had to come

ponr rEGAsrs.

.tit.)

ions were

<l()wn — and tluy did, J)ut I liardly know how. Tho spray
was blinding;, coijiing in sheets over tho hows, so that I
couhl liardly see how to steer in tho monster's wako. Ho
headed straight for the ship, which lay-to almost motion-
less, filling me with apprehension lest he should in h"
blind flight dash that imraenso mass of solid matter
into her broadside, and so put an inglorious end to all
our hopes. What their feelings on board must have
been, 1 can only imagine, wlien they saw tho imdoviating
rush of the gigantic creature straight for them. On he
went, until I held my breath for tho crash, when at the
last moment, and within a few feet of tho shijj's side, he
dived, passing beneath tho vessel. We let go lino
immediately, as may l)e supposed ; but although wo had
been towing with quite fifty fathoms drift, our speed had
been so great that we came up against the old ship with
a crash that very nearly finished us. He did not run
any farther just then, but sounded for about two hundred
and fifty fathoms, rising to the surface in quit(! another
mood. No more running away from him. I cannot say
I felt any of the fierce joy of battle at the prospect before
me. I had a profound respect for the fighting qualities
of tho sperm whale, and, to tell the truth, would much
rather have run twenty miles behind him than have him
turn to bay in his present parlous humour. It was,
perhaps, fortunate for me that there was a crowd of
witnesses, the other ships being now quite near enough
to see all that was going on, since the feeling that my
doings were full in view of many experts and veterans
gave me a determination that I would not disgrace
either myself or my ship ; besides, I felt that this would
probably be our hist whale this voyage, if I did not fail,
and that was no small thing to look forward to.

All these things, so tedious in the telling, flashed

3Gi

Tin: citr/sE or rtn: " vaviialut:'

through my mind, while, with my eyes Khiotl to the hup;<(
hulk of my antii^oniHt or tho hiHHing vorticuH ahovo him
when ho HottUul, 1 manojuvrod my protty craft with all
tho Hkill 1 could Hummon. For what Roomed a period of
ahout twenty minutoH we dod{:;ed him aH he made tho
ugliest rushoH at uh. I had not yet changed ends with
Samuela, as custouuiry, for I felt it imperative to krtip
tho \\iA\\\ while tluB (^amo was heing played, ^fy trusty
Kanaka, however, had a lance ready, and 1 knew, if he
only got the ghost of a chance, no man living would or
could make hotter use of it.

The whole affair waH growing monotonous as well as
extremely wearying. Perhaps 1 was a little off my guard ;
at any rate, my heart almost leaped into my mouth
whon just after an ugly rush past us, which I thought
had carried him to a safe distance, he stopped dead, lifted
his flukes, and hrought them down edgeways with a
vicious sweep that only just missed the hoat's gunwale,
and shore off the two oars on that side as if they had
been carrots. This serious disablement would certainly
have led to disaster but for Samuela. Prompt and
vigorous, he seized the opportune moment when tho
whale's side tvas presented just after the blow, sending
his lanco quivering home all its length into the most
vital part of the leviathan's anatomy. Turning his
happy face to me, he shouted exultingly, " How's dat
for high ? " — a bit of slang he had picked up, and his
use of which never failed to make me smile. " High "
it was indeed — a master-stroke. It nmst have pierced
the creature's heart, for he innnediately began to spout
blood in masses, and without another wound went into
his flurry and died.

Then came the reaction. I must have exerted myself
beyond what I had any idea of, for to Samuela I was

PORT I' KG ASUS.

;w;."»

«)I>lig(Ml lo (lolo^iito thu tiiHk of tluku-horiii):;, wliilt; i roHtod
a littlu. Tito Hhip wiih Hoon alonpjHido, though, and tho
whalo aociirc'd. Thoro wan more yot to lie done boforo
wo could rest, in spito of our fatij^uo. Tlio otlior boatH
bad boon ho HUcccsHful tbat tlioy bad got two big fiHli,
and wbat we were to do witb tbem waH a problem not
eaHily solvable. By dint of groat exertion, wo managed
to got anotber wbab; alongside, but were fain to come to
some arrangement witb tbo KU:<i Adamn, one of tbe
sbips tbat bad been unHUCcossful, to take over our otber
wbale on an agreement to render us one-tbird of tbo
product citber in Port William or at borne, if sbo sbould
not find us in tbo former place.

]}ebold us, tben, in tbe gatbering dusk witb a wbalo
on eitber side, every stitch of canvas wo could sbow sot
and drawing, straining every nerve to get into tbe littlo
port again, with the pleasant thought that we wero
})ringing with us all that was needed to complete our well-
earned cargo. Nobody wanted to go below ; all bands
felt that it was rest enough to hang over tho rail on
either side and watch the black masses as they surged
through tho gleaming sea. They represented so much
to us. Very littlo was said, but all hearts were lilled
with a deep content, a sense of a long season of toil
fitly crowned with complete success ; nor was any depres-
sion felt at the long, long stretch of stormy ocean
between us and our home port far away in tbe United
States. That would doubtless come by-and-by, when
within less than a thousand miles of Now Bedford ; but
at present all sense of distance from homo was lost in
the overmastering thought that soon it would be our
only business to get there as quickly as possible, without
any avoidable loitering on the road.

We made an amazing disturbance in the darkness of

3G6

THE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT."

the 80a with our douMc burthen, so much so that one of
tlic coastiii}? stcaiuers changed her course a bit to range
up b}' our side in curiosity. We were scarcely going
two and a half knots, in spite of the row we made, and
there was hardly room for wonder at the steamboat
captain's hail, "Want any assistance?" "No, thank
you," was promptly returned, although there was little
doubt that all hands would have subscribed towards a
tow into port, in case the treacherous weather should,
after all, play us a dirty trick. But it looked as if our
troubles were over. No hitch occurred in our steady
progress, slow though it necessarily was, and as morning
lifted the heavy veil from the face of the land, we
arrived at our pretty little haven, and quietly came to
an anchor. The Chance was in port wind-bound, looking,
like ourselves, pretty low in the water. No sooner did
Paddy hear the news of our arrival in such fine trim
than he lowered his boat and hurried on board of us,
his face beaming with delight. Long and loud were his
congratulations, especially when he heard that we should
now be full. Moreover, he offered — nor would he take
any denial — to come with the whole of his crew and help
us finish.

For the next four days and nights, during which the
wind prevented the Chance from leaving us, our old ship
was a scene of wild revelry, that ceased not through
the tweuty-four hours — revelry entirely unassisted by
strong waters, too, the natural ebullient gaiety of men
who were free from anxiety on any account whatever,
rejoicing over the glad consummation of more than two
years' toil, on the one hand ; on the other, a splendid
sympathy in joy manifested by the satisfied crew under
the genial command of Captain Gilroy. With their
cheerfrl help we made wonderful progress ; and when at

rORT PEOASUS.

3H7

lit one of
to range
ly going
ado, and
;camboat

0, thank
vas little
owai'ds a
r should,
as if our
ir steady
J morning
land, wo
' came to

1, looking,
ooner did
tine trim
,rd of us,

were his

e should

d he take

and help

vhich the
old ship
through

listed by
of men
whatever,

I than two
splendid

lew under

lith their
when at

last tlif wind hauled into a favourable quarter, and they
wore cunipoUcd to leave us, the buck of our work was
broken, only the tedious task of boiling being left to
linish.

Never, I am sure, did two ships' companies part with
more hearty good-will than ours. As the ungainly old
tub surged slowly out of the little harbour, her worn-out
and generally used-up appearance would have given a
Board of Trade inspector the nightmare ; the piratical
looks of her crowd were enough to frighten a shipload of
passengers into tits ; but to us who had seen their per-
formances in all weathers, and under all circumstances,
accidental externals had no weight in biassing our high
opinion of them all. Good-bye, old ship ; farewell, jolly
captain and sturdy crew ; you will never be forgotten
any more by us while life lasts, and in far other and
more conventional scenes we shall regretfully remember
the free-and-easy time we shared with you. So she
slipped away round the point and out of our lives for
ever.

By dint of steady hard work we managed to get the
last of our greasy work done in four days more, then
faced with a will the job of stow ing afresh the upper tiers
of casks, in view of our long journey home. The oil
bought by the skipper on private venture was left on
deck, secured to the lash-rail, for discharging at the Blutf,
while our stock of water casks were carefully overhauled
and recoopered prior to being stowed in their places
below. Of course, we had plenty of room in the hold,
since no ship would carry herself full of casks of oil ; but
I doubt whether, if we had borne a " Plimsoll's mark,"
it would not have been totally submerged, so deep did
we lie. Wooding and watering came next — a different
affair to our casual exercises in those directions before.

368

THE rnUISE OF THE " CACTI ALorr

rrovisioii had to bo made now for a possiblo four or live
months' passage, during; which wo hoped to avoid any
further calls, ho that the accumulation of firewood alone
was no small matter. We cleared the surroundinj;
neighbourhood of potatoes at a good price, those useful
tubers being all they could supply us with for sea-stock,
much to their sorrow.

Then came the most unpleasant [»art of the whole
business — for me. It had been a part of the af^reement
made with the Kanakas that they were not to be taken
home with us, but returned to their island upon tlie
termination of the whaling. Now, the time had arrived
when we were to part, and I must confess that I felt
very sorry to leave them. They had proved docile,
useful, and cheerful; while as for my harpooner and
his mate Polly, no man could have wished for smarter,
better, or more faithful helpers than they were. Stronjj;
as their desire was to return to their homes, they too
felt keenly the parting with us ; for although they had
unavoidably suffered much from the inclemency of the
■weather — so different from anything they had ever
previously experienced — they had been kindly treated,
and had moved on precisely the same footing as the rest
of the crew. They wept like little children when the
time arrived for them to leave us, declaring that if ever
we came to their island again they would use all their
endeavours to compel us to remain, assuring us that we
should want for nothing during the rest of our lives, if
we would but take up our abode with them. The one
exception to all this cordiality was Sam. His ideas
were running in quite other channels. To regain his
lost status as ruler of the island, with all the oppor-
tunities for indulging his animal propensities which
such a position gave him, was the problem he had set

j'oni PFiOAsrs.

:i(i!)

himself, and to the reali/ittion of thcso wIhIich hi- hnl
(leterminetUy bent all liis efforts.

Thus ho tirinly decHned the offer of a paHsa^o back
in the Eliza AdttiiiH, whicli our captain secured for all
the Kanakas ; preferrinj^ to be landed at the Jiluff, with
the Koodly sum of money to which ho was entitled,
saying that ho had important business to transact in
Sydney before ho returned. This business, ho privately
informed me, was the procuring of arms and ammunition
wherewith to make war upon his rival. Of course we
could not prevent him, althou<{h it did soem an abomi-
nable thing to let loose the spirit of slau<^hter amonj:;
those light-hearted natives just to satisfy the ambition
of an unscrupulous negro. But, as I have before
noticed, from information received many years after I
learned that he had been successful in his efforts, though
at what cost to life I do not know.

So our dusky friends left us, with a good word from
every one, and went on board the Eliza Adams, whose
captain promised to land them at Futuna within six
months. How he carried out his promise, I do not
know ; but, for the poor fellows' sakes, I trust he kept
his word.

370

77//; rnrrrsr or Tin: " caciimot"

CHAPTEU XXVIII.

TO Tin: nHI F, AND noMK.

And now the cruise of the good old whaling barque
Cuchahit, as far as whaling is concerned, comes to an
end. For all practical purposes she now becomes a
humdrum merchantman in haste to reach her final port
of discharge, and get rid of her cargo. No more will
she loiter and pry around anything and everything, from
an island to a balk of drift-wood, that comes in her way,
knowing not the meaning of "waste of time." The
" crow's-nests *' are dismantled, taunt topgallant-masts
sent up, and royal yards crossed. Ai soon as we get to
sea we shall turn-to and heave that ancient fabric of
bricks and mortar — always a queer-looking erectio^^ to
be cumbering a ship's deck — piecemeal over the side.
It has long been shaky and weather-beaten ; it will soon
obstruct our movements no more. Our rigging has all
been set up and tarred down ; we have painted hull and
spars, and scraped wherev i the wood- work is kept
bright. All gear belonging to whaling has been taken
out of the boats, carefully >j'9aned, oiled, and stowed
away for a " full due." Two of the boats have been
taken inboard, and stowed bottom-up upon the gallows
aft, as any other merchantman carries them. At last,

TO THE niri-'F, .\S1> IlnMi:

:'.7I

our miiltifiirioiH preparations coniplt'ttul, wt- litlo r«Mi»ly
for sni.

It was i(iiit(! in accordaii'^r with the lUiitHs of tliin^H
that, when all thinjj;s wcrt- now nauy for our dtpartiiro,
them HhoiiM coint! a chaiij^f of wiml tliat tljn'atcnod to
hold us prisoiitrs fur Honio days longer. I>ut our " ohl
mail " was hard to hoat, and ho rockoiiod that, if wo
could only <i,vi out of the "pond," he would work her
a<Toss to the JUulT Honiohow or other. Ho we ran out a
k«'df;o with a couplo of lines to it, and warped her out of
the weather side of the harhour, lindin^', when at last
wo Rot her clear, that hIio would lay her course across
tlio Straits to (dear Kuapuke — nearly ; but tho current
had to he reckoned with. IJefore we reached that
ohstructing island wo were down at the eastern end of
it, and obliged to anchor promptly to save ourselves
from being swept down the coast many miles to leeward
of our port.

But tho skipper was quite equal to tho occasion.
Ordering his boat, ho sped away into lUuff harbour,
only a matter of six or seven miles, returning soon with
a tug, who for a i)ound or two placed us, without
further trouble, alongside the wharf, amongst some
magnificent clipper ships of Messrs. Henderson's and
the New Zealand Shipping Co.'s, who seemed to turn U|>
their splendid noses at the squat, dumpy, antiquated
old serving-mallet that dared to mingle with so august a
crowd. There had been a time, not so very far back,
when I should have shared their apparent contempt for
our homely old tub ; but my voyage had taught me,
among other things, that, as far as true comfort went at
sea, not a " thrcc-skysail-yarder " among them could
compare with the Carlialot. And I was extremely glad
that my passage round the Horn was to be in my

372

77//; rRi'isi: or n/f-: " nAriiAior.'

own ship, and not in a Ions, snaky tank that, in the
language of the sailor, takes a lieader when she gets
outside tlio harbour, and only comes up two or three
times to blow before she gets home.

Our only reason for visiting this place being to dis-
charge Captain Count's oil, and procure a sea-stock of
salt provisions and hard bread, those duties were taken
in hand at once. The skipper sold his venture of oil to
good advantage, being so pleased with his success that
he gave us all a good feed on the strength of it.

As soon as the stores were embarked and everything
ready for sea, leave was given to all hands for twenty-
four hours, upon the distinct understanding that the
privilege was not to be abused, to the detriment of
everybody, who, as might be supposed, were anxious
to start for home. In order that there might be less
temptation to go on the spree generally, a grand picnic
was organized to a beautiful valley some distance from
the town. Carriages wv.re chartered, an enormous
quantity of eatables and drinkables provided, and away
we went, a regular wayzgoose or bean-feast party. It
was such a huge success, that I have ever since won-
dered why such outings cannot become usual among
sailors on liberty abroad, instead of the senseless, vicious
waste of health, time, and hard-earned wages which is
general. But I must not let myself loose upon this
theme again, or we shall never get to sea.

Liberty over without any trouble arising, and all
hands comfortably on board again, the news ran round
that we were to sail in the morning. So, after a good
night's rest, we cast loose from the wharf, and, with a
little assistance from the same useful tug that brought
U8 in, got fairly out to sea. All sail was set to a strong,
steady north-wester, and with yards canted the least

ro Till-: BLUFF, Asn home

i:\

\ni in the world on the port tack, so that every stitch was
(Irawiiif*, we l>ej4an our loii}:; easterly stretch to the Horn,
homeward bound at last.

Favoured by wind and weather, wo made an avera^o
run of one hundred and eij^hty miles per day for many
days, paying no attention to " great circle sailing," since
in such a slow ship the net gain to l)e secured by going
to a high latitude was very small, but dodging comfort-
ably along on about the parallel of 48' S., until it became
necessary to draw down towards " Cape Stiff," as that
dreaded extremity of South America, Cape Horn, is
familiarly called by seamen. As we did so, icebergs
became numerous, at one time over seventy being in
sight at once. Some of them were of immense size — one,
indeed, that could hardly be fitly described as an iceberg,
but more properly an ice-lield, with many bergs rising
out of it, being over sixty miles long, while some of its
towering peaks were estimated at from five hundred to
one thousand feet high. Happily, the weather kept
clear; for icebergs and fog make a combination truly
appalling to the sailor, especially if there be much
wind blowing.

Needless, perhaps, to say, our look-out was of the
best, for all hands had a double interest in the safety of
the ship. Perhaps it may be thought that any man
would have so much regard for the safety of his life that
he would not think of sleeping on his look-out ; but I can
assure my readers that, strange as it may seem, such is
not the case. I have known men who could never bo
trusted not to go to sleep, no matter how great the
danger. This is so well recognized in merchant ships
that nearly every officer acts as if there was no look-out
at all forward, in case his supposed watchman should
be having a surreptitious uoze.

374 THE CRUISE OF TIIK " CACHALOTS

Stronger and stronger blew the brave west wind ;
dirtier, gloomier, and colder grew the weather, until,
reduced to two topsails and a reefed foresail, we were
Hcudding dead before the gale for all we were worth.
This was a novel experience for us in the Cachalot, and
I was curious to see how she would behave. To my mind,
the supreme test of a ship's sea-kindliness is the length
of time she will scud before a gale without " pooping " a
sea or taking such heavy water on board over her sides
as to do serious damage. Some ships are very dangerous
to run at all. Endeavouring to make the best use of
the gale which is blowing in the right direction, the
captain '* hangs on " to all the sail he can carry, until
she ships a mighty mass of water over all, so that the
decks are filled with wreckage, or, worse still, " poops " a
sea. The latter experience is a terrible one, even to a
trained seaman. You are running before the wind and
waves, sometimes deep in the valley between two liquid
mountains, sometimes high on the rolling ridge of one.
You watch anxiously the speed of the sea, trying to
decide whether it or you aie going the faster, when
suddenly there seems to be a hush, almost a lull, in
the uproar. You look astern, and see a wall of water
rising majestically higher and higher, at the same time
drawing nearer and nearer. Instinctively you clutch
at something firm, and hold your breath. Then that
mighty green barrier leans forward, the ship's stern
seems to settle at the same time, and, with a thundering
noise as of an avalanche descending, it overwhelms you.
Of course the ship's way is deadened ; she seems like a
living thing overburdened, yet struggling to be free ; and
well it is for all hands if the helmsman be able to keep
his post and his wits about him. For if he be hurt, or
have fled from the terrible wave, it is an even chance

70 THE BLUFF, ASD IlOMi:.

.;<•)

that she " broaches to; " that is to say, swings round
broadsiile on to the next great wave tliat follows relent-
lessly its predecessor. Then, helpless and vulnerable,
she will most probably be smashed up and founder.
Many a good ship has gone with all hands to the bottom
just as simply as that.

In order to avoid such a catastrophe, the proper
procedure is to ''heave-to" before the sea has attained
so dangerous a height ; but even a landsman can
understand how reluctant a shipmaster may bo to lie
like a log just drifting, while a more seaworthy ship is
Hying along at the rate of, perhaps, three hundred miles
a day in the desired direction. Ships of the Cachalot's
bluff build ai3 peculiarly liable to delays of this kind
from their slowness, which, if allied to want of buoyancy,
makes it necessary to heave-to in good time, if safety
is at all cared for.

To my great astonishment and delight, however, our
grand old vessel nobly sustained her character, running
on without shipping any heavy water, although some-
times hedged in on either side by gigantic waves
that seemed to tower as high as her lowermast-heads.
Again and again we were caught up and passed by
the splendid homeward-bound colonial packets, some
of them carrying an appalling press of canvas, under
which the long, snaky hulls, often overwhelmed by the
foaming seas, were hardly visible, so insignificant did
they appear by comparision with the snowy mountain of
swelling sail above.

So we fared eastward and ever southward, until in
due time up rose the gloomy, storm-scarred crags of the
Diego Ramirez rocks, grim outposts of the New World.
To us, though, they bore no terrific aspect ; for were
they not the turning-point from which we could steer

;j7(j

THE (JllL'lSl-: OF THE " CACIIALO'I."

north, our head pointed for home ? Immediately upon
rounding them we hauled up four points, and, with
daily improving weather, clirahed the Bouthcrn slopes
towards the line.

Very humdrum and quiet the life appeared io all of
us, and had it not heen for the saving routine of work
by day, and watch by night, kept up with all our old
discipline, the tedium would have been insupportable
after the incessant excitement of expectation to which
we had so long been accustomed. Still, our passage
was by no means a bad one for a slow ship, being
favoured by more than ordinarily steadfast winds until
we reached the zone of the south-east trades again,
where the usual mild, settled wind and lovely weather
awaited us. On and on, unhasting l)ut unresting, we
stolidly jogged, by great good fortune slipping across
the " doldrums " — that hateful belt of calms about the
line so much detested by all sailor-men — without losing
the south-east wind.

Not one day of calm delayed us, the north-east trades
meeting us like a friend sent to extend a welcoming hand
and lend us his assistance on our homeward way. They
hung so far to the eastward, too — sometimes actually at
east-by-north — that we were able to steer north on the
starboard tack — a slice of luck not usually met with.
This " slant " put all hands in the best of humours, and
already the date of our arrival was settled by the more
sanguine ones, as well as excellent plans made for
spending the long voyage's earnings.

For my part, having been, in spite of my youth,
accustomed to so many cruel disappointments and slips
between the cup and lip, I was afraid to dwell too
hopefully upon the pleasures {'.>) of getting ashore. And
after the incident which I have now to record occurred,

ro Till-: ni.rFF. ASh ikkm/:

•( i t

I felt more nervous ilLstrust than I had ever felt before
at sea since first I began to experience the many
vicissitudes of a sailor's life.

We had reached the northern verge of the tropics in
a very short time, owing to the favourable cant in the
usual direction of the north-east trades before noted,
and had been met with north-westerly winds and thick,
dirty weather, which was somewhat unusual in so low a
latitude. Our look-outs redoubled their vigilance, one
being posted on each bow always at night, and relieved
every hour, as we were so well manned. We were now
on the port tack, of course, heading about north-east-by-
north, and right in the track of outward-bound vessels
from both the United Kingdom and the States. One
morning, about three a.m. — that fateful time in the
middle watch when more collisions occur than at any
other — suddenly out of the darkness a huge ship seemed
to leap right at us. She must have come up in a squall,
of which there were many about, at the rate of some
twelve knots an hour, having a fair wind, and every rag
of sail set. Not a gleam of light was visible anywhere
on board of her, and, to judge from all appearances, the
only man awake on board was the helmsman.

We, being " on the wind, close-hauled," were bound
by the "rule of the road at sea" to keep our course
when meeting a ship running free. The penalty for
doing anythitui under such circumstances is a severe
one. First of all, you do not hvnv that the other ship's
crew are asleep or negligent, even though they carry no
lights ; for, by a truly infernal parsimony, many vessels
actually do not carry oil enough to keep their lamps
burning all the voyage, and must therefore economize in
this unspeakably dangerous fashion. And it may be
that just as you alter your course, daring no longer to

;{7H

THE cnrrsF of thi: "cachalot:

hold on, and, as you have every reason to IteUevo, \u-
run down, the other man alters his. Then a few hrcatli-
less moments ensue, an awful crash, and the two vessels
tear each other to pieces, spillinj^' the life that they
contain over the hunr;ry sea. Even if you escape, i/on
are to hlame for not keening your course, unless it can l)o
proved that you were not seen by the running ship.

Well, wo kept our course until, I verily believe,
another plunge would have cut us sheer in two halves.
At the last moment our helm was put hard down,
brinptin^' our vessel right up intc the wind at the same
moment as the helrasmaii on board the other vessel
caught sight of us, and instinctively put his helm down
too. The two vessels swung side by side amidst a
thunderous roar of flapping canvas, crackling of fallen
spars, and rending of wood as the shrouds tore away
the bulwarks. All our davits were ripped from the
starboard side, and most of our bulwarks too ; but,
strangely enough, we lost no spars nor any important
gear. There seemed to be a good deal of damage done
on board the stranger, where, in addition, all hands
were at their wits' end. Well they might be, aroused
from so criminal a sleep as theirs. Fortunately, the
third mate had a powerful bull's-eye lantern, which in
his watch on deck he always kept lighted. Turning it
on the stern of the delinquent vessel as she slowly
forged clear of us, we easily read her name, which, for
shame's sake as well as for prudential reasons, I
withhold. She was a London ship, and a pretty fine
time of it I had for the next day or two, listening to the
jeers and sarcasms on the quality of British seamanship.

Repairing damages kept us busy for a few days ; but
whatever of thankfulness we were capable of feeling was
aroused by this hairbreadth escape from death through

TO TfTE nrrFF, A\n iiomi:.

n70

the wickod nc{:;U'ct of tho most elementary duty of any
man callin<^ himself a sraman.

Then a period of rofjular Wcsttin-ocean weather set
in. It waa early spring in the tliird year since our
departure from this part of the world, and tin- north-
easter hlow with hitter severity, making oven the
seasoned old captain wince again ; hut, as he jovially
said, "it smelt homey, n' hf warn't a-goin' ter growl at
thet." Neither were any of us, although we could havt!
done with loss of a sharp edge to it all the same.

Steadily we hattled northward, until at last, with full
hearts, we made Cape Navesink (" Ole Neversunk "), and
on the next day took a tug and towed into New Bedford
with every flag we could scare up flying, the centre of
admiration — a full whale-ship safe back from her long,
long fishing round the world.

My pleasant talk is done. I wish from my heart it
were better performed ; but, having done my best, I must
perforce be content. If in some small measure I have
been able to make you, my friendly reader, acquainted
with a little-known or appreciated side of life, and in
any wise made that life a real matter to you, giving you
a fresh interest in the toilers of the sea, my work has
not 1' en wholly in vain. And with that fond hope I
give you the sailor's valedictorj' —

so LONG !

I'RIKTF.D BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LOSDOJJ AND nECCLES,