McDEVlTTS BRET- MARK BOOK MART Mfir - Fillmnm . ? Cm vv, IIALL\<; AND FISHING BY- CHAS. NORDHOFF <&^ AUTHOR OF "MAN-OF-WAR-LIFE," " THE MERCHANT VESSEL." WITH ILLrSTPATIOyS BY WJf. H. WALKER NKW YORK DODI), MEAD & COMPANY PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT, 1895, DODD, MEAD & COMPANY, jBancioit Library . PREFACE. WITH this volume my story of life at sea is complete. I have endeavored to give a strictly faithful account of the various phases of a sailor's existence. I have borne in mind the usual objec- tion to books of this class; that they, are likely to inspire youth with an uneasy longing for a wandering, worthless mode of life. And as my little books were likely to interest young men and boys, my aim has been to give a plain com- mon sense picture of that about which a false romance throws many charms. If anything I have written on this subject shall induce a young man, launching into life, to make a sensible choice of evils, by looking elsewhere than to the Sea for the adventurous existence which his spirit requires, I shall be rewarded. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. WHALEMEN Wanted ! A Whaling Shipping Office The Man-of- Wars-man The Merchant Seaman The Whaleman Talk with the Shipper I determine on a Whaling Cruise Go to New Bedford. . 11 CHAPTER II. New Bedford The Town The Wharves The Ship- ping Office Prospective Whalemen Old Bill The Outfitters Tricks upon the Greenhorns Hezekiah Ellsprett claims the Captain's Stateroom Old Bill and the Ship-owner The Transformation. . 22 CHAPTER III. The Sag Harbor Whalemen Shipped at last Arrange- ment of a Whaleship's Decks The Try Works The Boats Tin- Lower Deck Sailing Day Our Crew Seasickness Training the Greenhorns Labors of an Outward Bound Whaleman Drudgery. . . 40 (' II APTER IV. Land Ho ! Fayal Anxiety of all hands to get Ashore Portuguese Their Resignation Fruit We continue the Voyage Pitting the Vessel for her Cruise Drill- ing the Crew in the Boats The Line ('basing Black- fish Provisions Cooks. 56 (v) vi CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. Sabbath 'Our Captain's Whaling Experience Land Ho ! The Scene of a Battle Tristan d'Acimha The Story of its Settlement Governor Glass Internal Economy of the Settlement Intercourse with Ship- ping General Appearance of the Island A Wreck An exciting Race Madagascar or Malaga? . T4 CHAPTER VI. Tlie "Cruising Ground" What constitutes Whale Ground How the Haunts of Whales are discovered The Discipline of a Whaleship on a Cruise Monotony of the Life Drawing Water Portuguese Man-of- War Cape St. Mary's, Madagascar Raising a Pin- back "There she blows" A false Alarm Sperm Whales Preparation for lowering "Going on to a Whale " " Give it to him ! "The Whales run The Chase The last desperate Effort, and accompanying Mishap "Getting stove " A furious Whale We are picked up, and lose the Whale. . . . .90 CHAPTER VII. Fitting a new Boat We raise Whales again Our Boat gets fast The Whale takes out the Line The Mate despairs Sunset The Third Mate refastens The Mate kills the W r hale " There's Blood "The Flurry Getting a Fish alongside Cutting in W r renching off the Head The Teeth The Junk The Case- Extraordinary Gathering of Sharks Their Rapacity Trying out Horse-pieces Blanket -pieces Min- cing Division of Labor A Night Scene Nauseat- ing Labor Picking out fat-lean Stowing down the Oil Clearing up Decks. 112 CONTENTS. vii CHAPTER VIII. "Gamming" Sail Ho! The Betsy Ann Her rew A "Merchant Sailor" A Council A School of Whales Race between two Whale-boats The Offer to share the Chances refused It is our Whale The Bazaroota Islands Procuring Wood A strange Fish Harpooning Hippopotami We cause one to ' ' spout blood " Tow it ashore Hippopotamus Steak . A Night Visit to the Shore for the Purpose of kill- ing a few Hippopotami, with its Results. . . 133 CHAPTER IX. No Whales Tediousness of the Lif 3 Expedients to kill Time The Habits of Sperm Whales Their Fbod The Sperm Whale Squid Its Arms The Whale's Teeth, and how it is supposed to use them Means of Defense possessed by Whales The Right Whale The Humpback Quickness of Motion of a Sperm Whale Lowering in a Calm Difficulty of approach- ing a Whale at such a Time He Listens Sudden Disappearance Chasing a gallied Whale Rainy Weather Bourbon Determine to leave the Vessel at the first Opportunity The Coast of Madagascar A Story of St. Mary's Shoal 156 CHAPTER X. Something further concerning the Habits of Whales The Humpback Their Liability to Sink when dead Antongil Bay Our Anchorage The Denizens of the Jungle Our first Whaling Day A Word con- cerning the Weather Actions of Whales Close of the first Day The Night Another Deluge We get fast The Whale spouts Blood Tenacity of Life Towing a dead Whale Cutting in Trying out A x CONTENTS. Paddy An Examination in Seamanship The Ship Her rotten Rigging The Captain's daily Siesta The Mate gets himself into Trouble How to gain the Respect of a Tyrant Shooting at a Mark The Trades Paddy's last Torture Short handed Sufferings Recuperating Seeking a Berth The last Act of Tyranny Paying off A " Recommendation. " . 310 CHAPTER XVIII. I wait for the Barque Disappointed " Working " a Passage New York after two Years' Absence Coast- ingCape Men Smyra, the Cook Our Crew go Home Ship Keeping Solitude leads to Reflection A Coaster's Life A " Stranger "The Cape The Mary Hawes A "Fish Crew" Fishing "at Half Line "We sail Preparing for Business The Vessel Her Captain 342 CHAPTER XIX. "The Fleet "A Night Scene The First Day on Fish Ground Habits of Mackerel Advantages of being in a Fast Vessel Why there is a " Fleet '* Method of taking Mackerel Bait used Monotony of a Fish- erman's Life A Fish-day Premonitory Symptoms Rain " Shorten up "Breakfast Dressing Fish Making a Harbor Salting down Coming to An- chor After Supper Comforts The Morning after a Storm The Close of the Trip Depart for New York I determine to quit the Sea and do so Difficul- ties attending such a Change, with a Sailor. . . 359 CHAPTER I. LANPSMEN WANTED ! ! ONE THOUSAND STOUT YOUNG MEN, AMERICANS, WANTED for the fleet of whaleships, now fitting out for the North and South Pacific Fisheries. " Extra chances given to Coopers, Car- >enters and Blacksmiths. " None but industrious young men, with good recommendations, taken. Such will have superior chances for advancement. " Outfits, to the amount of SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS furnished to each individual, be- fore proceeding to sea. 12 WHALING AND FISHING. u Persons desirous to avail themselves of the present splendid opportunity of seeing the world, and at the same time acquiring a profitable business, will do well to make early application to the undersigned." Such were the contents of a flaring poster, whose bright capitals caught my eye, as one morn- ing I was rambling with a shipmate along South street, on the East River side of Xew York. Such notices are no rarity in the Eastern seaports. "Whale crews" are in almost constant demand, and these " Wants " and " Fine Chances," stare one in the face on nearly every street corner. They are the lures by means of which the farm-boys, the factory -boys, and the city-boys are drawn to the net of the shipper. The very hopeful, and delightful, but somewhat overdrawn picture of a whaleman's life, here in few words set forth, has enticed many a< tolerably honest, but withal lazy lad to seek the shipper's office, and engage himself for a three or four years cruise. To a sailor this avenue to a whalcship is hermetically sealed. Neither here nor in Xew Bedford is he at all likely to be shipped for experience has taught the captains and owners of whaling vessels that your real tar is too uneasy a creature to be kept in good order for so long a cruise as whalemen now-a-days generally make. Knowing. very well that the shippers will not engage them, it is no uncommon amusement tf-ith sailors, to step into one of these whaling shipping offices, and make all manner of inquiries concerning the business, the pay, the prospects of success, and finally perhaps, to offer to engage themselves at which last stage the agent gener- ally breaks off all communication by informing his mischievous visitors that he has at present no chances open. " Here's the office, Charley," said my shipmate, who had been amusing himself at the expense of one of the bright posters we had passed. " Let's go in and talk a little to the old fellow. I'll ask him if he don't remember shipping me as boat- steerer in the Happy-go-lucky." " You don't look green enough for a* whaleman, Jack," said I. " No," answered he, giving his trowsers an extra hitch, and his rakish little hat a more know- ing set, "there's no green here, lad; but come in." We stepped into a tolerably roomy office, divided into two unequal parts by a railing, behind which stood a desk, upon which leaned a tall, black- bearded, shrewd looking man. This proved to be the shipper, or shipping-master, as this dignitary is styled by seamen. The front and largest divi- sion of the office was furnished with several long forms or benches, ranged along the wall, some chairs, and an occasional spit-box. On the benches reclined at full length three as verdant specimens of humanity as could be easily conceived of. Dirty, U WIT A LING AND FISHING. lazy looking wretches they were, withal, whose begrimed faces, and filthy shirts betokened a most inconsistent aversion to the element upon which they were about to seek their, fortunes. One of them I noticed had already taken the initiatory step in sailorship his mouth was filled with to- bacco, and the saliva was trickling from the lower corner, to the floor beneath. " Industrious young men, with good recom- mendations," muttered my companion, in a very audible whisper. The shipper evidently looked upon us as rather unwelcome intruders, and did not hesitate to tell us. that there were no chances to ship. " Don't you want to ship a good Boatsteerer ? " asksd my friend, in reply to this hint. " Do you mean to say that you were ever whaling?" was the Yankee answer to this. The accustomed eye of the shipper had seen at first glnnee that neither of us were whalemen; and had we disguised ourselves with all possible care, he would still have been as sure as before, of this. It is a singular fact, that seamen, as also those who have much dealings with them, can tell, almost at a single glance at a sailor, and with the most un- erring certainty, what special department of his business he has most generally followed. AVhat may be the actual distinguishing marks, it would be difficult to 'say. But they are there, plainly visible to the initiated, and unconcealable by any but the most experienced old scadogs, who, havirg SEAMEN. 15 seen a little of all services, sometimes succeed in making themselves a puzzle, even tc he discrim- inating vision of the shipper. Of these distinguishing marks it may be said iiuvrovoi, that the man -of- wars-man is known, bj a certain jaunty neatness of attire, and a some thing dashing, and carelessly gay, in his air ana mariner, which is above all others his peculiarity. Let him dress as he will, he can never drop that air of saucy recklessness. The merchant seaman is rough, weatherbeaten, with hard features, face and neck bronzed by many suns, and hands swollen by hard work. But he is more particularly distinguishable by an in- discribable awkwardness, in manner and gait. Toil and exposure have made his body stift* and clumsy. If is tout ensemble presents more angulari- ties than that of his brother of the service, and in * his motions he displays none of the easy grace of the latter. Withal, his clothing tits him badly. The most skillful tailor gives him up in despair, and he lumbers through the world with an ungainly r a sailor. The lower deck was divided off into : forecastle where the crew live; forehold, a place where all spare rigging, hawsers, and cutting-in gear are stowed, as also spare lumber for repairing boats. E A WHALESHIP'S HOLD. 45 flml a large assortment of spare oars, any vacant space left being filled with oil casks ; the blubber i)om, a large space, just below the main hatchway, ito which the blanket pieces, just taken from the whale, are lowered, there to be cut up by the blubber-room men, into horse pieces] and lastly, the steerage where the boatsteerers and cooper have their place of abode. The hold is filled with oil casks, most of the lower tier of which are at the commencement oi the cruise filled with water, while in the upper tier are contained the bread, beef and provisions, as well as sails, dry goods for trade with the na- tives, and all ships stores whatever, everything being stowed away in casks to economise space, and get on board as many of the latter as possible. A forty gallon cask of Epsom salts medicine for the sailors figured conspicuously among the stores. It was on a fine morning in June, that we silled. The crew had been all gathered on board the pre- ceding afternoon, and the vessel hauled into the lower bay, ready for a fair start ; and now having bidden good-by to all friends and acquaintances, we weighed anchor and set sail, taking a last, and I must confess, with me rather sorrowful look at the beauteous verdant shores of America, which wo were now leaving for an absence of not les? tnan three, and perhaps over four years. I was embarking on a voyage with the nature and du- ties of which I was but slightly acquainted, and although bound for ? part of *he world which 1 had 46 WHALING AND FISHING. not before visited, and animal jd with all of a sailor's happy carelessness and desire for novelty, the thought that I had engaged myself for so long 11 time, troubled me. But " sufficient for i\e day is the evil thereof," is a maxim upon which the sailor, more than perhaps any one else, act?, throughout life, and in accordance therewith, I drove away the clouds gathering over my thoughts as I contemplated the blue hills, every moment growing paler in the distance, and enjoyed the glorious sunshine, and fresh, pure breeze of one of the finest days in summer. Our crew, now that one could see them all to- gether, formed a motley set. A four boat ship carries generally twenty -three or twenty -four hands, in the forecastle, a cooper, cook, four boat- steerers, ship-keeper, steward three mates and cap- tain j making in all thirty-six men. The captain, two mates, and three of the boatsteerers were Americans. The third mate, and one of the boat- steerers were Portuguese, natives of Fayal, as were also four of our crew. A great many of these Western Island Portuguese are found in American whaleships, where they are much liked, being very quiet, sober men, and generally good wnalemen. The rest of the crew I find enumer- ated in my log, as follows : two lawyer's clerks, one professional gambler, one runaway from his father's counting house in New York, (this was also an amateur gambler), one New York " butcher- boy " his name was Mose six factory hands, froic I OUR CREW. 47 so fie small New England towns, one Boston school ?y,one canal-boat man, six farm boys from rious parts of New England, and western New ork, the four Portuguese before mentioned, who were whalemen, and the writer hereof, who wrote himself seaman. Of the four professional men, as they called themselves, all, including the gambler, were the possessors of a tolerable education, and a fair share of general information. As for the rest, leaving out the school boy, who knew everything, and was therefore unbearable, they were as wretchedly ignorant a set as ever I met. But one of the factory hands could read, with any degree of ease, and he was if anything, more stupid than his fellow laborers. As for the farmer boys they possessed the latent elements of smartness, but were unfortunately so largely endued with ere- dulity as to be the victims of never-failing pra> tica4 jokes. We sailed with a fine and favoring top-gallant breeze, and long before night were well clear of the land, and making a straight wake for Fayal, which, to the great joy of our Portuguese ship- mates, was to be our first port. As the sun sank below the horizon, the breeze freshened and the swell increased, so that by the time the first watch commenced, at eight o'clock, the top-gallant sails were taken in by the few hands who had been ,t 3ea before the green hands wisely declining to at 3ea 48 WHALING AND FISHING. hazard so dangerous an undertaking as " going aloft in the dark." - "Your time will come soon- -only wait my lads," said the mate. Daring the night we had what would havt been for a merchant vessel a stiff top-gallan breeze. We were, however, reefed down, as r matter of prudence, not knowing how hard it might come on to blow, and having but few hands to depend upon. The "green hands were upon their beam ends in all the horrors of seasickness, alternately vomiting, and praying for deliverance from what they imagined to be a most unprece- dented gale. All their bright anticipations of the pleasures of a sailor's life were vanished, and they wished for nothing so much as " home." But the night came to an end. as all nights mus* do, and the sun rising bright and glorious from the sea, scattered the storm-clouds, and made our verdant friends more cheerful. Wan and dis- spirited they came upon deck, and laid themselves down in the cheering sun, looking and feeling as though just recovered from a severe illness. It is notorious that seasickness is a weakness for which, as no one was ever known to die of it, no non-sufferer feels aught but contempt. Little of the pity and kindness, therefore, which they felt to be their due, did our sick men receive. A gruff " get out of the way, greeny," from the mate, as he stumbled over a form prostrate in the gang- THE WAY TO J/.1AV-: BAILORS. 4<> wray or a threat to send some of them aleit, " with a rope's end after them, to expedite them on their passage," made thei** misery 30111- plete. As the wind died av/ay however, and the sea calmed down, they recovered to some extent, and made the best of their way down below again, where they almost without exception kept their berths for a couple of days, declaring that even to look up at the masts swinging about, with the motion of the ship, made them dizzy and deathly sick. " As for getting up there," said one, pointing to the masthead, and speaking with great earnest- ness, "that is entirely out of the question; I am not fool enough to try it." With what dismay, therefore, did they hear, on the third day out, the word passed below, for all the green hands to come on deck, to practice run- ning up the rigging. With doleful groans, and dolorous countenances they most solemnly asserted the utter impossibility of such an undertaking on their part, and the certainty of their falling before they got six feet above deck. " There's no such word as can't, at sea," was the mate's reply, as he apportioned them, a certain nr.inber to take each rigging, and then, making some show of a stout rope's end, ordered them to start. " How far up must we go?" asked one withgi eat nterest, evidently with the intention of pitting 4 50 WHALING AND FISHING. off tho evil hour, if only for a minute more, foy asking questions. " Go ahead, I'll tell you when to stop." Paler than so many ghosts, they mount the rigging, now taking a step, then taking the shrouds in their close embrace, now glancing ale ft. or around with looks of terror and dismay, anon looking piteously down at the mate, who, hard- hearted fellow, answers them with a " now then, are you fellows going to stick there?" 'I'm afraid I shan't, sir," answered one, giving vent to a joke in his desperation. But a boat- steerer in each rigging, with a rope's end, soon started them on their upward journey, and having gotten up as high as the top, they were allowed to come down, a proceeding about which they went as circumspectly as though on every step depended a life. Great was their relief when they once more found themselves on deck. After a week of such practice, the greater por- tion of the crew were able to take their turn at the masthead to look out, doing but little good there however, as they were not yet fairly re- covered from their sickness. Three of our country boys remained seasick, until by dint of neither eating nor taking cxer- oise, they were too weak any longer to come upon deck. They spent the days in watching the motions of the vessel, and the nights in groan- ing an I bewailing their hard fate continually wishing themselves back to the homes they had THE CAPTAIN IS ASKED FOR PIE. 51 so gladly quitted. To one of these came one eve- ning a boatsteerer, and after condoling with him upon his miserable condition, asked him what ho thoug 1 - '. he would like best to eat just then. " The sight and smell of the food they have on the ship make me sick," was the answer. "If I only had some nice milk, and some pie, such as my mother used to make, I should be well very soon." " Pie ! " exclaimed the boatsteerer, " as I live, I am glad you mentioned the word. There's a whole cask of pies down below, which was sent aboard by the owner, on purpose for the sick ones." " Suppose I were to ask the captain to hoist it up, and give me some ? " suggested the sick man, eagerly. " You could not do a better thing." " I'll go to him immediately he seems to be a kind man and I will tell him how badly I feel." Accordingly he dragged himself slowly aft, and there meeting the captain, stated the case to him, and ended with a request that some of the pie might be given him, as he felt convinced that he would soon recover on such diet. The captain, smiling grimly, explained to him that some unfeeling wretch had boen trifling with him, and that pie was an impossibilty at sea. Heartsick, poor Joe returned to his bunk; but at dinner, the cook brought him a small pie from 52 WHALING ANT) FISHING. } the captain's table, that worthy having taken pitj on the poor fellow's deranged stomach and simple mind. Multitudes of such practical jokes are p ayed off upon the uninitiated, and many a hearty laujh at their expense enlivens the first part of a whale- ship's cruise. Their faith is boundless, and there is scarcely anything too absurd or impossible for 6oine of the more ignorant. Singularly enough, the young man who asked the captain to broacn a cask of pies for his benefit, subsequently be- ume one of the smartest of our hands. There is nothing the inexperienced on board find it so difficult to grow accustomed to as the differ- ence in rank, and consequent difference in physi- cal comforts, w r hich prevail on ship board. Why the captain and his three mates should have .noie space allotted to them, than twenty sailors, or foremast hands ; or upon what principle of right or justice the officers shall dine upon delicacies, while foremast Jack soaks his hard biscuit in a decoction of oak leaves, sweetened with molasses, which goes by the name of tea; or how, under a republican flag, the captain can order them off the quarter deck, the pleasantest portion of the vessel, and point to the wretched hole forward of the windlass, as their appropriate " sphere " all this, and much else, the unsophisticated country- man, brought up in the belief that " one man is as good as another," can never properly understand, although he is obliged to submit. TRAINING THE NEW HANDS. 53- As one of our "professional me.i" said one day, in arguing upon the justice of such conduct "It is not Democratic." But to submit to obey orders, instantly and unthinkingly is one of the first principles incul- cated into the embryo sailor, here as well as in other classes of vessels. It is the great secret of success in all maneuvers at sea, and perfection in the training it imparts is especially necessary on a whaling cruise, where, in sudden emergencies, it is often required that the mind of one man should have perfect control over the will and strength of many. Meantime the training went on : the daily prac- tice of running aloft, speedily making even those who were at first most timid, laugh at their former fears. But now another difficulty was to be gotten over ; The names of the various portions of the rigging were to be learned. This seemed one of the most insurmountable obstacles to the acquisi- tion of sailorship. Landsmen persistently adhere to a literal inter- pretation of the names given to various parts of a ship's rigging and masts. Thus by top they understand the mast head, whereas it is a place no*, half so high. They look for a head, and find only a few rough boards; they are told of stays arid see only great ropes; they hear of yards but find them pendant from aloft, "like the Hanging gardens of Seniirauiis," said our school-boy. 54 WHALING AND FISHING. It must not be supposed, however, that to famil- iarize themselves with the ropes and practice running aloft were the only employments of the hands. On the second day after leaving port, the regular routine of labor of an outward bound whaleman was begun. All hands were kept at work, hard and incessantly, for the first five months, preparing the vessel for the whaling ground. It is a rule in the whaling service to ha^e no work of any kind, other than is absolutely necessary, going on w r hile the vessel is upon the whaling ground. All is therefore prepared before- hand, on the outward passage. "With us the entire rigging was overhauled and refitted; the hold in part restowed; boats fitted with all the conveniences which experience has taught the whaleman to provide; irons and lances sharp- ened and set in their handles, lines stretched and coiled down ; line tubs nicely fitted ; lance and iron sheaths carved or put together, mats for rowlocks made, and all the thousand other small matters attended to, which go to make up the outfit of a whaleship and her boats. These labors employed the crew from daylight till dark, six days in the week, and right glad were we when the tall Peak of Pico hove in sight, and amid the excitement of Hearing the land, the severe and constant drudg- ery of refitting was for a few T days laid aside. P>y this time we had a three weeks passage it ither our green hands were, in their own estiina- OREEN HANDS. 55 tion grown to be staunch and fearless sailors: they could swear horribly; they chewed tobacco, to a man; they talked )oudly of their powers to with stand the effects of liquor to have listened t<3 them, one would have thought each one of them had been bred and born in a grog-shop. They could, to be sure, tell no tough yarns of their past experience, but they made up abundantly for this by their boastings of what they contemplated in the future. In short, they were all with two honorable exceptions a most disgusting set; who thought that in coming on board ship, "as they re- lieved themselves in a great measure from the restraints of civilized life, they were warranted in launching out into every vice that brutalizes man, CHAPTER IV. AT length the summits of the Azores heaved out of the water, in the blue distance. Land ho! was a cry joyful to all, but particularly to those who were now making their first trip. I do not know of a more pleasing sensation than that which animates one on for the first time beholding a strange coast supposing that coast to be invested *dth some interest in the mind of the beholder, and that it is seen in fine weather. Both these conditions were fulfilled in tLe present case. Our Portuguese shipmates had for the past week spoken of scarcely anything else but Fayal, the Peak of Pico, and the various islands which com- pose the group called the Azores ; praising above all, the fruitfulness of the soil, the genial cli- mate, and the quiet innocence of the people. The weather was lovely, and as the blue summit of Pico showed itself it the hazy distance, while a light breeze rippled over the smooth sea and urged our vessel landward, all were for a while THE LAND. 57 subdued, and entered heart and spirit into the peaceful scene. It was midday when we raised the .and. On "turning out" next morning, we found our ship lying becalmed in front of the vast Peak of Pico, which, at a distance of some ten or twelve miles, seemed almost overhanging the vessel. All was now bustle and preparation. The Portuguese, usu- ally so taciturn, were excited beyond all measure; and as under the pressure of a gentle breeze we neared the land, the} 7 eagerly pointed out to each other, and to the crew, various objects, familiar to them, tlie scenes of former labors or pleasures. And when at last, about four o'clock in the af- ternoon, we dropped anchor in the bay, the Port- uguese boatmen who shortly came on board, were hailed and shaken hands with as old familiar friends, although they had probably never before oeen known to our men. It is a very agreeable thing to make land, under almost any circumstances. The tedious and mo- notonous life of a sea-voyage is pleasantly broken in upon and aside from the satisfaction felt by all on board at knowing that so much of the ob- ject of the voyage has been accomplished, every mind revels, in anticipation, in tho pleasures and diversions of the shore. On such occasions old quarrels are amicably arranged, and new friend- whips are formed; all hearts open ur consciously; an I while gazing with eager longing at the blue mountain tops in the distance, you suddenly ar- 58 WHALING AND FISHING. rive at the conclusion that the individual standing beside you is a first rate fellow -all previous pre- judices to the contrary notwithstanding. Of course, our crew hoped to have a run on shore. I never sailed into a port in my life, that the crew, or a portion of them, at any rate, Lad not prepared their minds for a day's liberty. How often and bitterly have I myself been deceived and disappointed ! This time, however, I knew better than to expect " liberty " for any one. We had no oil to land, nor, in fact, any business in port, ex- cept to procure some ten or fifteen thousand oran- ges, and a quantity of other fruit, with a few sweet potatoes. We should not have anchored at all, had it not been that the captain had a relative on shore, with whom he desired to spend an evening in quiet, and without anxiety. Bitter lamentations at their hard fate succeeded the announcement to the green hands, of the im- possibility of their getting on shore ; they could scarcely believe that the captain could refuse them such a favor; and that night sundry schemes were laid for running off from the vessel, and thus grat- ifying their wishes without the consent of the captain, whom they regarded as a cruel monster. These were, however, the veriest air castles, which crumbled from view at the slightest touch of practical common sense. " Suppose you greenhorns run aw a}* what \vili you do when you get ashore you are no sailors no captain would ship you. You can't get work SAILORS. 59 ashore, for the poor people can't get bread for all that i.re already on the island" was the discour- aging remark of a boatsteerer who had been taken into their confidence; and so the idea of running ft way was abandoned. As for myself I had long since become haid- cned to such disappointments, and although just as eager to have a run ashore as any one, was ablo to philosophize on the disappointment of our hopes. I think the life of a man before the mast is calculated to make a stoic of any one. In no other condition that I know of, are all the hopes, aims and desires of one man placed so completely in the keeping of another whose interests fur- thermore almost invariably clash with those of his subject. !N"o where else are the keenest desires so invariably doomed to disappointment in no other situation is one obliged, for peace of mind sake, to become so utterly apathetic. The fact is, sailors should be brutes not men. By our poor Portuguese the compulsory stay on board was doubtless more keenly felt than by any others. It was their fatherland and to their credit I must say that I found them invariably to cherish a strong love for it, poor and rude though it may be. But after the first excitement of see- ing and speaking to the people in the shore -boats, was over, they settled down into a calm, desponding sort of enjoyment, and in the dog watch gathered into a little knot upon the top-gallant forecastle, and gazing upon the loved shore, talked of home, 60 WHALING AND FISHING. of the happy days they had there enjoyed, and of the r present prospects, and hopes of some day being able to settle down in comfort there, with the fruits of their hard labors. A great many Western Island Portuguese find employment in American whalemen; almost every vessel sailing from New Bedford carrying more or less of them. They are a quiet, peaceful, inoffen- sive people, sober and industrious, penurious, al- most to a fault, and I believe, invariably excellent whalemen. They are held in great esteem by ship owners and captains, but are often despised by their shipmates in the forecastle, who seeing them of such different habits to their own, choose to decry them as sneaks, and tale-bearers. I found them quite the reverse; and with one or two exceptions, those with us were the only indi- viduals of the crew with whom I could associate with any degree of pleasure. Brought up in the most abject poverty, it is natural that they should be saving and refuse to waste their hard earned money for trifles or in dissipation, as is the fashion with sailors in general. They have moreover an object in life, which is never lost sight of in all their wanderings and toils It is their hope some day to be able to set- tle down on their native islands, among their friends and ki idred, and with the savings of yeurs of hard labor, to spend their latter years in peace ful retirement. Very many, I have been inform- ed, have lived to realize this day-dream, ard DIVIDING THE SPOILS. 61 ig the few hundreds of dollars, which is the sum of th.^ir savings, have returned to live at ea*>e in the home of their youth. It is not possible that mec who cherish such recollections, and en- ter on life with such hopes and determinations, should fall to the depths of depravity and vice in which whalemen generally lose themselves. Early on the morning succeeding our arrival in port, several large boatloads of fruit, with some potatoes, and half a dozen razor-backed pigs were brought along side and taken on board. Im- mediately thereafter we once more got under weigh, and departed on our long voyage. When the anchor was stowed and all snug for sea, the oranges which had been brought on board were divided among the crew, each one receiving a share to take care of, and eat as he saw fit. This is the usual manner of proceeding in such cases, on board a whaleship, and prevents all after quarrels, inasmuch as each one can make as much of his hoard as he pleases. My share amounted to nearly three hundred. They lasted three weeks, and it was with an anx- ious desire for more that I put the last and jucicst one to my lips well knowing that many months would, in all probability, elapse before we should be favored with another run into port. Once more at sea, the old wearisome drudgery recommenced. Here a patch and there a mat, in c ne place a new rope, in another an old ono refit- lad, tarring ard slushing, scraping and scrubbing, 02 WHALING AND FISHING. day after day proceeded the labor of fitting the vessel's rigging, sails and deck for the endurance of a long season of neglect. Meanwhile we were keeping a stricter lookout for whales, hopeful that we might at this early part of our cruise fall in with and capture some "good fish." All the crew were now to some degree broken in to the sealife, and pretty soon the new hands began to claim for themselves great credit on the score of seamanship. With infinite pains they had been taught a few of the many splices, knots, and ties which all old tars have at their fingers' ends. With doleful groans they had prac- ticed running aloft, until the first emotions of fear and dizziness had worn off. By dint of steady per- severance they were now able to chew tobacco without being nauseated, and to spit about the decks without feeling that they were committing a dirty trick. As for swearing, I must own that that accomplishment they seemed to master without any apparent effort. They could hitch up their suspenderless trowsers, and cock their hats on "three hairs," in a manner faintly resembling that supposed to be peculiar to the genuine tar : and so they called themselves sailors. They had arrived at the summit of their tree of knowledge, and did not fail to congratulate themselves upon the pros- pect stretching out before them. Alas! they had one more mortification to un- dergo one more difficulty to overcome, yet an- other branch of the business to familiarize them- IN THE BOATS. G3 Solves with, before they would be even whalemen and what old salt does not know that there is as much difference between a whaleman ac i a true sailor, as there is between a child's tin trum- pet and the bugle which calls to battle. To tell the truth, I, in virtue of being a real, genuine tar, despised these fellows from the bottom of my heart; and it must be owned, they hated me with a fervor which was only equaled by its powerlessness. But to return to my story. We were three days out from Fayal, and had by the aid of a favorable breeze, left the lofty Peak of Pico many miles be- hind us, when coming upon deck one morning, wo found a dead calm, a tolerably smooth sea, and a thin hazy atmosphere, which, to the old whalemen aft, looked like whaling ground. Shortly after breakfast word was passed to man the boats, to take some practice in pulling and maneuvering, in order that our crew might not be entirely un- prepared, should we be so fortunate as to fall in with whales. The various boats-crews had been chosen when we were but a few days out at sea, and each indi- vidual had received some general instructions as to his particular duties. And here it will be as well to initiate the reader into the manner in which a boat's crew is divided, and what is each one's duty. Each boat is laanned by six hands in all; of these the officer or boat-header as he is st^ led, and the boatsteerer, or harpooneers- 64 WHALING AND FISHING. man art two. The four men at the oars are called, beginning at the bow, the bow-oarsman, midship- oarsman, tub-oarsman, and stroke-oarsman. It 's the duty of the first named, aside frcm his laboi at the oar, to assist the boat-header in getting out his lances, when about to kill the whale. He takes them out of their beckets, takes off and stows away the sheaths which envelope the lance-heads, and when hauling on the whale to lance, his par- ticular office is to hold the line at special places on the bow, to keep the boat in a convenient situation to reach the whale. As being nearest to the seer e of operations, and the boat-header's right hand man, the bow-oarsman's place is considered one of spec- ial honor, and he is first on the list for promotion, The midship-oarsman is chosen with especial regard to his length of limb and stoutness of mus- cle, as he wields the longest and toughest oar in the boat. The tub-oarsman throws water upon the line when the whale is sounding rapidly, tc prevent it from igniting from the violent friction ; while the man at the stroke oar, as the name denotes, gives stroke to the rest in pulling, and is also of material service to the boat-steerer in keep- ing clear the line, and coiling it down as it is haul- od in. The name& of the officers are scarcely expres- aive, at least to a landsman, of their duties. The two most important operations, and those requir- ing most skill in their execution, in capturing a whale, are those of "going on to him'* Jo harpoon, DUTIES OF THE BOAT'S CREW. 65 and killing him, when onee fast. Of course the boat-header takes the most responsible positions in these maneuvers; and consequently lie steers the boat till the whale is harpooned which office is performed by the boat-steerer. Immediately thereafter the two change places, the boat-headei taking charge of the bow, to give the whale the death blow. It is a very unfrequent occurrence, to kill a whale at the first blow, with the harpoon. Whales are so easily "gallied" or frightened, that it is con- sidered an object to get a harpoon solidly fastened in almost any place, the lance being always count- ed on to deal out death to him. I may add here that I had been chosen bow- oarsman for the chief mate's boat, an honor where- at I was not a little elated, the more particularly as [ had never before made a whaling cruise, and was therefore entirely inexperienced. Well, we lowered the boats. All was of course, bustle and confusion. Many of the crew had never in their lives been inaboat; and those who had, evi- dently viewed the long, narrow, shallow, and slen- der boats used for whaling, as exceedingly suspi cious contrivances, very little to be depended upon It being a calm day, the crews were directed to "follow the boat down" that is to say, to slide down by the side of the vessel, abreast of their respective boats, in readiness to jump in as soon as the boatfe touched the water. In endeavoring U> jump into his boat the ship just at that mo- 5 66 WHALING AND FISHING. meiit giving an unexpected lurch one of ourawk ward squad dropped into the water, coming up p tiffing and blowing, some distance astern, t:> the intense amusement of all lookers on. But this was only the beginning of the day's sport. Although the sea wore a smooth surface, lucre was sufficient of a ground swell to make the use of oars, a matter of some difficulty to thosi who for the first time held them in their bauds. Having gotten the four boats in a line, tbe mate proposed a race; and at the word, we started. Racing, however, was soon found to be out of the question. The first thing to be taught the green - hands, was to keep stroke to place their oars in the water all at the same time, and lift them out again with one motion. The necessity for this being perfectly under- stood, we tried again. But^now our fellows began to " catch crabs." As the swell would lift the ooat, those not paying strict attention would fail to reach the water with the blades of their oars : and not meeting with the resistance upon which they had counted, would incontinently tumble over on their backs, heels high in mid-air, heads under the seats, and oars dangling about pretty much at random. However, after a goodly number of mis haps of this kind, all our own boat's crew arrived at a proper understanding of the first principles of pulling, or " rowing." as landsmen would say, and after two or perhaps, \nree days -.rial and practice,we could propel our boat at BLACK-FISH. 61 speed. Eventually my shipmates made most excel- lent oarsmen, and won themselves laurels in several contests of speed with crews much n.ore expe- rienced than ours. AYe were favored with an almost continual suc- cession of fair breezes, till we nearcd the line, where the customary calms and light winds gave us occasion for a little more working ship than we had until then, been used to. A strict look out was continually kept, but no spouts greeted the wearied eyes of our look-out men. On the line, however, one Sabbath morning, a school of black-fish passed quite near the vessel, and of course we lowered for them, but few whalemen observing the Sabbath when whales are in ques- tion. Black -fish are a small species of whale, tolerably hard to catch, as they have none of the regularity of movement which is characteristic of their linger cousins, the sperm and right whales. They make but little oil when caught but to a whaleman all is fish that spouts. The fish were themselves evidently in high spirits, running about in every direction, breach- ing, making the water fiy with their flukes, and acting out all manner of queer antics. None of the caution and silence usually observed on lowering after sperm whales was therefore necessary, and previously instructed as to the nature of the business we were upon, and that it was to be con- sidered more in tho light of sport, than as a serious 68 WIIALIXG AXD FISHING. grasp at wealth, we tumbled into the boats, laugh ing and shouting in high glee. Four hours of hard pulling, now backing, now laying quickly round, and again bending to our oars with all our strength, always within a boat's length or two, but never within dart of the mis- chievous fish, convinced us that although doubt- loss it is high sport to the black -fish, it is anything but fun to those whose bone and sinew is brought in requisition in a fruitless chase of them. Now the whole school were right ahead of the boats, and it was "pull boys, and we'll strike one this rising." But just before we got within dart- ing distance, when even the iron was already poised in the boatsteerer's hands, ready to "give it to him," the provoking fellows would toss their heads and disappear from view beneath the water. Lying still a moment, we would hear a puff im- mediately behind us, and lo ! there they lay, at heads and points, like a lot oi overgrown pickled herring, and apparently with no idea of quitting that place for some time. " Pull starboard back your port oars!" shouts the mate, in the greatest excitement, as with a few vast sweeps of his steering oar he lays the boat round. With half a dozen vigorous strokes VQ send the boat right to the spot whence they lave but that moment disappeared. The. next we ice of them may be at the distance of half a mile, tnd off we scour, nf or them, each boat's crew WHAT WHALEMEN EAT. 00 eager to be rirst at the scene of operations, but all too late, for after sticking their ugly heads out of the water for some time, as though too, lazy to float in the usual horizontal position, they are off again. Four hours of such sport prepared us to enjoy n much more substantial and elegantly prepared repast than awaited us when wearied and disap- pointed, we returned on board. And this brings me to the consideration of that portion of life, which I have noticed seems on ship-board to be considered the main and most important part of existence, namely, eating. What to eat, must be a matter of much thought with men who have nothing but the regularly recurr- ing meal times to break the dreary monotony of every day life. Men long for excitement ; and as idlers on shore discuss the news of the day, and settle the des- tinies of nations after their own ideas of justice and policy so do ship captains and mates take into serious consideration the fate of certain hickens. ducks, and pigs, and enter into long- dcd discussions as to the proper time and best method of preparing these animals for the table, while forecastle Jack growls at the cook about the ill-prepared bean soup and the raw duff, .he moldy rice, or half-cooked beef which is set before him.. The provisions for the forecastle in a whaleship, differ but very little in kind from those of a man- of-war, yet there is no regular allowance, a suf 70 WHALING AND FISHING. ticiency to satisfy the appetites of all being at all times furnished. In several matters, however, whaleships are better provided than either the naval or merchant service. 1 n the first place, as on such long voyages, whore, too, the vessel is for many months at a time cruising about at sea, men are very liable to attacks of scurvy, captains and owners take care to have constantly, so long as they can be procured, a plentiful supply of potatoes a luxury which is unknown in the navy, and not always found in the merchant service. Again, as everything is tightly stowed away in large, well made casks, provisions of all kinds are much better preserved than on any other voyages. This is particularly the case with the bread or biscuit, which will be found of excellent quality in a whaleship three or four years from home, while in a naval vessel it is often worm-eaten worthless trash when but a few months out. But if the provisions are good, the cooks are as a general thing execrable realizing the old pro- verb, which ascribes a totally opposite origin to the victuals and those who prepare them. Our cook was a negro, whose only virtue was cleanli- ness. His cooking stove was always bright and polished, and the copper-sheathed floor of his galley served excellently as a mirror, wherein his shining black face was reflected in a hundred different attitudes and contortions. lie changed bis linen much oftene** than the captain, and THE COOK. 71 devoted more time to the straightening out of nis kink} locks than the veriest city dandy. He was a full bred exquisite, and withal a very Hercules in strength and agility. As a man lie aras respectable as a cook abominable. His bean soup was an abortion his rice, a tasteless jelly. *nd the duff that potent breeder of heart-bun i indigestion, and dyspepsia, even in the iron bound stomach of a sailor veached under his hands the very acme of indigestibility. Happily it is one of the rules peculiar to tho culinaiy department of a whaleship, that whoevei will arrange a private meal for himself is allowed space in the oven to cook it. So when matters came to extremes, and even my sea-appetite rebel- 'ed at the unsavory morsels brought up in regular Bourse of cookery, I was used to prepare a dinner or a supper for myself, which although not much superior in point of artistic culinary arrangement, "vns yet digestible. CHAPTER V. DESIRING to procure a large supply of potatoes for our whaling cruise, the captain had determined to make a day's stay at the Island of Tristan d'Acunha, a place seldom visited except by whale- ships in want of stores, and one which I had long desired to see. Meantime we were still engaged in refitting the vessel, and had now gotten so far along that we could see the end of our labors. It is customary in the merchant service, even in the worst of ships, to allow the men who have had two watches on deck the preceding night, to rest during the watch from eight to twelve A. M. On board :ur vessel however, it was an object to get all the work finished up before we got upon whaling ground, and therefore all hands were compelled to work all day that is, from eight A. M. to six p. M. in addition to keeping regular watches all A SABBATH DAY'S WORK. ;:) night. Those who grumbled at this arrangement, among whom 7 was conspicuous, received for consolation the information that once upon the whaling ground, no work whatever, not absolutely necessary, would be required. After living amid tar, slush arrd dirt all the week, Saturday r>ight when the decks were washed down, and all work put out of sight and Sabbath, were seasons of peculiar enjoyment to all, and to none more than myself, who then had a little time for reading, from which I was debarred during working days. Sunday was with us, at this time, a day for general shaving, washing, and scrubbing. Salt water is too "hard" to wash in with comfort, and in consideration of our labors during the week, we were on Saturday night indulged in two quarts of fresh water per man, with the aid of which we succeeded pretty well in removing the stains of the past week. Mending, too, was in order on the Sabbath. The Portuguese among our crew had been wise enough to choose their own outfit. I had needed but little clothing, but had taken some light drilling in- stead, to make up for myself shirts and trowsers, an art in which I was by this time quite a pro- ficient. The new hands had taken whatever the outfitters had chosen to say they needed, and some of them had been woefully cheated. Woollen shirts which, after the first washing, one could pull to pieces as though made of tow 74 WHALING AND FISHING. and cotton trowsers which blew apart as thej hung in the rigging to dry, such was, with thiec or four exceptions, the quality of their supply of clothing for a four years cruise. Some there were however, who had fallen into better hands, and these had deceived the worth of their money in pood substantial clothing. Green hands often prefer while yet in port, to deal with the very men who afterward cheat them so outrageously for the reason that these will, in most cases, advance them small sums of money during their stay on shore, to be charged as clothing in the bill, while the honest dealer ignores all such transactions. Thus the inexpe- rienced and unthinking often for the sake of a little indulgence on shore, sacrifice their comfort during the greater part of a cruise. It is not expected however, that the clothing 6btained of the outfitters shall last the crew the entire cruise. And as clothing stores are not known in the vicinity of many of the whaling grounds, the captains are provided by the owner with a " slop-chest," furnished with all articles which are likely to be wanted for the particular voyage upon which the vessel is bound. These slop- chests were in former timos the perquisites of the vaptains, and they oi ten made immense profits upon their investments; from two to three hundred per cent being considered only an average return. Many complaints were made about this system of extortion, by v r hich. as one of our boatsteerers PA 7V // UPON PA 7V //. 1) ( ) V 5 shrewdly observed, a man was compelled "either to be skinned or go naked;" and the mutter is iiu\v almost altogether taken out of the hands cf captains. The owners affix a price to each tide in the chest, and at that it is sold to the needy. Yet these prices are sufficiently high, four years interest and something additional for ne- cessary loss being charged upon the cost price of each article, on such a voyage as that we were upon; making in all about thirty per cent. Fashion, I believe, generally takes its rise either in the desire to conceal a deformity, or in the ne- cessities of the tailor. Among whalemen, who perform all tailoring operations for themselves, necessity has brought in vogue a fashion called " patch upon patch, and a patch over all;" and to such an extent does this prevail that it is said among sailors "you may know a whaleman by his patched shirt." A man has two shirts, both nearly worn cut. lie puts one inside the othei'j and quilts both to- gether with woollen yarn, then places additional patches over the spots which yet appear frail, and congratulates himself upon the possession of a shirt which will last him, with care, for the bal- ance of his natural life. The Sabbath is a day of uninterrupted rest, previous to the arrival of the vessel upon her destined cruising ground. And on such days, when the weather is fair, all hands, with smooth faces and clean shirts, bring on deck their clothes 70 WHALING AND FISHING. to air them, while such as have them, look over letters, and tokens from the "folks at home," and luxuriate in the remembrance of past joye and pleasures. Two of our mates were engaged to bo married on their return from the voyage we were now upon, and these poor fellows used on pleasant Sabbaths, to bring on deck the miniatures of their sweethearts at home. Looking at them, they read over their letters, and, carefully unwrapping them from multitudinous envelopes, gloated over such little love-tokens as they had received on their departure. The captain and chief mate w.ere both married men. The former was a quiet, sad looking gentle- manly man, much better fitted for the shore, than for the rough life of exposure and privation in which his lot had been cast. He had sailed in the merchant service in his youth, and from this cir- cumstance, I, who was a " merchant sailor," was quite a favorite with him. On one quiet genial Sabbath day, when we had been nearly three months from home, I was stand- ing at the helm, with eyes half closed, little mind- ing the ship, which was lazily swinging upon the swell, the breeze being scarcely sufficient to give her steerage way. The captain was lying upon a mattrass, near the taifrail, reading. Presently, closing the book, he asked me how I thought 1 should like whaling. Not having as yet had any practical trial of the business, I could not give him a definite answer. TIIKCAPTAIS'H WHAL1&G EXPERIENCE. 77 " It's a wretched business." said the old man, seriously " a wretched business. I suffer more and more every cruise I m-ake. When I was yet a young man, the matter appeared to me in a different li Land, ho ! " from the mast- nead, happily brought my wandering thoughts back to the present, and dispelled the gloomy fan > cies which were beginning to crowd my brain. To think is not part of the regular business of a sailor; and to be afflicted with thoughts beyond the mere present, must ever be to him a source of rii AS' 7', 1 A" If A CUNIIA . 79 181 < i: uiilia]'j>incss. It is to drown troublcson.c that Jack flics to the inebriating cup, and pLuiiOH madly into the lowest dissipation. The land, which seemed as yet but a dark blue 3j oik on the horizon, was the island of Tristan d A CUM ha, which we had been expecting for some djiys to see. Toward evening the breeze fresh- ened, and the following day, at 8 o'clock, we were hove to abreast of the only landing place upon the island, there being no harbor or sheltered anchor- age for vessels. Tristan d 1 Acunha is the largest of a group of islets in the South Atlantic, nearly midway be- een the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn, and n about latitude 37 degrees South, and longitude 12 degrees West. The other islands are named Nightingale, and Inaccessible Island. Off the lat- ter, Commodore (at that time Commander) Bid- die, with whom I made my first cruise of three years, in the Navy, fought an action, during the war of 1812, with the British brig Penguin, ho biMMir at that time in command of the Hornet. The battle lasted twenty-two minutes, when the British vessel struck her colors and surrendered. Our old Commodore used to wear, on gala days. f he identical coat Tvhich he wore that day in action a small patch on the right arm, being the mark of an enemy's bullet, by which he that day re- coived a wound. With a prodigality character- istic of such an old sailor as he was, he wore upon so wiiALfxa AM> this coat very large flat buttons, each the _ize of a Spanish Doubloon, and made of pure gold. Tristan, as the island is familiarly called by sea- men, presents to view an immense peak, rising from the ocean to the hight of over eight thousand feet, At the base of this mountain there is a nar- row belt of arable land, upon which is settled the little solony which makes this dreary spot remark- able. Next to the settlement of Pitcairn's island, there is probably no more interesting or romantic instance of colonization on record, than is con tained in the story of old Governor Glass, as he styles himself, and his subjects and children. During the imprisonment of the Emperor Napo- leon on the island of St. Helena, the British sta tioned garrisons on all the out-of-the-way rocks, within a circuit of hundreds, and even thousands of miles. Among others Tristan d' Acunha was chosen as the location of a troop of English sol- diers. Upon the death of Napoleon, these pre cautionary measures were no longer necessary and as the barren rock of Tristan does not lie in the path of vessels bound round the Cape, the garrison was taken off. Among the soldiers was one Glass, who had conceived the romantic idea of settling on this desolate island, after the manner of a Robinson Crusoe. Escaping tc the mountains ^ hen the ship whicL was to bear his fellows to the Cape was ready tt> sail, he was left. He remained for three ye&rs in THE SETTLEMENT AT TRISTAN 81 solitude upon the island, cultivating a little garden spot, and amusing himself by exploring the moun- tain fastnesses, and killing goats, with which tho island at that time abounded. At the end of this time an outward bound Indiaman which had gotten out of her latitude, hove in sight saw bis signal, and bore him to the Cape. Here he remained a sufficient time to marry a half-breeci native woman, and to earn himself an outfit for the novel life to which he intended to return ; and then, engaging passage in a schooner bound to St. Helena, he was landed on Tristan, where he has been living ever since, in contentment and happiness. In due course of time sons and daughters were born to his house, and with their aid he was able to so extend his agricultural operations, as to have potatoes and mutton to sell to passing vessels. The island now became a convenient calling-place for American whaling vessels bound to the Cro- zets, and was also visited occasionally by home- ward bound Indiamen, mainly to gratify the desire of the passengers to behold with their own eyes this wonderful little settlement in the wilder ness of waters. From the sailors of these vessels, the colony received accessions, and these new -come] s in time became husbands to the old patriarch's daughters. His sons (he had eighteen children ;n all but mostly girls) remained with him until 6 82 WHALING AM) FISIIIXG. they grew up to man's estate, when several of them chose themselves wives from among the Portuguese inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope, and settled for life under the rule of their lather, who now styled himself Governor. Two ciucnid the American whaling service, where they hiivc become expert whalemen, and were oflicer.s in & New London vessel at the time of our visit to tli*3 island. They too have brought their families to Tristan, which lies at a comparatively small distance from the Crozets, and Desolation-, the whaling ground of the vessel in which they are engaged. At the time of our visit the colony numbered one hundred and one souls, a little child born but a few days before our arrival, making the first of the new hundred. There had never been a death on the island since its first settlement. The old grvernor rules supreme, with a patriarchal sway, over the entire settlement. All trade with passing vessels is carried on by him. and all property is held in common. The narrow belt of land, about three hundred acres, which is arable, is cultivated in common, and each receives of the proceeds according to his need. Upon the arrival of a vessel each famil\ Btates its necessities to the Governor, \v~ho bar tore his produce in exchange for such articles as are needed. The "almighty dollar'* is not reccgnized fts & medium of exchange. With ;he produca of OOV. &LASS AND HIS I\\MILY. ;Leir land, and their herds of sheep and cattle they are able to provide abundantly for thcii cornforr; and further they seek not. Jn the arrangement and harmonious currying en of his government, the old man's many daugh- teis have doubtless been of incalculable advantag* to him, in procuring him numerous obedient sona in-law, who, by a law he has enforced from the beginning, must never leave the island. At tlu time of our visit all the marriageable women wcr<: already disposed of. The colony did not there- fore stand in need of any extraneous accessions; else would I have been strongly tempted to have offered myself as a settler, so delightful did their peaceful and independent mode of life seem to me, The women, who are robust and fine looking, use the rifle, the fish spear, and the oar, with a skill equal to that of their husbands a:id brothers. Their dwellings are comfortable cottages, mainly built of stone, of which there is an abundance. The village lies in a little sheltered nook in front, the vast ocean, and back of it, towering abruptly skyward, the immense cone wlr'eb constitutes the greater part of the island. To the right of the village and landing is the r arrow strip of land which they cultivate. Their flocks and herds, not nnmeious but thrifty, rou'j, in summer over the basn of the mountain, and &long the narrow belt of level laud which rune urjund the island. In win- ter, 1 was told, they wore obliged to keep them nearer home, as in btormy weather cattle were- 84 WHALING AND FISIITXG. frequently lost in the immense rifts and fissaree everywhere visible on the sides of the mountain, and which proclaim the volcanic origin of the island. The main cone is. in fact, an extinct volcano, and we were informed that in its crater there is a beautiful lake of pure fresh water, from which issue numerous rivulets running down the side** cf the mountain and emptying into the sea. Fishing seemed to form one of the important avocations of the colonists. They had several fine whalehoats. As we pulled toward the shore two boats' crews were engaged with hook and line. They shared with us in the evening the proceeds of a very successful day's sport. The fish caught are principally bonita, Spanish mackerel, bara- cmta. and a smaller kind of mackerel, such as are met with on the American shores. They have upon the island a breed of very beautiful, long-haired dogs, somewhat resembling m expressiveness of features the Newfoundland, hut not so heavily framed. I was pained to see several of these fine animals limping about with huge billets of wood tied to one fore foot. These were inveterate sheep-killers, and this was the manner in which they were prevented from com- tnittii.g their depredations. We hove-to off the landing at 8 o'clock, A. M. Shortly after Governor Grlass came along side, in a whaleboat. He was at that time, he said, eighty- five years old, but walked as erectly, and had ae TRISTAN D'ACUNIIA. 85 much fire in his little grey eyes, as a man of forty After the usual inquiries as to where we were from, whither bound, and what we desired to obtain of h''n, he produced a list of articles which he desired to obtain in exchange, valuing his potatoes, the only article we had come there to purchase, at one dollar per bushel. The calico, knives, and other matters which he desired, were gotten out, and lowering one of our boats, the captain proceeded to the shore with the governor, to take dinner with him, at his residence. In the course of the day our boats brought off the supply of potatoes which our captain had purchased, and at dark we stood off on our voyage. I think I never saw a more dreary view than the island presents from the sea. The vast waves of the Atlantic beat against the rock-bound sides, with a sullen roar which almost deafens one. The mountain's top is enveloped in a thick cloud of mist, which fills the atmosphere sometimes far down toward its base ; and the air, even on shore, is strongly impregnated with the dampness pecu- liar to the ocean. Huge, gloomy albatrosses, and dreary little cape pigeons darted in great numbers from place to place, their shrill, discordant screams supplying an unpleasant falsetto to the bass f tho bellowing surf. .So powerfully does the sea beat against the rocks, that even in the village, toward evening when the breeze had freshened to half a gale of wind, on was obliged to speak at the top of his 86 WIIALIXd A XI) FIKHIXG. \ oice, in order to be heard. It seemed more like u little spot of land set adrift upon the sea, than like a veritable fastness, impregnable to the as Kn tilts of old Ocean. It is an isolated spot, ana the good people who make it their home have, to all intents and purposes, dissolved all connection with the rest of mankind. I should think it a glorious place from which to meditate upon the vanity of those pursuits in which men in the great world engage with the greatest avidity. How unimportant must appear to these dwellers in the wilderness of waters, those daily strifes and toils which engross the lives of so many in civilized lands, and which we are used to look upon as so all important. How like a fancy sketch, or per- haps, more like a communication from another planet, must seem to them the accounts in the chance papers they receive, of those wars, revolu tions, and ambitious struggles, which set that distant world agog, and furnish food for excited thought to millions of men for years of time. How like a dream, or romantic fiction, must appear cotemporary history, to a child born and raised in this out-of-the-way spot. The night on which we left Tristan was dark and storm-portending. As the wind was fair, how- ever: we ran along under whole top-sails, keeping a bright look-out ahead. During my trick at the helm, from twelve to two in the middle watch, the startling cry of " hard up! "from the mate and the man on 1 )ok-out, brought half the watch below A on deck, under the impression that we were about to run into some unthonght of danger. Tt was the hull of a vessel, mastless, and lying upon her beam ends, which we had nearly gotten foul of. The sea ran too high for us to have heard a cry, had there been any one on the wreck, and the night was too dark to distinguish aught else than a huge shapeless mass, wallowing in the waves which broke against it. We shortened sail instantly, and lay -to till day- break, in order to ascertain beyond doubt whether or no the wreck was tenantless. But when day broke, the hulk had disappeared, and after cruis- ing about the spot for two hours, we were reluc- tantly compelled to stand on our course not knowing but that to that wreck some poor wretch was clinging with the fixed grasp of despair, hoping against hope that his faint cry would bo heard above the roar of the sea. With a favoring breeze the thousand miles of ocean which separate Tristan from the Cape of Good Hope were soon left behind us. It was upon a sunny forenoon, as we were rushing through the water, before the wind, with top- mast and lower studding sails set on both sides, that wo witnessed a most beautiful and exciting race. The log had just been hove, and proclaimed the Bhip to 1 e running at the rate of twelve knots por hour, or a mile e^cry five minutes. Just then, and while we, who had superintended the reeling ap of the line, were still upon the poop, four large 88 WHALING AND FISIIIN&. porpoises came leaping over the waves, abreast. Unlike their usual course, which ib to run counter to the direction of the wind, theso four were racing before the wind, in a direction parallel to our own. Every moment they leaped out of the water, each leap seeming as though they were propelled from the mouth of a gun, so rapid and direct was the motion. Every muscle of their supple bodies was evidently strained to its utmost tension, and their bright eyes were fairly standing out from the sockets, while their short, cough -like spouts, seemed like the panting of racers. Thus they flew by us, overtaking arid passing us as though we had been lying at anchor. Their rate as they passed, we supposed, must have been nearly twenty -five miles per hour. A few days with such a breeze brought us to our whaling ground, which was, so the mates informed us, along the coast of Madagascar. "Madagascar," said one of our factory boys to me one day, privately, as not feeling quite certain that he was not exposing an unusual degree of ignorance in asking the question, "that is the place where the raisins are brought from ; is it not? I never thought that was so far off. I think we'll get some when we go ashore there." He hnd evidently heard of Malaga, and failed to dist.L guish between the two names. It was finally determined that -we should sail up the Mozambique channel, in the hope of tht-re meeting with some schools which our captain PLEASING ANTICIPATIONS. 80 knew from previous experience, to frequent those parts of the sea at certain seasons. It is needless to say that we were greatly rejoiced at the thought of having at last reached whaling ground. Any change was welcome, which would relieve us of the monotonous hard labor which we had experienced hitherto on board. " What glorious times those will be, when we shall have nothing at all to do but to steei the vessel, and keep a look out for whales," was the universal opinion. We shall see how happy is the being who has his time unemployed. CHAPTER VI. "So WE are at last upon our cruising ground," said all, with a great degree of satisfaction, as orders came forward one evening, that at sundown we would shorten sail, and heave to for the night. It seemed like a fulfillment of one purpose of our voyage, and as it made a break in the monotony of our life, all hailed the fact with pleasure. So much had been said of "good whaling ground," "cruising grounds," etc., that even I was looking for some peculiarity in the color of the water, the strength of the breeze, or the quality of the atmosphere, to distinguish this from the other parts of the ocean. But there was nothing of the kind. The sea was as deeply blue, the breezes as gentle, and the air as hazy as it gene- CRUISING GROUND. 01 hy is in those portions of the tropics where steady .IK'S prevuil. "Cruising ground" is a very indefinitely defined portion of the sea, chosen by each captain according to his particular fancy, >r -is the experience of previous voyages may elate. Our captain had cruised on these shores, and up the Mozambique channel on his last voyage had met with tolerable success and now returned to the same place in hopes that his good fort une would be renewed. JS T ew cruising grounds are continually being discovered by enterprising shipmasters, who steer boldly for those parts of the East Indian seas but little frequented by merchant vessels; and often make great voyages. Some years ago the captain of a New Bedford ship, on speaking a merchant- ' man, was informed that near a certain part of the toast of the island of Ceylon, great numbers of whales had been seen that year. His Yessel was then a year out from home, and so poorly had they hitherto prospered, that, in whaleman's language, "they had scarce oil enough on board to grease their irons." Ascertaining the precise latU tude and longitude in which whales had been met, and judging from the description given of them, that they were beyond doubt sperm whales, the captain made all sail for the place, and found whales in such plenty that he was enabled in little more than a year's time, to fill up his ship. They were mostly cow whnles. who had probably found this a new and pleasant haunt, where they hoped 92 W HALING AND FISHING. to rear their young undisturbed, with no one "to molest them, or make them afraid." When their vessel arrived at New Bedford, the captain was immediately transferred to another ship, and taking with him all his officers, sailed back to the scene of his good fortune, and was successful in filling his ship again in a very bhort time. But by this time other ships had gotten on his track, and when he returned thither on his third voyage, he found the ground occupied by a fleet, and whales scarce. All kinds of maneuvers are practiced by whale- men to conceal their cruising ground, when they have, as in the above instance, met with unusually good " luck." When compelled to go into port for water or "refreshments," (a whaling term, signify- ing fruits and fresh provisions generally) they will make it a point to visit some place at a distance from the newly discovered ground. If while in port they are boarded by other whalemer both officers and crew preserve the most stubborn silence as to the location of their "ground, "or else give the inquirers false directions. And if, as is not unlikely, they find themselves followed when starting on their return, they adopt 'the most ingenious expedients to mislead the strangers. JV't a secret of this kind can scarcely ever b kept more than two voyages. It is in the posses- sion of too many persons, and too many keen eyed whalemen are striving to fathom it. Whales are so persistently chased and worried 93 Qow-a-days, by the great fleets which annually sail from whaling ports of the United States, that they often emigrate in a body, and change their locality by thousands of miles. So it happens that parts of the sea which were years ago famous cruising grounds, are now entirely deserted, while every 3*ear new grounds are discovered, and the enter- pi isirg discoverer rewarded with a full snip, and a speedy clearance for home. While making a passage, a whalcship is managed much as merchant vessels are. The crew is divided into two parts or watches, and all the regulations in regard to making and taking in sail, which prevail in the merchant service, arc here also enfoned. But once on whaling ground, the whole economy of the ship is changed. Each boat's crew nu\v constitutes a watch, of itself, and the night, from six P. M. to six A. M., is divided between them, making in a four boat ship three hours to each. During the day the vessel stands along under easy sail, for days together tacking and beating to windward: then if no whales arc seen, going off before the wind, or returning to the leeward extreme of that portion of the ocean the captain has marked out for his "grounds," only again to bca 1 slowly back to the windward end. Lonq; tacks are made, and no expedient neglected for making a thorough survey of the surface sailed over At sundown each day the light sails are taken in, the topsail close reefed, and the vessel ia then brought close to the wind, with the sails so 04 WHALING A&D FISHING. balanced that she will lie nearly stationary, \vith the helm hard down. By wearing around once or twice during 1 the night, the actual progress made, s]>itc of the shortened sail, is as far as possible rendered nugatory, so that at daylight the following morning, when sail is again set, the vessel is as near as may be in the place where she was hove to on the preceding evening. Thus a thorough search is kept up, two men being constantly stationed at the mast-head, while frequently th-e captain or mate will sit aloft for hours at a time, keeping an additional look out. With all this vigilance and precaution, however, it is evident that the search for whales must be something after the manner of looking for a needle in a hay-stack; and unless the cruising ground is very limited in extent, which is by no means always the case, the discovery of a school may be properly counted under the head of the chapter of accidents. "When cruising, the day is passed in the most utter idleness. All hands are roused up at six o'clock, before which time it is not day in the tropics. Those who 'had the last or morning watch jump aloft, and loose the sails while the others are dressing. As soon as all hands are on deck, every sail is swayed up. The masthead- men then take their station, and the word is passed to "wash down, fore and aft." After the decks are thoroughly scrubbed, washed off, and dried, the cook announces breakfast, and mtb this the day's work is finished. After breakfast each one busies himself about his o\vu attains. Some mend their clothing, some read, some play cards, while yet others return content- edly to their bertns and doze off the long houre till dinner time. The afternoon is but a repetitioL of the forenoon, and with the exception of ar occasional call of all hands to "tack ship," and the necessary shortening sail at sunset, no one is called upon for labor of any kind. We had looked forward to this period with anticipations of great pleasure over worked as the crew was, on the entire outward passage. But man tires of nothing so quickly as a state of inactivity, and so we were not a week upon the whaling ground, ere every one complained of the weary monotony of such a life. Every one, that is to say, except our Portuguese. These seemed to be perfectly contented and happy. They had brought with them upon this voyage most of the clothing used by them on the voyage before, and had consequently much more mending, patchirg and quilting to do than the rest: more therefore, to engage mind and hands. And then, they had each undergone already one long voyage of ennui and their spirits were broken to it. By the time we had gotten a month's experience of the cruising ground, I no longer wondered at the wandering, lack-luster look, the shuffling walk, and awkward appearance generally, of your regular old whaleman. Ilig mind has been gradually killed out by lack of use 96 WHALING AND FISHING. -In the routine of duty, while cruising, the labor of drawing water for the matin washing of the decks, is the most severe that is performed Jl seems to be a principle in the whaling service that as there is exceedingly little work to be done that little should be made as laborious as possible, as a means of making the crew more contented in their leisure hours. Instead, therefore, of providing a head-pump, by means of which water could be pumped up from along -sid-e, it is al) drawn up by men stationed at the side for that purpose. This is exhausting labor, under any circumstances; but doubly severe when, as is often the case, the breeze is light, and the ship scarcely under headway. Under such circumstances the swinging of the huge awkward canvas bucket requires an outlay of strength which soon becomes a positive torture. It was shortly after our arrival upon the cruising ground that, being one morning over the side, drawing water, I for the first time experienced the effects of the poison contained in the nettle-like stings of the nautilus. It was a beautiful morning, and as is their wont at such times, the little argonauts had their sails spread, and could be seen in all directions, careering gallantly over the waves. By accident I caught one little fellow in my bucket, and in emptying him out, the mass of jelly (they are mere balls of jelly-like fibre) fell upon my bared arm. It was instantly washed off, but too late to save me from the sting. In a short time my arm assumed a purple color, and became slightly swollen. At first I experi- enced a titillating sensation, which, however, soon changed to a violent throbbing pain, and shortly a lump about as large as a peach appeared undei my arm-pit. The pain lasted about an hour, when it gradually subsided, and in two hours more, all evidences of the poison had disappeared. It was the intention of our captain to make the coast of Madagascar, about Cape St. Mary's, its southern extremity ; and taking thence a fresh departure, to cruise slowly up the Mozambique channel. Accordingly, a few days after we had entered upon our regular cruising tactics, the cry of " Land ho ! " broke upon the dull monotony of our life, and in a few hours we were close to a bold, barren bluff, which we were informed was the southern extremity of Madagascar. I viewed it with a great deal of interest, for it was a land 1 had long desired to see, having while yet at home, read much of its inhabitants, of its good king Eadama, and of the persecutions suffered by the missionaries and native Christians, after his death. Standing off again, after approaching sufficiently near to see distinctly all objects on the shore which, however, was to all appearance entirely desert, the vessel was now headed for the coast of Africa, distam from this point of Madagascar about one hundred and seventy miles. Each day the officers now became more arxious 7 08 WHALING AND FISHING. to see whales. It is quite usual with whalemen, at least to m>ct with whales on their outward passage, and not at all uncommon to take some valuable prizes before reaching the regulai t.Tiiising grounds. Up to this time, however, s\e Lad not yet seen a spout, except that of an occa- sional black-fish or finback, and had not succeeded in capturing even a porpoise. "We were now three months out and had not yet on board oil onough to keep a lamp alight in the forecastle a ead prospect for men to whom oil is the represen- tative of dollars, and blubber, of the native ore. "Five dollars" said the captain, one morning as the men repaired to the mastheads, " to the mar. that raises a sperm whale spout." " I'll put three pounds of tobacco to that," spoke up the mate. " And I a bunch of cigars," said the second mate. This set every one agog, and after breakfast the rigging and mastheads were crowded with men, eager to win the promised reward. But it was not on that day, nor the next, that we were to fall in with the objects of our search. Kot till we had been two weeks upon the ground, did we see a spout of any kind. Then one forenoon, a shrill, discordant scream, of " there ! she! blows!" from the fore-masthead, proclaimed that somebody thought himself entitled to the promised re \vard. All hards rushed upon deck, and the captain ard mate were half way to the royal riasthead THERE SHE BLOWS. 90 the repetition although in a very moderate tone, of the first cry, assured them that there wa in reality a spout seen. Casting his eyes in the lirection indicated by the masthead-man, the mate exclaimed at once, with a disappointed growl, " It's a fin-back, you leather-head, there's no prize offered for such." "I told him so," grumbled the boatsteerer who stood at the main-masthead, " but he would not believe anything I said, thinking I wanted to claim the prize for myself." Two days thereafter, as the mate stepped into the rigging, at daybreak, to take a preliminary survey, he shouted, in the utmost excitement, "there blows! there! there blows!! by the great horn spoon, boys ! a whole school just under our lee bow." All hands were upon deck in a moment, and the greater part of the crew at once jumped into the rigging, anxious to see at last a veritable sperm whale spout, and half prepared from the mate's excited manner, to see the whales themselves dose aboard. About two miles and a half off, on our lee bow, ft small school of what the captain, examining them with a good telescope, declared to be large whales, lay disporting themselves on the waves. now lazily rolling "fin up," now "lob-tailing,'* now making the white water fly, as they threw their vast bodies clear of their native a 00 WHALING AND FISHING. Sail was immediately made upon the ship, ana then, while the masthead-men with the captain, kept up the musical cry of "there blows!" varied occasionally by such ejaculations as " there's white water! " " there he lob-tails ! " " there he breaches ! " we h urriedly prepared the boats for the day's work before us. Line tubs were placed, and lines bent on, iron sheaths taken off, and a last whet- ting given to the irons, boats' gripes cast adrift, and oars loosened and laid in their proper places, water kegs filled, boat sails unlashed, and all the various minutiae duly attended to which experience has proven necessary for such occasions. All was life and bustle, and the stagnant pools of our blood were once more enlivened by a littlt real excite- ment. "There goes flukes!" from the masthead, proclaimed the close of the first scene of the day's drama, and immediately thereafter, "Breakfast all of you," from the cook, caused each man to rush hurriedly to the galley for Lis quota of hot slop coffee it is called by courtesy, but no one who had ever drunk Mocha, Java, or Eio, would own it to be such. Hastily washing down a couple of biscuits with this preparation, we were ready for the word to "man the boats," and were at the side as soon as the captain showed his head above the gangway. "Stand by to lower away, you ship-keepers," wa? the word now, and we prepared to follow the MAN OVERBOARD. 101 Doats down as they were lowered, ready to leap into them as soon as they shoild strike the water. In attempting this feat, one of the second niece's 3rew mistook the distance, and fell into the water, from which he was fished up, sputtering and shivering, receiving from the captain the consola- tory advice to " never mind that, as it was all clean u r ater down there." It was a beautiful morning. There was just enough of breeze to make the sails of more use than the oars, and sufficient sea to admit of an easy approach to whale. The glorious sunrise, such a scene as ib to be witnessed only in the tropics, the balmy air, and the unwonted excite- ment, all united to put us in excellent spirits, and many a joke was exchanged on prospective mishaps, as we put up our boat sails and set out for the scene of action. The position which each of the four boats was to take had been previously arranged, and as the whales had not appeared to be in motion when first seen, it was supposed that they would rise not far from the place where they had gone down. Accordingly, when we judged ourselves within about a quarter of a mile of this spot wo hove to our boat, preferring to remain at that distance to windward, as it would be easy enough to sail down, but more difficult to pull up, d id we fall to leeward. The other boats were shortly hove to likewise, and 102 WHALING AND FISHING. now \vc lay in silence," awaiting the reappearance of our prey. Every eye and ear was on the alert, ready to ( atch the Slightest motion or sound ; for none could toll how soon the school would make their appear ance at the surface. "I thought I heard a spout," said the boat- stecrcr in. a whisper. In his eagerness 1 e had gotten upon the bow chock, anxiously peering over the waves as the boat was lifted upon the swell. A moment's silent listening convinced him that it was nothing but a sea-break, and we again strained our eyes for the expected sight. " There blows ! I told you I would see him first," said the mate, joyfully, as he pointed to a thin bushy spray just melting out of sight. "There blows again!" cried the boatsteerer, adding in a somewhat mortified tone, " I was looking another way, or I should have seen it first." "There, and there and there there blows! there are seven or eight big whales I can see them now from my place," continued Barnard, the boatsteerer, whom I was yet holding up on the bow chock, the dancing motion of the boat making it impossible for him to maintain that position unsupported. " Sit down now, and we'll sail s.owly down toward them ; I want to see in what direction they are going to stand." \Ve were nearest to the fish, and it was evident "GOING ON." 103 tli at no other boat but ours, could approach them favorably. ; Pull a little," said the mate. We shot her rapidly ahead with the oars for a fe\v strokes, and then peaked them agaii , the boat making good headway under her sail alone. We could now hear them spout, and when a- hjavy swell would come rolling home, would fancy we could hear their huge bodies burrowing through the water. It was a time of intense excitement. 'We'll have to stand across a little, in order to get up behind them," said the mate; it being impossible to approach a sperm whale unperceived from the side. After making a little detour, we again stood toward the school, and the mate singled out one huge fellow nearest us, and happily the largest of the school, as our prize. Each individual of the crew had received from the mate, on first lowering, some final instructions as to his especial duties, in case we should get fast; and we now sat stock still in the boat, oars firmly grasped and ready for instantaneous use, and ^arce breathing from excitement We were fust overtaking his whaleship. Xow the hoarse bellow, as he ejected the water from his spout holes, grew louder, and looking over my shoulder as the boat was lifted on a mighty swell. 1 saw the huge form of leviathan, stupidly rolling in the waves. 104 WHALING AND FISHING. "Stand up, you sir," the mate whispers to the ooatsteerer, a needless command, as that worthy Las not yet sat down, and now stands with iron poised in hand, and knee resting firmly on the lubber chock, ready for action. " Pull a little, starboard." The boat is laid round, to get a fairer chance. Now she rises on a wave and the fish seems almost under us, and now "Give it to him, you sir!" "And the other one!!" A heavy stroke of his flukes, which drenched us with spray, and the instantaneous whiz of the line through the chock, told that we were " fast." " Hurrah ! " shouted the glad boatsteerer, "wet line! wet line! don't you see it smoking in the chock?" Flake after flake of the line rushed overboard, with a rapidity almost beyond conception; one tub was already empty, and half the other was gone before a little slacking in the speed of its exit gave us to understand that the whale had "gone his length," and was now probably returning to the surface: an operation which would take out line nearly as fast as the first sounding, wero it not thut it is held back by several turns about the loggerhead in the stern. The mate had meantime taken his place in the bow and the lances were out, and lying in their rests when the whale reappeared on the surface some ship-lengths ahead, leaping nearly his entire length out of the water, LA.\('I\<; A WHALE. 105 and falling back with a report like distant thunder, and a splash which for the moment threatened to fill the boat. "Haul in slack line, boys, let's get up to him. 3 here he lies, quite still ; take your oars and pull uj." But tli weight of the line hanging overboard rendered t impossible to manage her, and we were compelled to get this in first. By this time the whale was slowly forging ahead, evidently scarcely knowing what course of action would be most politic under the circumstances. ' Now haul up." Having gotten a strain on the line, we pulled the boat on. But just as we got within dart, the whale again sounded not deep however, and when he reappeared, the rest of the school were with him, and they were going off at the rate of S3veral miles per hour, of course taking us with /hem. Now however, we hauled the boat up, and the mate sent a lance quivering mto his flesh but not into a fatal part, as we could not get far enough in advance of our fish to afford a fair change. With a splash of his flukes, the whale sounded ugain, and commenced running under wuter, a proceeding winch wae kept up durirg the whole of A chase which lasted from this time about half past eight till after four /clock, when occurred the ca .astrophe which ivound up our day's sport. 106 WHALING AND FISHING. The whales there were seven in all ran to the reeward, that is to say, in a direction parallel to lhat of the wind: contrary to their usual practice 'n such cases, which ; s to s'.art at once ri/diV ^n Uje teeth of the breeze. While their present course made it much easier for the boats to follow and perhaps catch up with us, it much increased the difficulty of our approach, for the purpose of lancing, as in such cases much care is requisite, else would the boat be dashed upon the whale by the billows which bore her onward. We had, however, lanced but twice both times ineffectually when the fish increased their speed to seven or eight miles per hour, and running almost continually under water, it was altogether impossible to reach our whale with the lance, even had we been able to get the boat sufficiently near to him. On, on, on we swept, the other boats, with sails and oars, pulling might and main to catch up with us, and the ship, with every rag of canvas set, bringing up the rear. Whenever there seemed a possibility of reaeh- iug the whale, the boat was hauled up arid a lanco duly hurled at him; but with little effect, as his wnall was the part most generally hit, and each wound seemed only to add to his speed. This was soon such as that the breeze having to some degree failed we were fast dropping ship and boats in the distance. THE RACE. 107 At one o'clock, l>y the sun, we ato our dinner, eonsihting of a biscuit and a pint of water per man vowing internally, and taking our empty etomaohs to witness, never again to get into a whaleboMt without previously filling our pockets with provisions. At two we saw the last of the boats, and shortly afterward the royals of our ship faded away in- the dim distance, leaving us quite alone with oui huge friends, who were still going along at the same rapid pace, and puffing away like so many Mississippi steamers. On, on, on, we were borne, seemingly as though never to stop. !Now the school would slack a lit- tle in their speed, and we would haul up to lance. Then they would start up again, and for half an hour at a time we would sit still,. singing songs, or devising plans whereby we might circumvent our wary enemy. " Be jabers, it is much better to sit here idle, than to be sweating at the oars, as the other boys are doing," said an Irish Yankee, who pulled the tub oar. " An, be gorra, it's our first whale, any how, let them talk as they will." " It's not our whale till we kill him, Paddy; they don't count whales till they are tried out and stowed down," remarked the mate. " If that's the case," was the answer, " it's time we were getting a nearer view of him than we'?e had yet." The mate evidently thought so too. "Wearied 108 WHALING AND FISHING. with waiting for a favorable opportunity, about four o'clock it was determined to make a deeper- ale effort, running every risk for the sake of get- ting a dart at the whale's life. (i Pull the boat up," said the mate, with an air which showed that something was to be done. " Now Charley," to the present writer, " hang on to the line, and don't slack till I give the word. Take it out of the chock, and let her shoot ahead by the bo\v cleat." " Lay the boat around," to the boat-steerer. This maneuver gave us a better chance, and a lance was sent quivering into his body. A stroke of his flukes on the water just ahead of us, was the quick reply. 11 Hold on tight don't drop her an inch astern, cried the mate, as the whale caine to almost a dead stop. " Now I'll get a set on you ! " he muttered between his clenched teeth, as the" boat shot up against his broad side. He placed his lance fairly, and sent it home, with the whole weight of his body. As it touched his life, the whale dashed down head first, in the motion striking his flukes against the boat's bottom, and breaking two or three planks. No sooner had he felt her, how- ever, than turning with lightning speed, he re- turned to the surface head foremost, open-mouth-: <1, striking and thrusting with his long, slender jaw as though it were a sword. One blow from this jaw stove in the whole bow of the boat, and she THE CATASTROPHE. 109 filled and turned over, almost before we could leap into the water. To grasp oars, and whatever else would float, WHS the first act of each, on finding himself over- board. The mate in a few minutes succeeded in gaining the bottom of the wrecked boat, and with his assistance the rest gathered there, each keep- ing in his hand an oar to assist him when, as fre- quently occured, a sea larger than usual swept us from our narrow perch. The first glance about us disclosed to us our antagonist, lying at the distance of a short oar's length from the boat, side and side with us. He was spouting thin blood, and the disagreeable thought suggested itself at once to several of us, " Sup- pose he goes into his flurry while we are lying here helpless." "We must hope for the best, boys, and mean- time look out for the boats and the sharks," was the mate's answer to this suggestion. " But if he goes off in a flurry, you need none of you expect to see your mamma's again." When we had hoisted a shirt upon a lance-pole, as a signal of distress, and lashed three oars across tho boat, to keep her from continually rolling over barrel fashion, we found ourselves at the ebd of our resources, and had leisure to look our fate in the face. It is needless to describe how anxiously we watched each motion of the whale how the color of his spouts was critically dis- cussed, and every spasmodic twitch of his flukes 110 WHALING AND FISHING. ] t was thought portentous of evil. Suffice it to say, that fortunately for us, the mates lance had not touched him in any very vulnerable spot, and that after lying for half an hour side by side with the boat, and for another half hour in such a positi )n that with every swell our boat's sharp stern rub- bed against his side, just as the sun sank bcluw the horizon he turned flukes, and to our great relief, came up at a distance from us of some half dozen ship's lengths. It should have been before mentioned, that from the moment when our boat was stove, all the other whales who had till then borne us company, disappeared, and we saw them no more. Scarcely had " our whale " risen to the surface, when we descried a boat-sail at but a short dis- tance off. It was fast growing dark, as there ia scarcely any twilight in those latitudes, so that it was with no ordinary joy we hailed the approach of what proved to be the Captain's boat. "Are you all there?" he asked, as he came within hail. " Yes, sir." " "Well, just hang on there till I kill your whale." was the cool rejoinder. Saying which, he turned the boat toward the fish. She had scarcely got- ten within two boat's lengths cf him when, snap- ping his jaws together with a sharp report which showed that his ire was fully roused, the whale made for the boat. " Stern all ! back water for your lives 1 1 " cried AN AXdHY WHALE. Ill the captain, slipping the sheet ; and fortunately, just in time to escape the angry rush of the whale, who glided beneath the surface, and rose again at a hort distance astern. The boat was laid round, and a few strokes of the oars brought her again within his reach, wUori lie repeated his former action, and it was only by the most strenuous exertion that the crew suc- ceeded in backing out of his track. This time, however, the boatsteerer had managed to plant an iron in him, and a shout announced that he waa not given up yet. But a groan of disappointment succeeded the shout, as the line suddenly slack- ening, announced that the iron had drawn, and the whale was " loose," going off with two irons and two tubs of line fast to him, and spouting blood at that. It was now quite dark, and we were not sorry to be taken off our wreck into the captain's boat. Meantime the other two boats and the ship had n eared us, and after half an hour's pulling we arrived on board,. where a good supper, (for a whaleship), awaited us. " Well, Paddy," said the mate next morning, as we were washing down the deck?, " what wiilyoa titke for your share of our Jirst u lale f " CHAPTER VII. OUR first labor, on the following morning, was to fit a new boat, to replace the one lost the day before. There were, as before mentioned, three spare boats overhead, and one of these was now turned over, and swung to the davits. It required the labor of several days from our boat's crew, ere we were once more so comfortably fitted as in our old boat. There were lines to be stretched and coiled, and re-coiled. There were irons and lances to be ground sharp, and fixed to their poles. There were numberless little beckets and cleats to be nailed and fastened in numberless little out of the way nooks and crevices about the bow and stern. There were thole-pins and thole-pin mats to fit. There was a boat-spade, and boat-hatchet, FITTING A NEW BOAT. 113 and boat-compass, and water-breaker, and boat- sail, and divers nameless little necessaries to pro- vide and fit. To see all these articles lying together upon deck, before they were placed in the new boat, one would scarcely have believed that one little whale boat would contain them, and her crew of six full- sized men into the bargain. We made all possible haste with our new boat, that we might not be left on board, should whales be seen. Our shipmates had laughed at us on account of our mishap, and we felt therefore anx- ious to retrieve our credit, by a more successful stroke. There can be no one more ready to suc- cor the really distressed, nor any kinder sympa- thizer in affliction, or more faithful nurse to the sick, than the sailor. But a long familiarity with danger hardens him to it, and no one gets credit for being accidentally placed in an awkward or helpless position. Had any one of our crew been injured by the blow of the whale which destroyed our boat, that individual would have met with the kindest of treatment from every soul on board. And whoa the captain's boat's crew saw us lying helpless on the remnant of the boat, nothing jould have equaled the heartiness with which they pulled to car rescae. But when it was once found that wo were in no immediate danger, the sympathy which they were prepared to extend to us vanished, and was replaced at once by a desire to laugh at tho 8 114 WHALING AND FISHING. ludicrous figures we presented, clinging like hulf drowned rats to the wreck. This was exempli- fied by a half laugh which followed the captain's srords to us, "Well, you may stay theie a luth while." On our return on board, we were unmerciful y quizzed, and any lurking desire to have ourselves considered the heroes of the day, was nipped in the bud by numerous inquiries as to whether salt water bathing was likely to restore us to health and vigor ; whether any one had ventured to ride on whale-back; whether any one had thought of making a propitiatory offering to ^lic whales ; or whether we had not wished ourselves safe at home "tied to mamma's apron-strings." " Never mind, boys," said Barnard, the boat- Bteerer, to us, "we'll show them how to kill the next whale, and give them a chance to laugh another way." And we were fully determined to do so. It was not man}' days before we had an oppor- tunity to put in practice our determination. The officers were very anxious to take at least ore whale before we should fall in with any of the vessels then known to be cruising in the Mozam- bique Channel, in order to retrieve by that the late mishap, as well as to have it to say that we had made a fair beginning. Every day. there- fore, the mastheads and upper yards were crowded with eager lookers out, uetermined to let nD spout 01 blackskin escape ihc.i Ueen gaze ON A ];OL: now too dark to distinguish even the boatb, which were under sail at a quarter of a mile's distance, and with sinking hearts, we were one by one abandoning the lookout, and turning our eyus toward the ship, when u There, by George, there's the whale th th'rd mate has fastened to him," shouted tho mate, jumping up and down with joy. Giving vent to a shout of exultation, we bent to our oars, and were soon within hail of the fast boat. "Don't you lance that whale he's got our iron in him and I want to kill him blast him," shouted the mate, hoarse with excitement. The fish lay quite still upon the water, and the third mate readily gave place to us. We took hold of his line. "Now pull me up to the beast." "Take the line to the bow cleat, and then take a turn about the bow thwart, and hold me to him till I churn him!" The boat was brought in contact with the whale's side, and while I held her there, by a turn of the line as directed, the mate set the long slender lance fairly over his life, and sent it homo, repeating his thrust again and again. A tremen- dous quiver of the vast body, and the issue of a mass of clotted blood from his spout-holes, were the immediate consequences. u There's blood hurrah ! " was cxultingly shouted ill the top of every voice. It is a cry 120 WHALING AND FISHING. whi-ch the whaleman at all times utters witn joy; but with us it was doubly joyful, because of the hiiddcn transition from previous depression and hopelessness, to present certainly of victory. " There he rolls it out, thick as coal tar," said he mate, as he heard a hoarse gurgling sound it was too dark any longer to distinguish between blood and water. "Stern now, men, stern all quick!" as the whale rolled over in his flurry. The command was given none too soon. And now he beat the waters with his flukes, and darted hither and thither at immense speed, in his death struggle. From the distance to which we had removed for safety from an accidental stroke, we could not see his actions; and it was fearful to list to the swift blows of his flukes, and know that but a little way from us, in the thick darkness, a leviathan was parting from life. His flurry was short. The mate's lance had been too ^ ell pointed. Meantime we had set our boat-lantern, and the ship now bore down toward us, with two lights in her rigging, glaring upon us as though she were some great monster come to the assistance of its biothei Two boats had returned on board, and we of the remaining two now prepared to take a line from the vessel, by which to pass a mooring chain about the dead whale's flukes. The sea was quite high, the night pitch dark, and altogether, T soon came to the conclusion that MOORING A WHALE. 121 the worst part of our business was yet to be dono. IP order to keep the whale in a proper position for vr.tting in, a chain is placed round that part called his small the tapering extremity to whi< n tl e flukes or tail is joined. This small^ in a whale, is not small by any means, being about the circum- ference of a flour barrel, and deserving the name only by comparison with the balance of his body. When dead, a whale lies upo^ his side, with one fin out of water. He floats just upon a level with the water, the flukes and small being completely below the surface. It is, therefore, not a slight undertaking, particularly at night, and in a heavy sea, to pass the necessary line. The operation is performed by two boats, in the following manner: A light line is provided, weighed down at>.the middle by a six or ten pound shot. Each boat takes one end of this line, and one being stationed on either side of the whale, they pull slowly toward his head, with the intention of passing the light, or middle of the rope, beneath the whale's body. Four times we tried this experiment, but each time the line was caught in the fork of the flukes, Avhich, lying now perpendicularly in the watci, reach to a considerable extent beneath the surface. The fifth time we were successful, and with a shout passed the ends of our line to the ship where the rest of the manipulation is gone through with ; it being the office of the boats now to preserve and hold tightly the middle of the 122 WHALINQ AND FISHING. rope, in order that it may not be again sw- bor room was cleared of a mass of rubbish whicn Lad accumulated there during the outward pass- age, and then, breakfast being over, the real labor of the day was commenced. The "vhale lies with his head toward the sterD CUTTINQ-IN. 1:>:J X of the vessel. The first thing to be done is to sep- arate the head from the body. To this purpose, a place being fixed upon where it is supposed the bark bone can be separated, a deep incision is made with a spade. A strip of the adjoining blubber, about six feet wide, is now cut loose on both sides, arid an ii vision being also made longi- tudinally in this strip, a boat-steerer goes down in a " bowline," to hook on the first "blanket-piece." This done and this is about the most difficult and dangerous duty in cutting-in a whale the crew heave away at the windlass, and the officers cut away on each side as necessary. The whale is thus rolled completely around, the thick blub- ber peeling off easily from the flesh beneath. The deep incision next to the head is continued, the spade being thrust down till it strikes the ver- tebra ; and thus by the time the carcass has made one entire revolution, the head hangs merely by the joints which connect it with the backbone. A stout oak post is now placed with one end resting against a plate prepared on the ship's side, and the other inserted in a hole cut in the head. The cutting and hoisting recommences, and as the whale's body is slowly turned, the head, which is kept stationary by the post, is gradually wrenched off. Previously to this, however, o head-chain has been passed through a hole made for the purpose, and by this the severed mass now hangs. When the head is loose, the body is hauled forward clear of the gangway. The lower jaw 124 WHALING AND FISHING. , as it is called, the balance being the head proper a long, slender bone, is severed and hoigtod in. In this are contained the teeth, which arc valued as ivory, and worked into various fancy articles luring subsequent leisure hours. A sperm-whale's teeth are placed in such a manner as to hook back, and are moveable in their sockets. Now comes the head, the most important part of the whale, as it is a nearly solid mass of blub- ber and spermacetti. Where the whale is large, this is now again subdivided, the entire mass being far too heavy to hoist in at once. It was judged that our whale would make about sixty barrels. This is above the average, and the cose, that part of the head which contains the pure spermacetti, was therefore separated from the rest, and hoisted in first. This safely landed, the head was swayed, and on reaching the deck, was shoved aft, on the quarter deck. It barely fitted under the beams which supported the spare boats, and formed a cube of nearly nine feet. How much it weighed, I would not attempt to guess. The case, which was placed against it tackles being required to slide it along the well-greased decks was nearly as large. The cutting-in now recommenced. Ao one tackle reached the masthead, another was brought down and hooked, or rather, toggled in at the gang- way. The upper piece was ther. -jut loose, and lowered down into the blubber -room, where it lay, with the blackslcin down. SHARK*. 125 Long before this time in fact, with early day- light an immense number of sharks had gath- ered around the ship, attracted thither by the blood and scent of our prize. As far as the eyo could distinguish them, their dorsal fins could be fioon gliding over the water, all hurrying to the Bcenu of slaughter, eager to secure a share of the prize. The extraordinary number of these sea lawyers present, was equaled only by their rapa- city. Before we began cutting -in, they had already commenced their meal. Taking advan- tage of a heave of the swell, a shark would wrig- gle up on top of the whale, and setting his wide opened mouth against the solid blubber, would bite out a piece as round as and about the size of a man's head. The officers spent their leisure mo- ments in cutting at them with the spades, and one man was stationed abreast of the whale's head, with a long sharp spade, to keep them off that part. I saw one cut in such a manner that his entrails protruded into the water, and yet this animal, which it was to be supposed would almost rmmediately die, wriggled itself up on the whale, iiid took out a huge mouthful, paying for its temerity by having the greater part of its tail cut off. It is almost impossible to kill a shark. They have as man}- lives as a cat. The amount of suf- fering thej r will undergo before death ensues, is really marvelous. I have seen all the entrails taken out of one, and yet after lying about on 126 WHALING AND deck for an hour, he bit and crushed a stout ash pole between his teeth. They remain about the ship until the carcass is set adrift, when they divide the rich prize with the sea-birds. There are few instances on record of a shark having bitten a man while cutting-in. There is too great a superabundance of other food. Boatsteerers, whose business it is to go down upon the whale to hook on the first blanket -piece, an operation requiring sometimes fifteen or twenty minutes to execute, are scarce ever molested. The mate stands by, however, with a spade, ready to meet any advances on the part of the sharks. I have seen a man working on the whale, with a shark close beside him : he simply giving the fish a kick with his heavy sea-boot, when he became aware of its close proximity. Meantime the cutting in proceeded; and, by dint of strenuous exertions, we finished this part of our labor at five o'clock, P. M. The gory car- cass was then set adrift, and floated off to leeward a huge bone of contention to innumerable sharks and sea-birds. The first thing now to be done was to start up the fires. The enormous blanket -pieces had been piled into the blubber-room until it was full to the brink, and now two men, stripping off their shirts, and enveloping their heads in cotton handker- chiefs, got on to this* mass of grease to cut it up into horse-pieces, morsels about fourteen in dies These again were thrown upon deck, THE CASE AND JUNK. 127 and passed forward to the mincing-horse, where, with two men to turn and one to feed the machine, pufficient blubber to fill our two try-kettles was so.in minced. This ready, the fires were started, fiiRt with wood, the dry kk cracklings," or scraps, as they are called, being afterward used for fuel. Numerous empty casks were now hoisted on deck, coopered, and lasned along the bulwarks. Into these the oil was bailed, after being allowed to cool in a copper tank adjoining the try -works, and there it remained until quite cool, when it was stowed below. Meantime the case was opened ; a man being placed in the large opening, the pure and beautifully white spermacetti was bailed out with a bucket constructed for that purpose. It is quite fluid when first taken out, but quickly con- geals on exposure to the air. It is at once placed in new cnsks. which are duly marked " case." The shell, when completely empty, was with much labor and by the united strength of the whule crev/, hauled to the gangway, where, divest- ing it of tackles, we took advantage of a favorable lurch of the ship to launch it overboard. The case itself, although closely resembling blubber, w :u fact a huge mass of tendons, muscles and fibres, so closely interwoven as to be almost impervious to the harpoon or spade. It yields no oil by try- ing out, and is therefore fitly thrown away. Next, the junk, the remaining portion of the head, was cut into horse-pieces and tried out sep- arately, the oil from this part of the whale being rZS WHALING AXD F1XI11M!. regarded as greatly superior to the rest, the sporm- acetti being, of course, the most .valuable. It was not until I was set to work ipon this enormous mass of solid blubber, that 1 fairly realv.ed the size of th-j animal we had slain. This huge cube of nearly nine feet, was only a portion, perhaps a fair half of his head. What then, thought I, as I slashed away at it, my puny strokes seem- ing like those of an ant nibbling at an apple, what then must have been the size of his entire carcass. Our trying-out operations were in " full blast." The watch had been set at eight, one-half the crew being kept on deck for six hours, which is the duration of a trying-out watch. On such occasions each man has a particular duty assigned him. The mates and boatsteerers superintend the try-pots, feed the fires, and ladle out the seeth- ing oil into a copper cooler. Three men are con- stantly employed at the mincing machine ; some pitch horse-pieces from the blubber-room hatch to the machine ; while others have the care of the casks, rolling them up to be filled, and afterward securing them. One at the wheel and another on look-out, with a few to look on, and " spell " the rest, complete the list. At night, our ship presented a highly pictur esque scene. The flames, darting high above the try- works, revealed the masts, rigging and decks, In an unearthly glare, among which the men jumping or sliding about decks on their various ro' or; THE HORRORS OF "TRYING OUT." 129 duties, seemed like demons dancing about an ncantation fire. But with this picture ail the mance departs. The smell of the burning racklings is too horribly nauseous for descrip- tion. It is as though all the ill odors in the world were gathered together and being shaken up. Walking upon deck has become an impossibility. The oil -\vashes from one side to the other, as the ship lazily rolls in the seaway, and the safest mode of locomotion is sliding from place to place, on the seat of your pantaloons. Moreover, everything is drenched with oil. Shirts and troAvsers are dripping with the loath- some stuff. The pores of the skin seem to be filled with it. Feet, hands and hair, all are full. The biscuit you eat glistens Avith oil, and tastes as though just out of the blubber room. The knife Avith Avhich you cut your meat leaves upon the morsel, which nearly chokes you as you reluc- tantly swallow it, plain traces of the abomin- able blubber. Every few minutes it becomes necessary to work at something on the lee side of the vessel, and while there you are corn- felled to breath in the fetid smoke of the scrap files, until you feel as though filth had struck into your blood, and suffused every vein in your body. Fr;-m this smell and taste of blubber, raw, boiling and burning, there is no relief or place of refuge. This cabin, the forecastle, even the mastheads, all are filled with it, and Avere it possible to get for a 130 \VIIALINO AND FISHING. mom nt to clean quarters, one would loath him- self reeking as everybody is, with oil. It is horrible. Yet old whalemen delight in it. The fetid smoke is incense to their nostrils. Ihe illthy oil seems to them a glorious representative of prospective dollars and delights. They wall CAT in blubber, and take a horse- piece for their pillow when lying down. They bake doughnuts and biscuit in the seething oil, and portions of the whale's lean meat are prepared for their daily dinner. I was induced by curiosity to try a piece of nicely cooked whale. The raw meat is of a dark red color, nearly black, and somewhat resem- bling very coarse beef. It is generally minced fine, and fried, after the manner of forcemeat balls. I could not stomach it although our captain declared, with his mouth crammed full, that it was the best thing he had tasted for a long time. Three days our trying out lasted. The closing scene was the worst. From the fact that the blubber is torn off the whale's sides, it unavoid- ably happens that occasionally a piece of meat is brought up with the blanket- pieces. Thie is known as the "fat-lean," and is carefully stripped from the horse-pieces, and thrown into large ojou casks, where the heat of the sun and of the adjacent fires gradually drain it cf the oil it contains. This being of an inferior quality, is left to the last iay. and by that time the roet .? "FAT-LEAN." 131 green and putrid. Men are now set to work to fish out those pieces not considered of sufficient value to try out, and pitch them overboard. For this purpose one has to lean with his head quite inside the open cask, and inhaling all the noisome stench arising from the decayed mass within, feel around with his hands, to grasp the slimy morsels which are not fit for the try-kettles. The captain and I worked side by side at one cask for a half an hour, at the end of which time I was obliged to say that I could not stand it longer. I was deathly sick. " That's nothing, Charley," said he, " just fancy it's dollars you are groping among, and the matter will assume a very different odor." But I thought that too high a price for dollars. The third afternoon we tried out our last kettle full, and put out the fires. The blubber room was now cleaned out, the various utensils used for the past three days, stowed away, and the decks cleaned up a little. Two days longer the oil was kept upon deck, to give it time to cool thoroughly, and then the labor of " stowing down " began. .Rolling huge oil casks across a slippery deck, while the ship is pitching and rolling in the sea- way, is a task of considerable labor. This, too, came to an end at last, and then ensued a grand cleaning up decks, sides, bulwarks, forecastle and cabin, all received a thorough cleansing, and at the end of two or three days more, the ship again looked like f.he habitation of Christian men. and 132 WHALING AND FISHING. A'o, her crew, were again in good odor with our selves. It is a fortunate circumstance that sperm oii will wash off easily, not leaving any stain upon wood, and but little upon the rough clothing whalemen wear. The smoke and cinders make the chief dirt, penetrating as they do, every part of the vessel, and bearing with them that peculiarly sickening smell of burning meat, the remembrance of which, even to this day. disgusts me. Happy day it was for me, when I was once more permit- ted to put on clean clothes, and could eat biscuit without oil, and meat unaccompanied by the taste of blubber, CHAPTER VIII. MEANTIME a sharp look-out was kept up for whales although I believe the crew generally were quite willing to have no more trying out to do for some time even if dollars were not gath- ered so fast in consequence. But we now daily expected to fall in with some other whaling vessels, which <^ur captain supposed to be cruising in this- latitude. Next to a run on shore, a " gamm," as : t is called that is, a social reunion of the crews of two ships, accidentally meeting on a cruise forms the pleasantest incident in a whaling voyage. Then are old times talked over, old friends inquired after, past adventures related, and a mutual interchange of the good things of whaling life effected, all tending to make the few hours devoted to this social intercourse as pleasant as possible. 134 WHALING AND FISHINti. It was about a week after we had stowed down our oil, arid cleaned ship, that one morning the cry of "sail ho ! " brought all hands on deck, and caused the captain to run quickly aloft with his spy-glass, to reconnoitre the stranger. The vessel's course was immediately altered so as to intersopt the strange sail, and various speculations were haz- arded by officers and crew as to her name, business, and hailing place. "She 1 ? a \vha' er, that's settled," said the third mate confidently; "else she would not be here." "Then we'll have a gamm, boys, hurrah ! " cried a boatsteerer. Soon her top gallants were visible from tho deck ; and now the mate, just returned from the masthead, declared his belief that she was not a "Natucketer;" a very welcome piece of intelli- gence indeed, for such is the jealousy existing between rival whaling ports, that many Nantuck- etmen refuse to "gamm" with vessels hailing from "the Sound." " The skipper thinks its the Athenia, v;n-ch left New London two weeks before we sailed," said Che mate. " We may bless our stars that we have got a whale on board, else we should be ashamed to look those fellows in the face." " There goes her burgee oh for ten thousand spy-glasses now." " She's the Betsy Ann, from New Bedford ; 1 OUR RECEPTION. 135 b ow her/' hails the captain, now descending from the masthead. We were soon ir.formed that the Betsy Ann had oeen nearly three years from home, and that she had a smart crew, who were not to be beat in get- ting on to a whale, by any set of men in those seas. In a short time the strange vessel was within hail, when the usual salutations were ex- changed. And after duly informing them that wo were four months out and had taken one whale, a week or so ago, we were told in return that they had now nineteen hundred barrels on board, had seen no whales for three weeks, and thought of steering for the Isle of France, in hopes to fall in with some off the shores of that island. " Wont you come aboard, Captain Starkweather?' asked our captain. " Yes, I'll lower my boat ; let your mate come aboard of us." Filling our pockets with tobacco, and our shirt- bosoms with books, we of the mate's boat were soon ready, and lowering the boat, pulled on board the Betsy Ann, a rusty looking old tub as ever floated. We were received at the gangway by as motley an assemblage of tanned faces, long beards, and patched garments, as I ever saw. They spoke ia low tones, automatically held out tjieir hands to us, and then, two of our fellows having hooked our boat on, she was hoisted to the davits of the captain's boat. Now filling the main -top-sail 136 WHALING AND FISHING. we stood on, thus losing no ground by oar enjoyment. Our first reception had seemed to us ccol. We were languidly asked down into the forecastle, which smelt abominably of decayed roaches and oil son]), and here seats were given us on the cnests. Once seated, all hands preserved a most decorous silence for nearly ten minutes, when one of the strangers at last ventured to ask how long we were from home, and what was the latest news. Being duly posted on this topic, they again relapsed into silence, and I was beginning to think that gamming was an unmitigated bore, when 1 was accosted by a tall fellow, whose patches, being of colors a little different from those of his ship- mates, had struck me from the first as not " native, to the manor born." He asked me, with a doubt- ing smile, whether I was not a merchant sailor. An earnest " yes," produced a hearty shaking of hands between us, and an immediate proposal on his part to adjourn to the deck, where we could talk matters over more at our leisure. Stowing ourselves snugly away on the topgal- lant forecastle, we took such a turn at yarning as probably neither of us had enjoyed for a long time. He was a Scotchman, and had shipped as carpenter of the vessel. This was his first whaling voyage, and he expressed an opinion, wh'ch 1 very emphatically indorsed, that whaling was an enormous, filthy humbug. CHIPS. 137 Ben that was my new friend's name was an old sailor, and had seen a good deal of the world. We had therefore a good deal to talk about, and K^reat many places to compare notes on. First, wcver, I laid before him my free-will offering tobacco and books, requesting him to share the rmer with any other good fellows on board. This, together with the fact that I was a merchaut sailor, procured me shortly an enlarged acquain- tance on board, all who were in the good graces of Chips seating themselve^ around us to listen to our yarns. The hardships to which the merchant sailor is exposed, beyond either the man-of-war's man or the whaleman, and the strange vicissitudes of his life, procure him, in a superior degree, the esteem of all other classes of seafaring people. Whether in the polished man-of-war, the dirty whaler, or the diminutive fisherman or coaster, a merchant sailor, as he is always first at the post of duty or danger, is allowed to place himself first at mess, or in the council. Tt was thus that I found Chips looked up to with respect not unmixed with fear, by the rest of his shipmates in the forecastle, while the officers valued him above any other half dozen of the crew. And it was thus that I, while cordially hated by the greater part of my verdant shipmates, was yet able to exact sufficient respect from them to make them defer to my opinions, and leave my property unmolested. 1 explained to Chips my position on board ship, 138 WHALING AND FISHING. and disagreement with the greenhorns, whom 1 could look upon only as speaking brutes wicc several exceptions of course. "I'll tell you, Charley," said he, " the reason why they hate you. You assert for yourself the posi- Jon of a man, but have not the heard necessary to a tuc.it, enforcement of your claims. If you've been in a lime-juicer, you know that there one is considered a boy till he can show a pair of whiskers, and a man ever afterward, if he's as stupid as a donkey, and as lazy "as a first class whaleman. This is sailor human nature. If it was not for the little whiskers I can raise about my face," his features were barely discernible through a most enormous black beard "I should have to fight these fellows every day of my life." " All except the Portuguese," added he, "they are a good sensible set of fellows, who mind their own business, and act upon the square in everything." "Wait till I have a beard," thought I, with an internal vow, that when that blessed epoch in my history arrived, I would assume and assert, at all hazards, all the dignity and prerogatives of mature manhood. " Meantime, Charley," said my new friend very coolly, "handspikes, applied about the shins of those who prove troublesome to you, will be found hii excellent substitute for hair on your chin." In such talk we passed away very pleasantly a couple of hours, I meanwhile regaling myself upon the contents of a jar of most delicious tamarinds, "THERE SHE WHITEWATERS!" 139 Ben had brought up for my use. After the long and wearisome insipidity of salt junk and biscuit, bean soup and duff, the lively acid of the preserved tamarinds was most refreshing ; and during our conversation I "stowed away " a lar[;e proportion of the contents of the jar before me. It was only when one of our Portuguese friends set another jar beside me, expressing at the same time a desire that I should "eat heartily, and give the ship a good name," that I was made aware that I was gormandizing. Our enjoyment was very suddenly brought to a close by a cry of " there she Whitewaters," from the masthead of the Betsy Ann. While upon a gamm, both vessels' mastheads are manned as though no visiting was going on, and upon a discovery of whales, under such circumstances, there generally ensues some hard racing, and not un frequently hard feeling. Every one was upon the alert in a moment, as the cry reached the deck. It was followed by the regular intonations of "there blows," convincing us that a school of sperm whales was in sight. Our boat's-crew at once gathered together upon deck, to hold ourselves in readiness for lowering. The mate, after watching our ship keenly a mo- ment, and satisfying himself by the unusual bustle on board, that the whales were seen from there too, came to us, and warned ufc that this time we should have to contend against four of the smartest 140 WHALING AND FISHING. *'ioats in those seas, and that it would not do to be beaten altogether. We had already talked the matter over among ourselves, and determined to do our best, and not be beaten if we could prevent it. I thirk there was not one of our fellows that did not wish the whales in Tophet, or that did not already think of our crew as beaten. Nevertheless, "never say die while there is a shot in the locker," is a motto upon which we determined to act, and so each man gathered up his strength for the encounter. The Betsy Ann's crew, meantime, had been busied in preparations for lowering, ever and anon easting a meaning half-smile toward the spot in the waist where we had gathered together. They evidently feared not the result they made sure of an easy victory over the greenies. The whales were nearly ahead, and when we should lower, would be about half a mile nearer to the Betsy Ann than to our vessel. We had therefore the best chance, although the others had the weathergauge. When within a mile and a half of the school, the vessel was hove to. Every boat was instantly lowered and manned, and we at once stretched away for the whales. Our ship's boats had low- ered a little before us, and were coming down from the windward upon the whales, straining every nerve to get upon them before wo should. We bad scarcely pulled two hundred yards, how ARRANGING A BATTLE-FIELD. m ever, when the fish suddenly put a stop to our racing by turning flukes. This gave us time to pull leisurely down toward the spot where they h:,d disappeared beneath the waves, and here each boat -header now brought his boat to in such a position as he judged most favorable for the pros- pective " rising." The chase was so exciting that our old captain, leaving his fourth mate on board to work ship, had come in the boat, and was now urging us on to do our best, and " show these fellows that they had their match." All was now arranged. The eight boats lay in various positions ; all in the circumference of two miles. Our mate, and the mate of the Betsy Ann, had chosen the same spot, and although, as cour- tesy demanded, each had removed his boat some distance l v om the place we had both at first in- tended to >ccupy, yet the two boats were in most unpleasar t proximity to each other, and we plainly saw that, did the whales rise in the vicinity, a des perate race would be the consequence. " Pull your best, boys but (to the mate) be careful of your boat I would rather lose a whale, than have a boat stove, and perhaps two or three ra< n hurt, Mr. Osborne," were the captain's final instructions, as he pulled off to take tip a position in another part of the field. All was now silence. No one ventured to speak above a whisper, fearing that the sound of his voice might thrown the distant spouting of a whale, 142 WHALING AND FISHING. In every face the most intense and anxious excite- ment ats, and found them to consist of a dirty yel- surface, beneath which appeared a slimy, jelly-like flesh. Of several pieces which we fell in with at various times when in the boats, most had on them portions of the i( sucker," or air exhauster with which the common cuttle-fish is furnished, to enable him to hold the prey about which he has slung his snake-like arms. These floating pieces are supposed to have been bitten * 100 WIL\LL\(i AM) or torn off by whales, while feeding at the bottom Many of those we saw were of the circumference -f u flour barrel. If this be the size of the anna, of which they have probably hundreds, each furnished with air exhausters the sizr of a dinner plate ; what must be the magnitude of the body which supports such an array? The teeth of a sperm whale, which arc found only in the lower jaw, are conical in shape, coming to a round dull point at the end. They set in the gum in such a position as to hook backward, and can be moved in their sockets by the hand. Nevertheless they are very firmly fixed, having to be drawn by means of tackle. Experienced whalemen suppose them to be used principally to tear loose their prey from the rocks. The sperm whale has a tolerably capacious gullet, which is evident from the fact that sometimes, when about to die, he vomits forth pieces >f squid larger than a barrel. There is 1 think, no more beautiful exemplifica- tion of the wisdom and foresight of the Creator, than is seen in the instinct and means of defense given to each of the principal species of the whale. Tb.e sperm whale has the power of seeing any object which approaches him from any point on his? side, his eye, to this purpose, being placed at the end of his mouth, and nearly one-third his length from the beginning of his head. He can not however, see the approach of an enemy from right astern or right ahead But hero. TJfE RIGHT WHALE. l^l Providence has placed his chief defenses. With his huge flukes, he strikes perpendicular blows upon the water, or at any object which may annoy him there, while with his tremendous head, or still more fearful jaw, he destroys all which cornea within reach. He has likewise an acute sense of hearing, although his outward ear is no larger than a piji-hole. The rignt whale, on the other hand, can not, on account of the peculiar coinormation of his head, see any object either ahead or abreast of him, but distinguishes best that which approaches him from behind. To protect himself, therefore, against assailants whom he can not see, he is enabled to sweep with his tail or flukes from one eye to the (Hhei x thus rendering any approach to his body, from abreast, impossible or highly dangerous. The hump-back, who is but a poor mongrel, partaking of the nature of both sperm and right whale, invariably runs to windward on being attacked, and that with such velocity as to make pursuit almost useless. The only time when an attempt to take one of these fish is prudent, is therefore, in a calm. On such occasions the poor brute runs vainly round, snuffing for the breeze, and quickly falls a prey to his enemy man. Sperm whales are now much scarcer than in years past, owing to the number of vessels which annually fit out from America and various part* of Europe, partly or entirely in pursuit of thorn. 11 162 WHALING AND FISHING. In times past, when they were not so continually worried and followed, they were much easier *o appi^oach, although often giving battle wl en attacked. Row, however, the utmost care ie required to " get on " as it is termed. The slightest noise causes them to disappear with marvelous celerity. Though so vast and apparently unwieldy, the motions of a sperm whale are sometimes almost inconceivably quick. We had left the Mozambique Channel, and slowly sailed down the eastern 'coast of Madagas- 2ar, toward the Isles of Bourbon and Mauritius, [t was on a beautiful calm Sunday morning, that the masthead-man raised a large sperm whale, about three miles off. An hour's close watching con- vinced the officers that he was feeding, and was entirely unsuspicious of our presence. At the end of that time he turned flukes, and we lowered, and pulled up to what we thought the most advantageous spots to await his rising. A nice little breeze had by this time sprung up, and we set our boat sail, determining to sail on to the whale, should he come up near us. The whale remained beneath the surface nearly an hour, an evidence that he was a large fish. Wo had begun to think he was gone off, when he spouted about quarter of a mile from us, and ir. such a i)ositi n that our boat, which was immedi- ately ai ^kd of him, was the only one that WHALING IN A CALM. 163 approach him unperceived. The others remained still, while we pulled aft the sheet and .et the boat run down toward him. The sea was quite smooth ; there was just enough ripple to drown the noise of the boat, and scarcely sufficient breeze to fill our sail. Tlie whale was slowly forging ahead, his hoarse deep toned spout sounding strangely over the quiet waters. We were over twenty minaies making our way to him. In this time, having nothing to do, all eyes were directed to the motions of the fish. He came blindly on, that part of his head show- ing above the water, giving one the idea that he had been sawed square off in front. He did not advance in a direct line, but made a number of little alterations in his course, evidently for the purpose of guarding against an enemy in any direction. Every few minutes, too, he would stop altogether, and cautiously lift his head uin of water, expressing the action of listening for a noise, just as plainly as it could be expressed. Hearing nothing, he would agaiii advance on his r-.ourse. The length of time we consumed in our ap- proach, as well as the extreme caution necessary on such a quiet, calm day, made it a scene and time of great exoitoment to us all. WQ were gradually but surely nearing him. Now the mate raised his hand, a signal to tho boatsteerer to seise his iron. We were pitting on our thwarip 164 WHALING AND FISHING. but in the excitement of the moment, everything was forgotten in watching the motions of the fish. On he came, blindly and unsuspectingly rushing to his death. We were already within two boats' lengths of him. But now he stops suddenly, lie listens a moment, but again proceeds. We think ourselves already fast, when the boatsteer- er whimpers, "Let them pull a good stroke I fancy the whale knows we're here." The mate shook his head ; we were almost within dart, and he would not risk it. Now he heaves his head out of the w r ater again. "Heave your iron into him!" shrieks the mate. The boatsteerer darts his best but too late. Even as we looked, and without any motion other than that slight toss of the head, the whale disappeared from our sight. "That's magic'," said one of the boat's crew. To me, so sudden was the act, it seemed just as though the vast mass had been suspended in space, and the suspensor had been suddenly cut asunder. Now came the labor of the day. The whale was gallied that is to say, frightened. He was aware of our presence, but with a perversity com- mon to sperm whales under such circumstances, would not at once abdicate the ground. From the time of his lightning-like disappearance about noon till sunset, our four boats chased him, OALLIED WHALES. 165 and never at any time, except when he Wf 3 he more than three ship's lengths off His course was a huge circle, many miles in /iroumference. His speed was just such as to ke^p our boats at a safe distance. I could not help giving the wretched animal credit for gieat intelligence, for the ingenuity with which he kept rip the ardor of our pursuit j without permitting hruiself to be caught. When he sounded, he kept up his usual headway, and on his / regular course. so that by pulling as hard as we could for thre** quarters of an hour, in the hope to get fast the lext rising, we would find ourselves, when he re- appeared, at just the same distance astern of him that we were when he w? iast seen. At sunset we were obliged to give up the chase, and returned on board, wearied and hungry. We had after- ward several long chases after gallied sperm- whales, always without effect, and invariably led by the nose, as it were, by the whales keeping but little ways ahead of the boats, holding out contin- ual hope that we might, in a moment of un wari- ness on their part, get fast, and gain a prize. The eastern coast of Madagascar is an unpleas- ant whaling ground, on account of the constant rains which prevail there. Part of the day is g?nerally fine ; but seldom an entire da} T passes without a rain squall, and not unfreque^ :iy, wher cruising near the land the rain lasts day and night lor a week. The weather, withal, is un- comfortably .:uol, and on shipboard, where t 166 WHALING 'AND FISHING. sufficiently difficult to keep dry under the most favorable circumstances, great discomfort ensues. But rainy weather is made no account of in a "spouter." If whales are seen, the boats are lowered in the middle of the most violent sq'iall. Sundays and rainy days are no holidays in the whaling servfce. When our cruise, however, extended over toward Bourbon and the Isle of France, we had again delightful weather. One day we sighted Bour- bon, and sailed close into the land, in order to ex- amine thoroughly for whales. The island is very mountainous, and has. lying as it does in the track of the Trades, a weather and lee side. It was the lee side which we iiow apprc^ n ,hed. L never in my life saw a more enchanting Country. In the distance were the blue mountain peaks, thrown in uncouth volcanic masses against the sky. In the foreground was a narrow strip of beach, dotted with white houses, peeping forth from umbrageous groves. And rising above these, was the hill side, every inch of which for miles, was in the highest state of cultivation. Here were the plantations of sugar, coffee, cloves, and tobacco. Each field was bordered by neat rows of coffee trees be- 4 ireen which ran the streets. The whole appeared u* the most perfect order, and the scene, viewed from a distance of a mile at sea, was enchanting beyond description. It was like the realization of a drean: of Arcadie. The r?a\ler can easily imagine the feelings with j BOURBON. 167 which we sailed past so beauteous a land without being permitted to place our feet on its shore*. Fur an entire week did we cruise around this de- lightful isle, never 'more than five miles from its bold shores. It was a torture fit for Tantalus. And I vowed that let me once get my foot on shore, anywhere, I would bid good-bye to a ser- vice in which such treatment was considered le- gitimate. The balance of our crew were also dissatisfied, and longed to have a run over the beautiful land so long in view. Even the boa'- bteerers grumbled. But the captain gave us plainly to understand that before we had three hundred barrels of oil on board, we need not ex- pect a run ashore ; "and even then," added he, cooly, "you need not expect to go ashore on Bourbon." Thought I, let me get ashore once, and Pll take care of the balance. On standing over toward Madagascar again, after a fruitless search for whales, we one day fell in with a New London vessel, the James Rodgers, the captain of which proposed to our captain that, as sperm whales seemed to be scarce, and it was just the season for hurnpbacking, we should make a joint expedition to one of the bays in Madagas- car, " Where," said he, "from my former experi- ence, I know we'll get some fish." Our captain liked the idea, and it was agreed that we should crui.-e for a week in company, looking for sperm whales^ and if none were in 168 WHALING AND FISHING. that time seen, the two vessels should proceed into the bay of Antongil, on the north-east coast of the island, and try for humpbacks. The James Rodgers had been out a ) ear, anil had done tolerably well. She was now just iron* the coast of 2s"ew Holland, where they had " hump- Hacked and sperm-whaled it," so the crew said, u until all hands were worn out." They seemed to dread the bay whaling. Bm we, to whom it was something new no one but our skipper having ever been at it before thought it rather a good idea particularly as by its means we should have an occasional run on shore. At the expiration of one week of trial, both ves- sels were headed to the north, and the crews wert> -informed that we were now bound on a humpback Bruise. Meantime we were again in the rainy climate. Every day it rained. For days the sky is leaden and gloomy, the clouds being apparently sur- charged with rain. The winds, too, are shifting and squally, while water-spouts are constantly in sight. Little harmless eddywinds, which cause the spouts, may be seen starting up and sailing along in all directions. Sometimes the ship is beset with them ; the foresails get the benefit of one breeze, while the after sails are filled with a quite different and contrary one. On the fore- castle a torrent of rain will be falling, while the quarter-deck and poop are perfectly dry ; and sometimes, the to]-gallant-sails will be filled with MA DA GA SCA R. If;'.) a strong breeze, while not a breath stirs the lower sails. The nights are dark as Erebus, even tbo full moon being able to send only occasionally i; fitful gleam through the dull opaque clouds. The days are gloomy and dispiriting, being made up of alternate squalls of rain and wind. Such is the eastern coast of Madagascar a most uninvi- ting cruising ground. It was while making our way toward Antongil Bay that, on one dark, gloomy da} 7 , the captain sent several men aloft, to look out for shoals. He was himself, at the same time, continually start- ing into the rigging, and peering anxiously about with his spy-glass. We did not judge ourselves near the land, and had therefore some curiosity to learn whether any shoals could be seen. " It seems to me that there are some breakers on the lee bow, but I can see nothing for the sea to break against," sung out the mate, who had been sent aloft to look out. " That's it where away on the lee bow is the surf? " " About four points." The vessel was kept away a little, and as there was quite a breeze, we were soon able to see from the deck a long line of white, where the sea broke up:n the edge of a huge sand-bank. The bank itself, owing to its color, we could not see till we were closer in. It was a dreary and wo -begone place, and a sight of it prepared me to appreciate the tale of horrible cruelty which is con- 170 WHALING AND FISHING. nected with it. The bank is about two iriles long, by half a mile wide, and apparently lies just above 'the water's edge. With a stiff top gallant breeze, sncl as wo had, the surf did not break entirely over it, but it would have required but a slight increase of wind to force the breakers over the shallow barriers. The low, dull roar of the sari seemed a funeral dirge over the graves of many poor fellows who have here struggled for the last time with death. Not a tree or shrub, not even a blade of grass, could be seen on the entire bank; nothing but sand and breakers. As I thought how easily, even in broad day- light, a vessel might run upon this hidden dan- ger, lying, as it does, just in the track of ships bound to some of the ports of Madagascar, and as I thought further how hopeless would be the fate of those who should be shipwrecked here, an inward prayer arose that such might never be my fate. " That's a bad place to get on," said the old man to me. . " Yes, sir." "There's a story told of this St. Mary's shoal, as it is called, that makes me shudder every time I see the cursed place. Some ten or a dozen years ago, slavers used occasionally to get a cargo on tin's east coast, all the vigilance of the French and English cruisers to the contrary notwithstanding. There was then a slave factory at Nos Beh, (now a French settlement on the northern extremity of ST. MARY'S SHOAL. 171 Madagascar). A snip having on board seven hun- dred poor slaves, in milking her way from Nos Beh to the southward, got upon this shoal. It was happily in the day time, and although the vessel was wrecked, they had time to release the poor blacks, arid with their help to catch a supply of provisions and water from the various articles which floated ashore frqm the wreck. They built themselves rude huts upon the highest part of the bank, and here remained, waiting for a passing vessel. "Day after day, however, passed away and no succoring ship hove in sight; and they saw with dismay their supply of provisions, and particu- larly their water, getting low. In this emergency, a new thought entered the minds of the whites. On the adjoining coast of Madagascar, at a dis- tance of about seventy-five or one hundred miles, is located the French settlement and fort of St. Mary's. They could make a small raft of the por- tions of their ship which had drifted ashore, and with this steer to the mainland, taking advantage of a favorable breeze. u To procure the assent and aid of their black victims to this plan, they promised them most solemnly to send a vessel to their help immedi- ately on their arrival in St. Mary's. But, scoun- drels as they were, the thought had already etruek them that by informing the French author- ities of the presence, upon the shoals, of those slaves, they would get themselves into trcuoie 172 WHALING AND FISHING. and so they concluded to make their own way safely, and leave the blacks to their fate. "The raft, after infinite trouble, was built. A large share of the remaining water and provis ions were placed on it, that tli3 whites might be sure to reach the shore, and then, bidding the poor slaves "good^by," and assuring them of their speedy return with aid, they spread a sail to tho breeze, and were soon out of sight. What long days of agonized expectation the poor blacks passed upon that bleak shoal ; how, gradually, as it were hour by hour, hope died from their breasts ; how, as their little remnant of provisions failed, they began to die off, and how the survivors brought to the last extremity of suffering, were obliged to subsist upon their deceased friends ; how anxiously they peered across the wild waste of water which surrounded and threatened to engulf them, and how each sun rose upon a fresV accumulation of the dead and dying all this was told by the one lone survivor of six hundred who had landed upon the bank. A St. Mary's coaster passing by the shoal, saw upon it some signs of a wreck, and approaching nearer, was able to dis- cover the forms of men lying about upon the sand. Effecting a landing at the risk of their lives, they found but one poor Madagassy lefl alive, and took him with them. It was found, afterward, that the wretches of the raft, fearful that mention of their companions in misfortune would get them into a French prison, told a story ST. HAltY'H SHOAL. L73 having been in a leaky vessel, ana abandoned er at sea, and stated that they were the last rem. nant of the sufferers. As the captain told me this story, the long, low shoal was just astern of us, the surf was still boom- ing in our ears, and a shudder of horror ran through me at such wanton barbarity and heart, leas selfishness. CHAPTEK X. A FEW days after seeing the St. Mary's shoal, and hearing its story as related in the last chapter, we sailed into Antongil bay. This is a large inlet on the east coast of the island of Madagascar, in about latitude 16 south, and longitude 50 east. It is over fifty miles deep, and about twenty-five miles wide at the mouth. At the bottom of this extensive bay, and under lee of a small island, our two ships were brought to anchor, and here it was determined we should remain at least a month, to try for humpbacks. The females of these whales, as well as of the right whale, frequent bays and shallow waters yearly, when their time of calving comes on, to drop their young, remaining in the smooth waters IIUMPBA CKS. . 175 until the young leviathan has gained strength sufficient to shift For himself on the broad ocean These occasions are taken advantage of by whale- men, ana great numbers of the old fish are slain annually in the many unfrequented bays of Africa and South America. Whalemen assert that the sperm whale mother also approaches the land to give birth to her young, but her haunts have, I believe, never been discovered, and tbis is, therefore, more a probability gathered from analogy, than an ascer- tained fact. The right whale mother is very care- ful to choose a retired and unfrequented roadstead for the scene of her maternal labors, and bays on the eastern coast of Africa which were formerly noted as the annual resort of great numbers of these animals, have been altogether deserted by them shortly after the whalemen got among them. The humpback, however, the most stupid of whales, clings obstinately to the place it has once chosen, and thus numbers of these fish are annu- ally taken in the great bays of New Holland, Madagascar and Africa. When this species of whale is met with at sen, it is seldom thought worth lowering after, for the roason that it is exceedingly hard to kill, runs to windward at great speed on being struck, and generally sinks when killed. When a dead fish sinks at sea (and this sometimes occurs with right whales as well as hump backs), he is of course lost. In soundings however, the case is different, 176 WHALING AND FISHING. The whale is anchored, and a large buoy is left to murk his place under water. The progress of decay evolves certain gasses in his body,' which being lighter than the water, raise the body t.'i the surface; and once there, it is again taken possession of by its captors. As in the Days of tropical countries the strong sea breeze generally alternates with a mild and genial land breeze, the humpback in running to windward does not so often get beyond reach of his pursuers, and although hard to kill, generally falls a prey to a good whaleman, when struck during the prevalence of the land wind. AF we sailed down the great bay, the waters OUR ANCHORAGE. 177 scented alive with whales. It was evidently the hight of the season, and we congratulated ourselves in advance, upon the havoc we should make among the fish At the bottom of the bay was a small island, about three miles in circumference. In a sheltered nook on the lee side of this island, \\e brought our ships to anchor, under the direction of the captain of the James llodgers, who had been here before. Having safely moored the ves- sels, we unbent the light sails, and made other preparations for a lengthy stay. Having fixed upon a convenient landing place on the shore, we rolled up our empty water casks, to be filled before going away. H ;re too, a tent was erected, in which the armorer and carpenter could work, and under shelter of which the crew could rest when ashore. The island, which consisted of a high mountain, bordered by a narrow strip of beach, was covered from the waterside up with a dense mass of trees and undergrowth, forming an impenetrable jungle. This jungle, so said the captain of the James ledgers, was inhabited by a few wild cats, or leopards, and numerous monkeys and flying foxes. It was infested likewise, as we afterward found, with great numbers of serpents of various kinds, but chiefly by a species of anaconda, some of which, that we killed, were fourteen feet long. On the day after our arrival, our whaling duties began. 9 We were called out at half past four o'clock in the morning. The cook having been 12 178 WHALING AND FISHING. roused at four, had our breakfast in readiness, and after devoting fifteen minutes to this, "lower away " was shouted, arid all hands were immedi- ately called into the boats. It was w when a sperm whale spouts blood, it '% an evidence that death is at his door But we usually bestowed upon any reasonable explanation of a ghost story. My scornful laugh was severely frowned down, and I was informed by one of the wiseacres that the groans having evidently come irom my berth, and no where else, portended some unheard of accident to myself. So eagerly does ignorant humanity swallow the most egregious humbug, if there is only something supernatural about it, that of the sixteen men who had proba- bly heard the same groans dozens of times in the boat, not one could now be convinced, by reason or ridicule, that those in question owed their ex- istence to a natural cause. I found myself regarded as a doomed man ; and certain of the more friendly disposed privately advised me to prepare my mind for the approach- ing calamity, and even offered to share their berths with me, not considering it prudent that I should sleep in the haunted bed. If my excellent ship- mates before cordially hated me for my unsocia- ble spirit, they were now doubly bitter against me on account of my present doubts; and one poor fellow went so fa/ as to impugn my faith in the existence of a Deity, on the ground of my scepticism on the subject of ghosts. ] joined with the cook in laughing at their fool- ish fears, (which, by the way, procured me the present of a huge piece of pie from that worthy, who declared me to be a "good fellow"), and slept sc undly as ever oefore in my haunted bed- place. 206 WHALING AND FISHING. The ghost was the staple of conversation .ext morning 1 at breakfast, and prophesies were fi eely made that before sundown that day, our boat would be stove, and I would be severely injured, if not killed. Fortunately for my credit, not an accident occurred during the remainder of our stay in the bay. Had I been in the slightest degree injured, or even had our boat been stove, as was prophesied, this would have formed a well authenticated ghost story, and I should no doubt have been held up to future generations of whalemen as a melancholy example of stubborn unbelief. Having now captured six whales, and the sea- son not having proved nearly so propitious as had been hoped, there being comparatively few cows and calves in the bay, it was determined that we should divide the oil and proceed on our cruise. Our share of the proceeds amounted to one hun- dred and twenty-seven barrels. We finished stowing down and clearing up on a Saturday night, and as we had kept no Sunday for the past six weeks, the two captain^ determined that !he following day should be a holiday. And never was one more needed. Day after day we had toiled at the oars, amid rain and wind and cold, until we were completely exhausted in body and spirit. It was given out on Saturday tiight that there would be no cail of " all hands" OD the following morning. Accordingly, I arose at nine o'clock, a much more comfortable hom A SABBATH IX MADAGASCAR. 20? than lii.lf j)iist four, and after eating breakfast, bewail the day by a thorough wash and a shave, the latter more as a means of cultivating my dilatory arid impatiently longed-for beard, than from any real benefit to be derived from the operation, in appearance or feelings. Having donned a clean suit, a real luxury, aud set fire to a cigar which I found in a corner of my chest, 1 set out for the shore, in company with two Portuguese, determined on a tour of explo- ration. We had armed ourselves with boat-hooks and clubs, to kill the serpents which we should doubtless meet on the way, and now set out in high spirits. Unluckily, I was unable to wear boots, on account of sore feet, obtained by constant immersion in water, in the boats. So after pene- trating a few rods into the jungle, I was compelled rather unwillingly to return to the beach. My companions, who proceeded, did not fall in with anything during half a day's ramble, but half a dozen serpents, and a lemon tree. They brought down their hats full of cooling, delicious lemons, which were soon turned into lemonade. Meanwhile, the time hanging rather heavil}- upon my hands, I was tempted to a closer ex- amination of a large ant's nest, which was pen- dant from the bough of a tiee near the waterside Climbing up this tree, I was shortly within reach of the nest, but had no sooner laid hands on it, xvith the design of plucking it off, (it was a mass as large as half a barrel), than its irrascible tenants 2(38 WHALING AND FISHING. issued out against me in innumerable swarms, and before I could drop myself down from my eleva* tion, ] was completely covered with the vicious creatures, all in a fever of rage, and stinging rnc to the best of their abilities. To pull off my loose shirt was the work of a moment. In the next I was in the water, and my assailants were swimming helplessly about me. This adventure, which procured me a few harm- less stings, satisfied any lingering desire I might have entertained, to examine the interior economy of an ant's nest. After walking about the beach, killing a water snake, picking up a few harp shells, and basking for a while in the genial sun, I returned on board, utterly disgusted with Mad- agascar. With the exception of the lemons found by the Portuguese, we saw nothing eatable on the smaller island. None of the fruit trees generally so plentiful in the tropics, wore here to be seen, and I doubt if a day's journey through the dense jungle would have produced aught but snakes, of which there seemed a sufficiency to colonize al) Ireland. A little party was made up, while I was engaged with the ants, to explore a huge, nearly barren rock, lying at a distance of about five milos from onr mooring place, and between ourselves and the mouth of the bay. This in our daily whaling excursions we had noted to be the resort of innu- merable fly'ng foxes. I came back too late to join the expedition, b it learned from them that they FLYINO FOXES. 209 found the birds (?) flown. They saw nothing therefore, but traces, in broken branches of trees, etc., of their nightly resort thither. The captain, however, shot one of the foxes before the day was over. It was a black animal, with a head more like a bat than a fox, very sharp teeth, and long claws, and of about the size of a small fox. At a regular hour each day, between ten o'clock and twelve, the whole flock which frequented the rock, took a flight over to the mainland, a distance of perhaps eight miles. They moved in a solid mass, like a flock of birds, and at a distance would certainly have been taken for birds. The following day, (Monday), to the joy of every one, we got under weigh and stood out of the bay, bidding it adieu with a hearty determin- ation never to return. 14 CHAPTER XII. ON getting clear of the land once more, the ship was headed to the southward, and the rumor soon got afloat that the captain intended running into St. Mary's, a French colony on the eastern coast >f Madagascar, about two days sail from the mouth of Antongil Bay. The third day thereafter, hav- ing in the meantime seen no whales, both ships entered the harbor of St. Mary's. The town, or settlement, and fort lie upon an island separated by a narrow strait from the main island. This is known among whalemen as the most fatal place upon the entire coast, for whites ; but it is the only place on this part of the coast where fruits and vegetables are obtainable, and is, there- fore, frequently resorted to by whaleships. On coming to an chor, all hands proceeded aft, LIBERTY. :,)[] to ask the captain for a run ashore during our stay. Hereupon he made us a little address, staling that he was quite willing to grant the required liberty, but telling us at the same time that while those who returned on board before sunset would run no risk of catching the fever, so surely would those die who remained on shore over night, that he should refuse to receive them on board the fol- lowing morning, considering them as certainly dead. This sounded like humbug to some of the crew. But I had been warned against going ashore in this place, by the carpenter of the Betsy Ann, which vessel had lost here three of her men at one visit. I detailed the information I had received, to the rest, after we had retired to the forecastle, and convinced them, as I thought, that the cap- tain's words were at least founded on fact. I could hardly blame the disbelief of some, for the shores past which we had been sailing during the da}', were so beautiful, and everything ap- peared to our rain-accustomed eyes so resplendent in the genial sunlight, whose like we had not felt for two months, that it was hard to believe grim death to lurk in every glade and hummock of the shore. Yet so it is. St. Mary's is unhealthy even to the natives, and I was informed that the Euro- pean portion of the garrison, notwithstanding the greatest precaution and skill, is annv.ally decimated by the deadly coast fever. Tc seamen, used to take but little care, and 212 WHALING AND FISHING. scorning, in tluir robust health, all precautionary measures, one night's stay ashore is in nearly every ease fatal, as was sadly proved by two of mir crew, who were so fool-hardy as to overstay their time. Taking all things into consideration, although I very strongly desired to leave the vessel, I con- cluded not to expose my life here. Life, thought I, is about all I have at this time to lose, and this I had rather part with to better advantage and on a more inviting occasion. As our stay was to be short, we had but half a day's run ashore, one watch taking the forenoon, the other the afternoon. This gave us time only for an inspection of the barracks, a short ramble along the shell-strown beach, and a bargain with the natives for a quantity of cocoanuts and bananas. The privates of the garrison are all natives, sepoys, while the officers and musicians are Europeans. The town is separated from the gar rison by a little arm of the sea; and at the water- Bide here, on the garrison side, .are some huge storehouses,, containing naval stores for the French squadron stationed in those waters. St. Mary's is visited by but few vessels. It was formerly a place of call for French Jndiamen, but we were told that it was no longer so. A few whalemen, and an occasional French or English cruiser, with hall a dozen bullock droghers, are the only ves- sels that enliven its harbors. MALARIA. 213 The French have made more persistent efforts than any other nation for the colonization and conquest of .Madagascar, but their success has been marvelously inproportionate to their efforts. And their failure is not owing to the resistance of the inhabitants, although these have always hated and harrassed the foreigner; but almost entirely to the prevalence all along the seacoast of the island, of a deadly malaria, to which nearly every European resident sooner or later falls a prey. Grim death himself keeps guard tit the portals of this fertile island. Those who had " liberty " in the forenoon / returned on board in due time, laden with shells and fruit. Directly after dinner we of the lar- board watch were set ashore, where we amused ourselves in various ways till half an hour before sunset, when all but two of our number rendered themselves on board. These two had determined to spend the night ashore, all our remonstrances tc the contrary notwithstanding. The following morning, as we were getting under way, they came alongside in a shore boat. As they approached the vessel, the captain hailed them, asking what they wanted. They were no\v ready to come on board, said they. " I have marked * deceased ! ' opposite youi names on the muster roll. I consider you dead men. I can not refuse to let you come cr board but would rather you would stay ashore." They protested that they were in excellent 214 WHALING- AND FISHING. health, and felt not the slightest ill effects from their night's exposure. " I will give you your clothing if you will stay Dr. shore." But they had no desire to be left behind, lim- ing learned how little chance there was to get away from the place, and harboring no wish to starve on shore. So they were permitted to come aboard, and turned to their work as though nothing had happened. " They'll die before three days are over," saia the captain to me, who had just then taken charge c f the helm, the ship being now under weigh. They were living and in apparently good health all day. But in the course of the following night both were taken sick, their first symptoms being a violent diarrhea, with cold sweats ; and before forty-eight hours both were dead. Two others were meantime laid low with the same disease, and only recovered by the most faithful attend- ance, and the strictest care as to diet. This was our first burying of the dead, and as may be sup- posed from the suddenness of the affliction, it was a solemn occasion. A few days after the burial, in accordance with universal custom on ship board, the effects of the deceased were disposed of at auction. In the merchant service, where the proceeds of such a sale go with the wages of the deceased to his heirs, perhaps a widow and family of children, an auction is often made the occasion of a display of generosity on the part of the surv.vmg shipmates, who bid in the various articles at much more than their real value, and thus contribute w heir mite to the support of the bereaved family. Thi; men found in the forecastle of a whaleship are, however, generally castaways in the woild young fellows who have run away from the pater- nal home, and have no one depending upon them for support. The proceeds, if the deceased is out of debt at the time of his death, are of course reserved for the relatives; but these do not often know of the circumstances, and it is onl} T by accident in many cases that they ever learn of the decease of the wanderer. Of the death of these men, I speak reluctantly, and with pain. Both were delirious during the greater part of their short illness, and senseless for some time before death, so that the grim monster did not come with many terrors. But to those who looked on, vainly wishing for power to help, the spectacle was distressing. The sick men's minds were but little prepared for the great change; and although the captain endeavored to ihe best of his ability to administer to them iu their sane moments the consolations of reLgion, it is iT'ieb A .o be feared that they died " as the beasts tnat perish ." The gloom which nangs over a forecastle, \\hen some of its members have been suddenly taken away, lasted here a shorter time, and was less 116 WHALING AND FISHING. generally felt *han is usual. Our crew were not seamen. They had not the many finer traits of character which distinguish the true sailor. They were selfish, and their many months of close intercourse with each other had riot called out hose strong feelings of affectionate regard which obtain among merchant seamen under such cir- cumstances. We were now cruising off the beautiful shores of Bourbon again, but meeting with no whales there our captain determined to take a short cruise around the Seychelle Islands, and then pass on to the Sooloo sea. Several of our boatsteerers and officers had visited the Seychelles, and described them as most beautifully situated, fertile, and inhabited by a very innocent and quiet-lived people, the descendants of French settlers and the natives. We therefore looked forward to having at last a pleasant run ashore, when we should arrive there, as it was understood that the vessel would make a stay of at least a week at one or . rMier of the Islands. Our passage, which was made much in thn marner of a continuous cruise, the vessel being hov- to under reefed sails every evening, and standing on under short canvas all day, was the pleasantest we had yet experienced For jiart of the way the south-east trade winds wafted us softly along through a climate which seemed tbnt of an eternal spring, filling us with joyous anticipations "RUNNING AWAY." 217 of the delights of a land which lies in the track of these genial breezes. For myself, I had determined that I would embrace the first opportunity to leave the vessel, as I was heartily tired of the monotony and dirt of a whaloship, as well as of the ignorance and brutality of those whom I was compelled to own as shipmates in the forecastle. These fellows, who claimed to be sailors because they had contracted all the vices usually, but in many cases erroneously, attributed to seamen, were to me day by day growing more unendurable. I had on several occasions cut off all communications with them, keeping company only with the three Portuguese. It is exceedingly unpleasant to hold such relations to individuals with whom one is thrown in constant contact, and I had already before we sailed into Antcngil Bay, made up my mind that I would at the first favorable chance leave the ship. Of course this determination of mine was not hinted to any one else; although, as is usual in whales hips, the subject of " running away " was daily discussed in the forecastle. I had learned ere this voyage that " a still tongue makes a wise head,*' and justly thought that the best way to secure the success of my scheme was to say nothing about it. 1 had some time since settled the preliminaries in my own mind, and now, as it became certain that we should visit the Seychelles, prepared some 218 WHALING AND FISHING. thin clothing, which I more especially desired to tuke with me. 1 judged, from what the boatsteer- ers '.old me of the islands, that it would be almost impossible to get safely away from a whaleship there, unless some merchant vessel was just then in port, in which to take passage. I trusted that such would be the case, but had determined to try an escape into the country, if nothing better offered. By dint of diligent inquiry, I had learned all that was to be gathered from those who had before visited the place, as to the manners of the inhab- itants, their language, the peculiarities of the dif- ferent islands, and the modes of transport from one to the other. In fact, in the absence of all other excitement for the mind, my projected flight was the all-absorbing topic with me. I thought and dreamt of nought else, and often longed to take some one to my confidence, and \alk over my ideas with him. But this I dare not risk. Meantime we were cruising along, keeping a sharp lookout for whales, all hands being anxious ; to fall in with and capture a whale or two, in order that our contemplated stop at the Seychelle islands, which seemed somewhat dependent on this con- tingency, might be secured beyond doubt. In fact, every circumstance in our lives was henceforth viewed merely as it would affect or b* affected by the looked-for libert y at the Seychelles ANVICIfA Tioy. 219 AVas sonic one in trouble " Never mind," mut- tered he to himself, ' ; we'll be in the Seychelles soon." Did one have a nice shirt, or a pair of trowsers less patched than usual "Those are intended for liiy go-ashore suit at the Seychelles." \Vus our diurnal duff raw, or rice badly cooked, " AVait till we get to the Seychelles," was the com- forting* reflection. J\vcn a quarrel in the forecastle was tempora- rily patched up, to be settled by due course of fisticuffs "on our arrival at the Seychelles." Our entire lives hinged upon that now delight ful name. Jt was when we were about half way between Bourbon and the Seychelles, that one morning whales were seen from the masthead. They were to windward of us, and were going along at steady rate, evidently making a passage. Hour after hour, as we stood after them, the musical cry of "there blows," was shouted from the masthead by the dozen men there gathered to watch the movements of the fish ; until finally, at twelve o'clock, it was judged a favorable time to lower. The whales had just turned flukes, and it was thought, as they were not under very great head- way, that by means of oars and sails we might place the boats in a fr-orable position for fasten- ing by the time they rose again. Luckily for us, while yet urging the boats ahead, the whales appeared at but very little distance from us, and 220 WHALING AND FISHING. the second mate at once pulled up and struck <>ie We made for another fish, but the school immedi. ately disappeared, leaving the struck whalo Ic tight his own battles. He however did not seem disposed to fignt. The iron had been darted into one of his eyes, and he was evidently in great agony. He did not sound when struck, as is usual with sperm whales, but after giving two or three violent strokes on the water with his flukes, began rolling round and round, until he had a large part of one tub- full of the second mate's line wound about his body. In his agony he would occasionally dart wildly through the water, but in a short time re- sumed his rolling again, seeming, I thought, to be trying by this means to extract the dart. This rolling over of course gave a fair chance for a lance to be aimed at his breast, and in fifteen minutes after he was struck he was in his flurry, throwing his ponderous body about with the swift- ness and agility of a mackerel. When he was dead, and rolled over " fin out/' we had an instance of how surely a dead whale will work to windward that is, will drift agaii si the force of both wind and sea. The veb&el, uy brisk working, had been brought to windward of oin- prize and hove to. While, however, the fluke chain and its adjuncts were being prepared, she drifted off again to leeward. It was to be ex- pected that so un wieldly a body as a whale, lying helpless upon the water, would have driftod off SULPHUR-BOTTOMS. 221 nearly as fast as the vessel ; but on the contrary, we could plainly see that it moved, if at all, the other way, against the wind. "How do you account for that?" asked I of the mate, while we were trying out. " Whalemen say it is caused by the lower fin of the whale, which hangs loosely down in the water as he lies upon his side. As the sea sweeps under the body, this fin catches the water in a peculiar manner, and being yet bound by the muscles, at each sweep throws the whale's body slightly back, thus neutralizing the force of the wave." The next day we saw a huge finback of the kind called the sulphur-bottom. They are very large, and the blubber is reputed to make oil i'ully equal to sperm oil. Marvelous stories are told by whalemen, of the size of these sulphur-bottoms, some having been taken which turned out from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and sixty barrels of oil. They run, on being struck, just as does the real fin-back, and oftentimes sink when at the point of death, thus again disappointing the expectant whaleman. The mode most depended on for capturing them is to go on with a lance and an iron in the bows. Tho lai ce being darted first, if there is reasonable cause to suppose that it has struck his life, it is immediately followed by the iron. If it has not inflicted a mortal wound, the iron is withheld, as in that case the fish would go off at top speed, 222 WHALIXfi AND and tne ooat would only have to cut loose, with the loss of a harpoon and a portion of the line. Many whalemen will not lower for sulph'ir-bot tonis, considering t lein too troublesome. Our captain was of this opinion, and the monster fisn used, therefore, to pass the vessel with pei feet impunity. Their spout resembles a sperm whale's, but they differ in shape, having no hump, and being much longer. "Does any one ever try finbacks or how is it known that they run ?" I asked, one evening as we stood by the Jry-fires, discussing the merits of sulphur-bottoms, and other running whales. " Yes," said the second mate, " most people have a desire to satisfy themselves upon the question, and generally do so before the}' can rest easy while a fat tin back is sailing lazily past them. Last voyage we were cruising in the Sooloo sea, where the skipper now talks of going, when om, beautiful afternoon, as we were gently gliding over a sea almost as smooth as glass, a good sized finback hove his ridge out of water just ahead of the boat. We had lowered for a school of sperm whales, gallied them by some accident, and were now returning aboard empty-handed, to get a, jawing from the skipper. As 1 sat in the bow, whither I had gone to get under shelter of the sail, which flapped lazily against tho mast, the though! stiuck me to fasten to this fish, and prove for my self what the consequences of su:h an net would lx> STRIKING A FINBACK. 223 " I motioned to the boatsteerer to la}' the boat round, so that with the little headway she haJ she would glide on him and give me a fail* dan. As he came within reach I put out my utmost strength and sent an iron deep into his bilge. "He never stopped to kick, but putting nis head on a level with the water's edge, started off at such speed as I don't believe whale-boat ever went before. " Mast and sail were carried straight over the stern, and as the boatsteerer, in obedience to my cry, held in the line, before I could grasp the boat-hatchet and cut line, we were half full of water. With such force was the boat dragged oo through the water that she leaked like a sieve from the strain. This specimen of a finback's running powers satisfied me fully." It was on a calm and beautiful day, a week before we saw the long wished-for Seychelles, that the captain, who was taking a walk around the vessel, noticed the man at the foreroyal- masthead gazing placidly down upon deck, instead of keep ing his eyes on the waste of waters before him. " There are no whales down here, Henry," re marked he, by way of reminder of his duty. "Well, captain," drawled out Henry, who was as goxl-natured and stupid a fellow as ever lived " there are none up here." The captain grinned, as did all who heard the reply. Scm^e a minute had elapsed, however, 224 WHALING AND FISHING. before the mate, who was at the main royai masthead, sang out lustily, " There she Whitewa- ters," a cry which roused all hands from a pleas- jut doze, and caused some of us to run up the rigging to examine for ourselves the " white- yater." " There blows," repeated the masthead's-man " One," said the captain. u There blows ! " from the masthead. <; Two," from the captain. "There blows ! " " Three." " There blows ! " < Four." " There blows ! " " Sperm whales, by all that's good and bad, 1 now shouted the captain in ecstacy. " Get youi boats ready, while I go aloft and watch them." There was no necessity for backing the mail* yard, for there was scarce a breat'i of air, and the ship had not steerage way on. The whales were about two miles off, and it was determined to lower as soon as they turned flukes, and try to get fast the next rising. " You may as well cast loose the paddles, Char- ley," said the boatsteerer, as I was making ready some cf the boat-gear, " we shall not use the oars much to-day." 11 There goes flukes," was the signal for lower- ing the boats, and we set out merrily for the spot where the fish were expected to make their next appearance. After pulling about a mile, the oars were peaked, and the balance of the distance was overcome by means of the paddles. To use these, the crew sit upon the gunwale of the boat, with their fa^ea toward the bow. This is therefore a much plea 3- anter way of approaching a whale than by pull- ing, or rowing, as landsmen would say. In fact, although much is said of the excitement of whal- ing, I doubt if much of this excitement is felt by those who, sitting with their backs to the fish ; have no further share in his capture than placing the boat in a position to enable the harpooneers- man to " make fast." The boatheader, as commanding officer on the occasion, no doubt feels a pleasant degree of elevation, while the boatsteerer, if he has confi- dence in the " header " and in himself, is also under the influence of a pleasing excitement, and thinks it glorious sport. But to the men at the oars it is, I judge, a good deal as though they were being conveyed to the center of a field of battle, blindfolded, and seated on a car, with theii backs to the enemy. It is only in fine weather, when sailing is feasible, or paddling becomes neces- sary, that 1 ever saw a whaleboat's crew entering into the spirit of the chase and capture. Then indeed, as on this occasion, it is glorious sport. The whales rose one by one, and at considera- ble distances from each other, thus giving several 15 226 WHALING AND FISHING. boats an opportunity for getting fast Our chance was. however, likely to be the best, as t.ic whale nearest us was approaching the boat, meet- ing her head and head. o "Paddle silently, boys," whispered the mate. We dipped our paddles into the water will, long an 1 easy sweeps, scarce breathing, for feai of startling the whale who, occasionally spouting, was surging slowly toward us. He was entirely unsuspicious of our presence, and acted as though half asleep. More than fifteen minutes elapsed before we were sufficiently near to lay aside our paddles fifteen minutes of eager excitement to every one of us. The boat soon lost her headway, and now lay almost motionless upon the water. The boat- eteerer, iron in hand, stood with his knee against the lubber-chock. We had resumed our seats, but with one hand resting upon the oars, were engrossed in watching the whales. The mate, in the stern, having thrown the bight of the line about the loggerhead, was now slowly laying the ho.at around with his steering oar, to give Barnard a oetter chance. On came the whale very slowly, I thought erery moment of delay increasing the excite- ment. Every breath was held; no one dared more a jot. The dropping of a pin in the boat might almost have been heard, and if heard would certainly iiave excited numberless internal oaths, so fearful AN UGLY WHALE. were we of disturbing the yet unconscious whale. Now we were within dart. Why don't you throw your iron ? is a question frown ingly expressed upon every countenance. Giving the boat a last strong sweep around, so as to bring her bows at right angles with his body, the mute nods, us *:, sign to dart, and on the instiau a startled splash of the whale's flukes proclaims that we are fast. Drawing a long breath, we grasped our oars and backed water. The whale darted under the boat, but did not sound to a great depth. All wa now noise and activity. " Haul in, he's not going tc sound," cried the mate. " Arc those lances ready? " The lances were already out of their becket, and in another moment were on their rests. The whale, after lying for a few moments quite still at the depth to which he had sounded, as we could tell by our line, rose to the surface not far from the stern of the boat, and " throwing his jaw off/' (as opening his mouth is called), darted about in a circle, evidently preparing himself for mischief. As he swept in a circle around the bout, we were compelled to follow him, turning the boat contin- ually to keep her head on. The mate kept a taut line on him, determined to lose no time before lancing. But his gyrations did not afford an opportunity. Twice he darted for the boat, but each time sour Jed to i little dejth before 228 WHALING AND FISHING. coming within dart. This play continued half an hour or more, and our utmost efforts were.required at times to keep the boat from being* capsized, so swiftly did he drag her around. " If we only had a loose boat here now, to lance him, or engage his attention for a moment," mut- tered Barnard, whose berth at the steering oaj was just now of the most unpleasant. " Blast the ugly beast, Barnard, we'll have to give a little more line; the boat came near being capsized that last round," said the mate. For a moment, indeed, this had been deemed ^inevitable, but by instinctively crowding over to the upper side, and by the activity of the boat steerer with his steering oar, we were saved from that mishap. "There, we're loose by all that's devilish!" was Barnard's exclamation as the boat suddenly ceased to whirl round, and our line floated loosely on the water. The whale, as though knowing he was released, immediately started' off at a speed which rendered all chase useless. He had gotten the line into his mouth which was wide open all the time, and with the constant strain it had chafed in two against the rough skin on his jaw. With disappointed looks we watched our whale. He made good headway from us, and at last turned flukes at the distance of a mile, still heading from us. " I did not know but he would come back, and give us another chance," remarked the inate> d STO VE. 220 u He seemed to be an ugly tempered fellow, and they sometimes come back to have a little re- venge." We laughed at this, and commenced pul ing riuwii toward the other boats, which we saw about two miles off in a direction opposite to that which our whale had taken. Some fifteen minutes had elapsed, and we were it slowly pulling along, discussing our adventure, hen the boatsteerer suddenly shouted at the top of his voice, " Pull hard 1 pull hard ! there's a whale under us! " Before this could be done in fact, before he had fairly uttered his warning we heard a crash, and felt the boat lifted up under us. In the next mo- ment all but the mate and myself were thrown into the water, and the boat was restored to her equi- librium, half filled and leaking fast at every seam. The whale, which had struck beneath the tub- oarsman's thwart, was now standing perpendicu- larly in the water, with his jaw thrown wide open, and his junk raised in the air. Thus he remained for the space of a minute, seemingly waiting for something to drop into his extended maw: then resuming his horizontal position he once moio made off. Had the men been in the boat, the mate would have fastened to him again, wrecked as we were. But there was no one to lay the boat's head round; and to have struck him from the stern \\ouldhave 230 WHALING AND FISHING. exposed all to almost certain destruction, \\ithout any reasonable prospect of getting the whale. We immediately commenced hailing' the boat, each j/ian as he crawled aboard over bow or stern (for so full of water was the boat, that a touch upon htji side would have capsized her), going to work. Cu jkets, hats, shoes, and every thing else available were brought into requisition, and we soon got the water so far under that two men could be set to work with paddles; and thus while the rest bailed we slowly reached the ship. Here the boat was wrapped round with mats and ropes, and hoisted in to be repaired. A few of her after timbers were broken ; nearly every plank was started, and her keel was splintered in two places. The whale, as we knew by our iron which was sticking in his back, was the same we had struck. After going down at the distance of a mile, his temper probably got the better of him, arid he returned to wreak revenge on his assailants. Barnard, who was the first to discover him, said he saw a huge body glistening as it rose rapidly under the boat, and at once guessed it to be a whale, not thinking -however, till we all saw the iron in his back, that it was the whale. of the other boats succeeded in getting The crews said that although that portion oi the school which they were pursuing, was at (east two miles from us, they knew the moment we got fast, by the sudden disappearance of every whale. CHAPTER XIII. WE cruised for about a week after the accident described in the preceding chapter, in hopes to see the school of whales again, and make prizes of some of them. Not meeting with whales however, at the end of that time, we stood in for the land, which was never during the week more than one day's sail off, and in twenty hours were anchored in the harbor of Port Victoria, or Mahe, as it is more generally called, that being the name of the Island upon which the town is located. We came to anchor at night, and at early dawii were boarded by the harbor master, (whose prin- cipal business seemed to be to receive and dispense news) and shortly after by a host of natives, who brought alongside all manner of fruits and vegetables, and wonder of wonders some copies of a newspaper, published on the Island. 44 The Seychelle News Lett?*" so it was called, was 232 WHALING AND FISHING. a diminutive specimen ol newspaperdonij pnr.ted on very coarse, dark paper, and from what is known by printers as pica type. One-half was in English and the other half French, a great part of the latter being taken up with the never- failing fe.mlkton. I purchased a copy for a plug of tobacco, and read the news while discuse : ng my breakfast, a compound luxury I had not enjoyed for a long time. Mahe, which is the principal, and I believe largest of the Seychelle group, is sixteen miles long, and about four miles broad. It is mountain- ous, as are all the islands in the Indian ocean, but is withal very fertile, and has a most enchanting climate. The natives, who use the French lan- guage, understanding but little English, are of various hues, from the light olive of the southern Frenchman to the coal black of the native Macla- gassy. These islands were first settled by Frenchmen, and belonged to the French until 1794. They are now a dependency of the government of the Mau- ritius. But although the English flag flies there, and British colonial laws are administered, the inhabitants yet cherish their love for " la belle France" and I never heard " vive la repullique" shouted with more fervency than by one of our visitors when talking with the captain on the then recent great events in France. In days past, before the English abolished slavery, numbers of Madagassy were brought to A LAZY MAN'S PARADISE. 33 chcsc islands as slaves. Their descendants still form in great part the laboring classes. They **ro a boorish and rude set, and have profited little from ;hcir admixture with the gentle and peace- fr.l F ench crcole population, except indeed where, as is to a considerable extent the case, a fusion of ti)3 two races has taken place. The whites an- still the leading people, and have the commerce of the islands in their hands. They take great pride in the purity of their blood, and look down with no little contempt upon mulattoes and quad- roons, while these in turn despise the woolly- headed descendants of the Madagassy. The whites and those of mixed blood have all the grace and liveliness peculiar to the French char- acter, tempered with a gentleness which renders the men almost feminine in their manners, and makes the women very charming. The islands there are thirty in the group seemed to me the realization of a lazy man's idea of paradise. The constant sea-breeze tempers the heat of the sun, and makes the air slightly invig- orating instead of enervating. All kinds of trop- ical fruits grow spontaneously, or with the least possible degree of care, in a most generous soil. Shelter is j arcel}- needed, and clothing, beyond what decency prescribes, is altogether superfluous. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, if the peo- ple are " doless," and live contentedly u quiet, inactive existence. On many of the smaller islands, so I was informed, bananas, bread-fruit and 234 WHALING AND FISHING. fish are the principal food of the natives, who build their huts under the shade of a pleasant grove, and, to use an expression of our black 'jjook, u have Sunday every day in the week." jSfo sooner were we in port than plans without number were formed and discussed in the forecas- tle, by those who had grown dissatisfied with .he ship or the business she was engaged in. and therefore desired to leave or to state it in bhuii English, to desert. Of our entire crew, leaving out of consideration the boatsteerers and officers whose interests were of course identified with the vessel, none but one Portuguese and the black cook really cared to stay. Each of the others had a plan for making good his own escape ; and at a distance^ while we were yet at sea, each of these plans looked feasible enough. Some thought to take one of the ship's boats, and go in her to some of the other islands, where, setting the boat adrift, they would conceal themselves till the ship was necessitated to leave those waters. Some thought to procure a passage to a neighboring island in a small coasting pin- nace. Others yet were convinced that they would be able to subsist in the mountain region of Mahe*, and render all search for them futile. Once in port, and with the land staring them in the face, several lost heart altogether, and aban- doned further thought of an undertaking in which they would have, without means, to cast them- selves among strangers, most of whom could not DESEHTJOX. ;;;;:, even understand their language. The rest found tlKiir Chilis of escape so little conformable to the existing state of things, that they were forced to ds vise new wayt and means. "Meantime, tlie captain was making preparations to thwart an}' attempts at desertion, by putting euch of the natives as would serve him, on the alert, preparing to use them as scouts 'who could be quickly put upon the track of those who failed to return on board in due season. Whaling cap- tains, in general, are up to pretty much all the tricks of their crews, and always chose a " lib- erty " port with an eye to the facilities it affords for retaking fugitives. Not one whaleship in fifty brings home from a three years' cruise the crew which took her out. Few young men are satis- fied with the monotonous life of a whaleman, and fewer yet are proof against the seductions of the shore, when visiting it, as we were now, after eleven months of hard fare and all manner of privation. So that most of those who complete the yage, (here of course I speak of the forecastle Lands), do so not from choice, but because the vigilance of the captain, or theii own ignorance and poverty of resources, has rendered th^ii escape impossible. Nothing is more common in a whaleship's forecastle than to hear the crew, oven at ar. advanced stage of the voyage, speak of their hopes to escape at the next port. And here is shown the wisdom cf captains and Owners in shipping } one but green hands. Sailors 236 WHALING AND FISHING. it is next to impossible to keep on board when they once take it into their heads to leave. Used to foreign lands and ways, they fear not to throw themselves at haphazard among any people, SUT? that they will be able to work their way through "somehow." Besides, to the sailor all other ships are open, whereas the ignorant whaleman, making his first trip, is worthless as a seaman, and utterly unknowing of anything beyond his own ship. Notwithstanding all these disadvantages, how- ever, nine out of ten in every whale crew desert, generally paying for their foolhardiness b}' a most wretched life of exposure, privation and poverty, and in the end falling upon the tender mercies of some American Consul, or working their way homeward, broken down in health, and spirits, and morals. Numberless stories are told of escapes of whale- men from their vessels. I knew an old salt, who was one of the crew of a vessel cruising for whales on the coasts of Madagascar. The crew were dis- satisfied and determined to leave, but the captain, ;.\vare of their purpose, took care to enter only .L se ports, principally on the island around which ct.ey were cruising, where he knew that his men e^ho 1 dared not go ashore, because the natives would kill them, or where for ten dollars he could have a whole crew caught and delivered to him. " We were lying in Nos Beh, (an island off the the northwest coast of Madagascar}," said George Thompson, who spun us this yarn, one midwatch, A CRUISE IN A WHALEBOAT. 2:57 while Bnugly stowed away under the bulwarks of an old lime-juicer. " There is a French settle- ment there, and the captain had told us, on com- ing to anchor, that this was our appointed liberty place, informing us at the same time with a tri- umphant grin, that he was well acquainted with the commandant, and that if any of us felt inclir d for an excursion into the country, we might muKa sure of a safe escort back within forty-eight hoar* after our departure from the ship. " Six of us, including one of the boatsteeivrs, had made up our minds to run away at all haz- ards ; but we now found our purpose completely frustrated, at least so far as taking refuge on shore was concerned. Upon consultation, we resolved upon the rather desperate measure of going off in one of the ship's boats. But where to ? Johanna and Zanzibar were suggested, as being the nearest ports; but the first was a regular resort for whale- men, where we would no doubt be detained, and the last was too far off, while in addition there was an American Consul there, into whose clutches it would not do to fall. We finally concluded that Mozambique was the only safe place for us, and although this would be a long passage to make in an open boat, we determined to try it. " Three days and nights were consumed in preparation. A considerable stock of bread and molassos ^va c provided, with a very little salt j.nrk, this being too great an incentive to thirst to be of mucl use to us. The water breakers in the 238 WHALING AND FISHING. ">ther boats were carefully filled, in readiness to be placed in the one destined to carry us. " On the third night, about two o'clock, we fas- tened the cabin doors as well as we could without noise, and then, all things, being in readiness, clothing and provisions fairly stowed away, and oars ready for instant use, we rapidly lowered away the boat, and jumping in, put off from the ship. " The noise we made in lowering away roused the officers, and by the time we were half a dozen ships' lengths from the vessel, we were hailed uy the captain, who called on us to return, threaten- ing all sorts of vengeance if we refused. " * Pull away, lads,' said one of our number, 1 we hav^ no breath to waste.' " We were momentarily increasing our distance, and would soon be safe from all pursuit, should such be made in the boats ; but now came a shot, flinch struck the man at the steering-oar. On seeing the blood, one or two of our number grew Beared, and proposed to return. " ' Pull ahead,' said the wounded man, sternly, as he tied his neckhandkerchief about his wounded thigh. " A few strokes more and we were out of reach of the shot which were still sent after us; and soon a projection of the land hid the ship ft on) our view. We now set up the compass w^ith which every whaleboat is furnished, and hoisting our sail, put the boat on her course for the mainland A CRUISE IN A WlJALKltoAT. ^:)i) of Madagascar, which would Le visible at day- light. But to make our escape doubly secure, wo continued pulling for some hours longer, not knowing but that our captain would pursue us \\M\\ the ship. <' Daylight disclosed to us the land of Madagas- 3:>r ahead, and as no pursuers appeared, we ship- pod in our oars, and stood along under sail pleasantly enough. The morning was bright and cairn, with a good breeze, and as we skiinm"l along over the water, and began to realize ihtit after two years of subjection we were once more our own masters, we felt light-hearted .and equal to any emergency. The wound of our steersman proved to be slight, a mere scratch, which would not trouble him. " It now became necessary to take a cool survey of our position and resources. It had been deter- mined beforehand, that we should sail along the western shore of Madagascar until we judged our- selves abreast of Mozambique, and then bold'y stand across the channel, which is just there at the narrowest, being not more than two hundred miles wide. By actual count of our biscuits, we found that we had sufficient to last us, on a mode- rate allowance, for three weeks. Of water we had enough for ten days, we judged, but of this, as we were to sail along shore, we hoped to procure a supply before we were entirely destitute. "Two of our number could navigate, and we had with us a quadrant, a Bowditch, and a sraalJ 240 WHALING AND FISHING. chart of the coast of Madagascar, by the help ^f which we trusted to be able to find our way over the deep. We elected Long Tom Coffin, the man who was shot, our chief, and then divided our- selves off into watches, holding the helmsman for the time being responsible for a correct reck- oning of the course and distance made during his trick, and putting upon Long Tom the labor of keeping a regular log. " A spare royal which one of us hud thrown in, made a most excellent shelter for the watch at night, and for all hands that desired to sleep during the day. You can have no idea how well we got along. The weather remained very fine, and the wind was continually fair, while, sailing along shore as we were, at no greater distance than was necessary to skip, as it were, from headland to headland, the sea was always so smooth that our little craft got over it at a remarkable rate. We named her the Dancing Feather, Long Tom swearing that she danced better than the prettiest girl he had ever seen. " After all preliminaries were settled, and we were taking a quiet look around, Tom, who seemed to have thought of everything, produced a bun- dle of books. He had ransack jd every chest in the forecastle, and borrowed ail he could of the Loatsteerers. The two dozen volumes of tales and novels which he now pitched out to us as the result of his efforts, were most welcome access- ions to our small stock of amusements, and we A CRUISE IN A WHALEBOAT. 241 K"hiled away many pleasant hours in their peru- sal, and in talking over the characters found I'D them. a On the second day after our departure, a coun- cil was held to determine what course should be pursued, should we fall in with vessels. After due consideration, it was decided that should we sea a ship under sail, it would be prudent to keep out (if reach, unless she were clearly a merchant ves- sel, when, if it wds desirable, we might ask them to take us on board. Of the native boats and Arab coasters, we vot^d ourselves not afraid. We could at any time escape from such by means of our oars, and thought our six selves, armed with the irons and lances which the boat contained, a full match for any reasonable number of Arabs. " Our dead reckoning and observations proved that in the first thr e days out we made one hun- dred miles per day, which, although not a very fine run for a large vessel, was exceedingly good progress for a whaleboat. At this rate, we should not be more than eight or ten days under way. But the fourth day came a calm, and in the after- noon a heavy rain squall, which was very useful to us, as by means of our royal we caught suffi- cient water to fill up every vessel we had i'i the boat. Our biscuit we had stowed away safoly ir the btern sheets, and under the bow, where the rain could not injure them. "We were now prepared to make the entire trip without touching at any intermediate pot -it, a 16 242 WHALING AND FISHING. circumstance of which we were very glad, inasmuch as it would have occupied valuable time to search about for water, as well as exposed us to an attack from the natives. As we became more and more at home in the boat, we grew bolder, and stood out from shore further. The weather remained delightful, and we now sailed just in view of ^he highest points of the land we were passing. " On the fifth day, we knew by the sharp east- erly curve the land took, that we were approaching the point where we would stand across. By the quadrant, we could ascertain the correct latitude each day at noon, and thus make sure that we did not overshoot the mark. "'As for longitude/ said Long Tom, 'we can't miss it ; once get in the right latitude and sail due east, and you will run against the town, if it is not sunk.' " On the eighth day, our navigators announced that we were now at that point of our journey where we must stand cast. We had been sailing east southeast some days, and the change in course was not therefore so great. " ' Look your last on Madagascar, boys ; 1 don' believe any of you want to soe the wretched hole 9 gain,' was the word of our chief, as he laid the boat off shore. " AVe watched the receding hills without regret, for they were connected in our minds with twc long years of toil and drudgery, for wh/ch we were never to receive any recompense. A CRUISi: IX A \YJIALEBOAT. : >4:> "Our passage was a pleasant one, and we were so fortunate as to miss the port by only about twenty miles, which we soon retrieved when Long Tom had gotten a correct observation, and deter- mined on which side, north or south of the phve we had gotten. As we neared our haven, the question was, how should \ve present ourselves, what yarn were we to spin to the Portuguese, and how account for our possession of the boat. " * For,' remarked Long Tom, who had gotten to be our oracle by this time, ' people don't com- monly navigate the ocean in whaleboats, and I dare say, we'll be looked upon as rather remark- able specimens of humanity, in this out of the way corner of the world.' " i They are Portuguese/ said one, * and won't ask many questions.' " ' No, but they may put us in their dirty cala- boose, and poison us with garlic, in order to get possession of the boat.' " Long Tom, who was always listened to with attention, now proposed to sail boldly in, and if asked our business, and where we were from, state that we were lost from a whaleship cruising on the coast. We should undoubtedly gain time thus to look about us, and for the balance of our talk, let H be as little as possible. " ' And as I am the only one of you that under- stands Portuguese, I don't believe you will com mit yourselves.' " We made the harbor about ten o'clock, on the 344 WHALING AND FISHING. fifteenth morning after our departure from the ship. As we sailed in toward w r hat seemed to bo a landing on one of the islands in the Bay, we passed a long, rakish looking brig, the officers of which hailed us, and after hearing our story from Long Tom, asked us to come alongside. She was a trader, bound to Goa, and had lost her hands on the coast. After some hesitation, we agreed with the captain to go in her as far as Goa, there to be regularly discharged. The whaleboat we sold to a rich old Portuguese, dividing the spoils, which amounted to nearly one hundred dollars. " ' That's all you'll ever get for your two years hard work, boys, so make the most of it,' said Long Tom, as we shared it equally among us. We all went to Goa, and thence Long Tom and 1 sailed for Pondicherry. But that's altogether an- other yarn, which I can't spin to-night." If the reader will pardon this long digression, we will now return to the subject which caused it deserting from whaleships. The most desper- ate expedients are sometimes adopted to get clear of an unlucky or unpleasant vessel. Thus it is on record that the greater part of a whaleship's crew once drifted on shore on the cover of the try- works, which they had launched overboard for that purpose. This cover is large, square and Hat, with sides about one foot deep. While we were cruising in the Pacific, in the United S\ates service, a more desperate case than even this occurred a t Honolulu. A man who had WHALING LIFE. 245 vainly tried to desert from his vessel, having been several times retaken when making the attempt., deliberately laid his left wrist on a chopping block and cut off the hand, exclaiming as he did so, " Now you'll have to let me go." There is but little done by the officers to make the life of the crew of a whaleship pleasant. On the cruising ground there is nothing to do. This adds another misery to the already sufficiently wretched existence of the whalemen, and thus makes it entirely unbearable. To be cruising about, far at sea, is monotonous enough, even if, as in the merchant vessel, the daily routine of labor is so arranged as to keep both hands and minds of the seamen employed. But when, as in the whale- ship, no attempt is made to relieve the tedium of the voyage, no expedient devised for making the time pass more lightly and pleasantly, a single cruise of six or eight months generally infuses into the new hands a strong desire to make their escape from the vessel. Thus it was with OUT crew. CHAPTER XIV. To return to our own ship. On the fourth aay after our arrival in port we were allowed a run ashore. No one of the crew but myself was the possessor of a cent of money. But all had what is called " trade," such as calico, tobacco, beads, etc., which they could here readily barter for such purchases as they desired to make. When we first anchored in the harbor, I noticed a large vessel with French colors flying, also at anchor. On inquiry, one of the natives informed me she was from Massowah, and had on board a cargo of horses. She hailed from Bourbon, but I was told was now bound to the Isle of France. She was to sail iD a very few days, and I deter- mined to make an effort to sail in her, as this seemed to me the surest chance for effecting my 1 PREPARE TO LEAVE. 247 escape from bondage. During my ramble about iliu shore, and while considering as to the best method of getting on board to ask the captain for a passage, I was so fortunate as to meet him. A oatlve of whom I had asked some particulars coi,- corning the vessel, pointed him out to me. I a, once addressee! him, stating my wishes, and also the tact that I was a merchant sailor, and would endeavor to make myself of use to him. lie answered me in tolerable English, that he wanted a hand, but that he feared I would not care' to come with him, when I once knew the manner in which his crew lived. " We are used to our country fashion of having only two meals per clay ; and bread is something entirely unknown to us." I answered, that I thought myself able to sub- sist on that which supported life in others, and would be very glad of a chance to try it at any rate. ' \Vcll," said he, " we shall sail to-mgnt, and if you can get aboard during the night I will take you with me, although I fear I shall get myself in trouble with your captain by it." Much rejoiced at my unexpected success, L re- turned on boaid about noon to get my dinner, and toi'k that occasion to put on two suits of clothing, ana place my peajacket and some other little arti- cles in a bundle, and with this, as trade, had my- self set ashoi'3 again, determining to sttvy, and go 248 WHALING AND FISHING. off to the "Hercule " that was the French barquo'8 namein a native boat during the night. In the course of the afternoon I engaged a na- tive, who for three dollars, more than half inj fortune, which consisted at that time of five ^lex- can pesos, engaged to convey me on board at any time during the night. Thinking that after sell- ing himself to me, he might, in hopes of a better price, betray me to the captain, I inserted a clause in our agreement, by which he was to remain with me until the time arrived to go on board, and to provide me until then with a shelter. We accord- ingly walked to the outskirts of the little town, where my man had a rude hut under shade of some banana bushes. Here we lay down to await the time when the click of the windlass should tell me that the barque was getting under way. The weary hours passed slowly by. I thought the sun was never going to set, and when it be- came dark, the suspense was yet more disagreea- bly prolonged by the close watch necessary to be kept upon the ship, lest she should be under way before we were aware of it. At last, about twelve o'clock, we heard the windlass, and in a moment after saw the foretopsail drop. Eunning hastily down to the shore, we jump-ed into a canoe and paddled off at full speed. " There's a pirogue from your ship, master," said my boatman, when we were about midway be- tween the shore and the barque. AN ESCAPE. 249 Sure enough, we coul.l just discern throagn. the darkness one of our boats, apparently about to board the barque. I thought for a moment that nay hopes were nipped in the bud ; but after lying still for a few minutes, I told the fellow to pad die on. AYe will go alongside on the other side, thought I, iviid remain there until our boat leaves, when I can get on board in safety. When we got alongside, I could hear the voice of our mate talking to the captain, who denied stoutly that I was on board. " You can take lanterns and search the hold, sir," said he to the mate, as that worthy still seemed unconvinced. Lanterns were accordingly produced, and while I lay concealed in the canoe under the quarter, the mate, accompanied by some of the crew, walked through the half empty hold, (she was partly in ballast), closely examining every nook and cranny, sounding the water casks, turning over spare rigging, and looking among the horses. The search was vain, and with sundry curses, and threats as to what would befall me were I caught, the mate at length descended into his boat, and with joy I heard them pulling off toward the ship. Orders were now given, in French, to man the windlass and heave up the anchor. I waited till the ship was fairly under way, before I climbed to the ueck. There the captain received me. 250 WHALING AND FISHING. assuring me that had I come on board sooner, 1 would certainly have been caught. With a light heart I bounded to the masthead tc loose the topgallant and nryal, and in a vcrj short time we were out of the harbor and J was once more a free man. For the state of subjec- tion in whi'ch men are kept on a whale.ship, when conti uied for such a length of time, becomes nothi .ig less than the most abject slavery. After the anchors were secured and all made ready for sea, I wrapped myself up in my pea- jacket, and stowing myself snugly away under the weather - bulwark slept till daylight. On waking up, I took the wheel, and steered from that time till eight o'clock. During this time the captain explained to me the internal economy of the vessel, which was certainly new to me. The crew, numbering fifteen, were of all shades of black, from charcoal to dark brown. They were natives of the Mauritius or the Seychelles, and were not sailors, but simply rope-haulers and horse- tenders. They received ten dollars per month, and for this kept watch at night, made and took in sail, steered the vessel, and tended the wants of the cargo of hoi^es which was now on board, if the rigging required repairs, the mates were obliged to do this themselves, and as for sail-mend- ing, about that even they knew but little. The crew slept upon deck, each man having a mat and a jacket, the mild air rendeiing other BANIAN. 251 covering unnecessary. The}' were allowed :wo meals per day, the first at nine o'clo< k, consisting of a ni xlicum of boiled rice with a little wretched cocoa ; the second at three o'clock, consisting of another portion of rice, and a small piece of will beef. Neither bread iur any other preparation of flour was known on board, not even in the cabin. No one who has not experienced it, can know how exceedingly difficult it is for one used to a civilized diet, to make a satisfactory meal without bread. It was a hard school for me, here. But hunger makes a sauce for every food, and it was not long before I could relish my dinner or break- fast of boiled rice as well as any one of those who were bred to it. Of course on such slight diet men do not work very energetically. Our crew were as lazy a set as ever lived, and their diurnal task of feeding and watering the horses was spun out to last nearly the entire day. For two days I took share in this labor. By this time, however, the captain, who had seeii some sail-maker's tools in my little bundle, and had ascertained that I could work with the needle, found some sail-mending for me to do, and hence- forth my work was under the quarter deck awn- ing, patching up old royals and top-gallant-sails, flying jibs and studding sails. I soon learned sufficient of the mongrel French spoken on board to make my wishes known, and understand or dors, and wher my rebellio is stomach was once 252 WHALING AND FISHING. roionciled to the strange diet, I had a not uncom- fortable place on board. The only thing against me was my color. To my misfortune I was the whitest man on board, and with 1he exception of the captain and chief mate, the only one who was purely white. This caused me to be looked down upon by my black friends, who, when I would commit any little extravagance, such as making myself a wooden spoon wherewith to eat my rice, (they used their fingers, in the Adamic style), or washing my hands and face at the close of a day's work, shrugged their shoulders in pitying con- tempt, and declared that nothing better was to be expected from a man of my color. Nevertheless, as they found me ready to take my share of what- ever work was going on, and always disposed to converse to the best of my ability, they voted me in the main a good fellow, much better than the common run of white folks. And as I entertained my own opinion as to their merits, I could afford to be amused at their ideas of me. My ignorance of their barbarous jargon seemed to them, however, the oddest of my peculiarities, and they could never laugh enough at my nr's- takes. I had long ago learned the propriety in such cases, of laughing with the vhich are held in readiness for this service by .ae captain of the port. Once moored, the topgallant and royal yards and masts were sent upon deck and the topmasta 17 258 WHALING AND FISHING. and topsail -yards made ready for a speedy decent Then the hands had time to greet old friends who were fast crowding alongside or standing upon the shore waving handkerchiefs, and hailinc in barbarous French. Had we now had English 01 American officers, but little time would have been lost in such pleasures. Preparations would have been instantly begun for sending our cargo ashore. But here the balance of the day was given for communion with friends, and to-morrow was declared time enough to begin work. I alone had no friends to greet me, no one to rejoice in my return, no heart to beat quicker at sight of my bronzed face, by this time of nearly as dark a hue as many of my shipmates. And a? joyful faces showed themselves over the gangway, and supplies of fruit from the shore proved the heartiness of the welcome which kind friends were giving the returned voyagers, I began in the selfishness of my heart mentally to find fault with all about me, and more than half wished I had not come to Port Louis. But I was not doomed to remain friendless. As I sat apart, upon the topgallant forecastle, feeling, and I dare say looking very dreary, a brown Hebe approaching me, inquired, in bro- ken English, " You got no friends, Jack ? " " Not a friend," said T, in a gruff tone, as nol thinking it desirable to have my loneliness coin dented upon by strangers. \Yatching rue ratho* ANQELIQUE. 259 dubiously for a noment she held out her nand, and said in a voice full of serious kindness, " Well, 1 be your friend, Jack." I Jid not put my arms round her neck and kiss hei, as I should have done had I followed lie im- pulse of my heart. But I thanked her deeply fcr all the sympathy which was expressed in her sim- ple words, and in her yet more child-like counte- nance. Hailing a boatman who was standing at the gangway, she bade him bring to us some fruit which she had in his boat, and over this and my dinner of boiled rice, Angelique and I sealed a friendship which lasted during my seven month's stay upon the island. She had come on board to see her brother, who had sailed as carpenter of the vessel six months before. He had been drowned on the outward passage; to which untoward accident I owed my ready acceptance by the captain, at Mahe, as well as, I suppose, the sudden friendship Angelique had contracted for myself. n ' Poor Charles," said she, while tears filled her eyes, " somebody else will feel as sorry as I do. when she hears of his death. But Marie will not be long away from him." She was ovcij?ycd when she learned that my Dame was also Charles, and in the simplicity of her heart at once pronounced our meeting Provi- dential, While we were yet talking she eagerly laying out plans for my stay on shore, as though we had known each other for years the captain 260 WHALING AND FISHING. approached. He knew her, and had been the first to inform her of her brother's death. He smiled as he listened to her prattle, but entered heartily nt) her plans, and at once promised that if J woild stay on shore he would give me employ- ment, for a time, in sailing a boat between the town and his plantation, which was situated on a neighboring bay. This proposal met my views and I hastened to express my gratification. Jt was therefore arranged that I should remain on board till the cargo was discharged, and then take up my residence ashore in a small cabin belonging to the captain. Having arranged these matters to our mutual satisfaction, she returned on shore to condole with Marie on their mutual loss, while I spent the bal- ance of the day in the re-perusal of Bernandin St. Pierre's delightful story of Paul and Virginia, the scene of which, he who has read it will remember, is laid in the Isle of France ; Tombo Bay, where Virginia, on her return from France, was ship- wrecked, being, singularly enough, the locality* of my captain's plantation. On the morrow we commenced discharging our o o cargo of horses. They were noble little ponies, but rather wasted from a long passage in our ill- Ten tilated lower deck. The}' were hoisted out by a strap fastened about their middle, and being securely haltered, were made to swim ashore, a boat going with each to support and guide it. Arrived once more on dry land, the grateful PAID OFF. 261 animals scarce T knew how sufficiently to express their joy. They capered and caracoled, neighed, and rolled upon the ground, in the exuberance of their joy. 1 was told they were of the Arabiai breed, although they were brought from f he A by sinian side of the lied Sea. They were fine, plump, lithe, and exceedingly high-spirited, -is J had occasion to notice when they had again .cov- ered their strength and flesh. Horses are not raised on the Island, but are brought hither from various parts of the East, principally from the ports on the Eed Sea. Neither is stock raising pursued as a business. 1 was told that the climate is unfavorable to its suc- cess. Cattle are brought from the adjoining island of Madagascar, and from the coast of Africa, These branches of trade give employment to a large number of vessels owned or sailing from here. On the third day I was paid off by the captain, who gave me forty rupees, ($20), in consideration, as he said, of my having been very useful to him. Arrived on shore, I was welcomed as though I was an old resident, and in a short time was estab- lished very comfortably, Angelique, who proved i\ dear good girl, providing as carefully for .my wants as though I had been really her brother. In a few d&ys I was placed in command of Cap- tain Lepellctier's boat, and with a little Malabar boy as crew and to show me tie way, we sailed down the harbor As we glided slowly over the 2G2 WHALING AND FISHING. smooth waters of the outer roads, the steady breeze scarce filling- our sail, I took out my TOW never failing Paul and Virginia, and with the lofty peak called Peter Botta heaving its ^iant head into the air before me, read over again the story of that fatal shipwreck, the scene of which, the bay of Tombs, (Tombo Bay), as it is still called, lay spread before me, while I mused upon the thrilling narrative which has entranced so many readers. Here, when in the dark, stormy night Vir- ginia's vessel missed the entrance to Port Louis, her captain sought safe anchorage, but was thrown upon the breakers. It was to me a realization of romance. Every shoal in the bay, as we sailed past it, every palm tree on the shore, every peak, towering in the blue distance, all were part and parcel of the story, the most charming of all tales of true love. As we approached the landing, the white mar- ble monument erected in memory of the lovers, and over their supposed graves, was seen through the green thicket of bananas and palms. Soon I trod a ground sacred to all true lovers, and wita book in hand, wandered about the beach ondeav- oring to fix upon the spot whence Paul leaped into the flood to the rescue uf his Virginia. I found that although my little Malabar boy knew but little about the localities, the natives who had charge of the faim had all the particu- lars at their fingers' ends. They were delighted At the Hvely interest I took in the story, ard TO HBO BAY. 2G') pointed out to me every part of the biach 01 shore tliat was connected with the untimely fate of the lovers. Having surveyed all, and talked the story over in broken English on their part, and worse French on my own, we adjourned to the house, an ancient wooden structure, looking* as though it might have stood there at the time when the bay first received its present name. Here, while the Malabar servants of the farm were un- loading my boat, a repast of delicious pine apples, mangoes and bananas was served up for me, and the entertainment finished by the introduction of a huge bowl of eau sucre, (sugar and water), from which each in turn took a long draught. I wandered about the rocks on the shore until the turn of the tide, and then launching the boat, pi oceeded on m}' return. The wind was light, and the tide swept us some miles seaward before we arrived opposite the harbor's mouth. From there I had leisure, as I reclined under an awning in the boat, to view and admire the grand abrupt- ness with which the volcanic peaks seem thrown up. Peter Botta, although the most cck/brat^d, is by no means the highest of these peaks. It ac- quires its celebrity from its singular shape, ter- minating at the top in a huge knob or ball, ^ Inch has been ascended but twice since the island became known to Europeans. The first ascent was made by a Dutchman, from whom it derived ite name, Peter Botta. He was seen standing on tbe 2G4 WHALING AND FISHING. mirnmit. but was never heard of afterward, and probably perished in the descent. The natives believe that his spirit still haunts the peak and its immediate vicinity. A British naval officer rnndo the second and last ascent, with the assist* ance of a company of seamen. The party passed the night upon the mountain, some upon the ehouMer, and two or three sleeping uneasily upon the narrow top of the ball. They descended the next morning, after witnessing a most glorious sunrise, and planting the British flag upon the highest point of the ball, as a memorial of their visit. This flag and staff have long ago been blown down by the hurricanes. Mauritius, or the Isle of France, (it is equally well known by both names), was discovered bj the Portuguese, in 1505. The Dutch took possess- ion of it in 1598. Few if any traces of their gov- ernment or settlement at present remain, with the exception of the name, Mauritius, which thej bestowed upon the isle in honor of their prince Maurice. It came under the French flag in 1721 and from that time till its capture by the British, in 1810, was in their possession. These were, from all accounts, the best days of the island. It seems during this period to have been a modern Arcadia, the abode of a peaceful, inoffensive 2nd somewhat indolent people, who tilled the ground or tended their flocks, unambitious of wealth or distinction, and unmoved by the quarrels which rent the civilized world. Under the British rule THE ISLE OF FRANCE. 2G5 It is gradually becoming a thriving business place, and its commercial importance is yearly increasing. The French used to procure their slaves from the neighboring island of Madagascar, and the present black natives of the island are the descend- ants of these slaves. The British emancipated these, and as their descendants will no longer til) the ground of others, but rather live contentedly on their own little patches of soil, eking out a scanty subsistence, with little labor, the govern ment now annually imports numbers of Hindoos principally from the Malabar coast, who take the place of the former slaves. These poor people engage themselves for five years. They labor for from four to ten rupees (two to five dollars) per month, and are treated much worse than slaves. In Port Louis, extensive grounds and buildings are set apart for their lodgings when first arrived. Here the planter or citizen in want of servants comes to engage them. They are chosen, and whether they desire it or not, must go with their new masters, on such terms as are customarily given on the island. Unused to the severe labor which is exacted cf them on the sugar plantations they soon become low spirited, and not unfrequently commit suicide. Great numbers desert from the plantations and conceal themselves among the mountains or in the town. Policemen are constantly upon the watch for these runaways, and when a Malabar is 2G6 WHAL1SU ASU FltiWSU. Been on the streets of Port Louis, whom a police man has reason to think a deserter, IKJ is forced to produce either his free-papers or a permit or leave of absence from his master, and in default of both of these documents, is at once imprisoned ar ] advertised, in order that his master may claim him. On the plantations the lash is freely used, it having been found that without this the requisite amount of labor can not be extorted from these poorly paid, ill fed and naturally indolent people. It will be easily conceived, that their condition is not therefore any better than one of slavery, for the time being, and taking into consideration the false pretences under which they are allured to leave their native land, and the hopes held out t> them of being able, at the end of their apprentice- ship, as it is called, to return home in easy circum- stances, their condition is much worse, and their treatment a greater wrong against humanity. Comparatively few ever return. Many die be- fore the expiration of their term of labor. Others engage in business, numbers of them keeping iinall stores for the sale of provisions and fruit* to the poorer classes' of their countrymen who live in the city. And others yet labor about the town, or peddle vegetables and goods about the streets, thus earning a scanty subsistence : part of which they are again forced to surrender to the govern- ment in the shape of a license to pursue their tailing THE MALABARS AND THE NATIVES. %(tf One of the suburbs of Port Louis is settled principally by those people, who live contentedly on their small means when they once regain their liberty. A walk through Malabar town about sunset, when the heat of the day is relieved by the cool .evening breezes, will give one a much more favorable idea of the Hindoos than will bo gotten from the accounts of their English mas- ters. Here each family gathers about the door of its hut and listens to songs, or the music of the mandolin, the women talking, the men silently smoking their narghilly or hubble-bubble. Maid- ens dance upon the green sward, and little naked children play about the doors. All is a scene of quiet, peaceful enjoyment, which will convince any one that, indolent as these people doubtless are, and intractable as they are said to be on the plantation, when left to themselves they are inof- fensive, and have the elements for making of them good citizens. The black natives of the island do not bear so good a character. They are exceedingly lazy, and much inclined to rowdyism and thieving. They are not numerous, at least about Port Louis. Tho better class of them work as stevedores on board the ves&els, or are engaged as porters and labor- ers on bhore. An inconsiderable number sail in the country vessels. The Chinese, as mentioned in an account of my first visit to this place, are the most thrifty of the lower classes. . They are seldom laborers, but j>G8 WHALING AND FISHING. keep the groceries and groggeries of the town and have a keen eye to all kinds of trade. Frugal, not too honest, and exceedingly clannish, they are to a man in comfortable circumstances. It is a common remark in the Mauritius, that a Chinese beggar was never seen there. If a poor China- man comes to the colony, his countrymen give him employment, and place him above want. They do not intermarry with the other races, but procure for themselves wives from China. A singular story is told of their once entering lie vault beneath the bank building in Port Louis, by undermining the street leading to it. A large amount of bullion was abstracted ere the plot was discovered; and for some time no trace could be found of the robbers. The Chinese burying ground is below the barracks, in the lower part of the harbor. Thither, one morning, just at the break of day, a company of Celestials were seen conveying a coffin. A Chinese funeral was noth- ing strange ; but the sentry noticed that the body seemed to be remarkably heavy, causing a fre- quent stoppage and change of bearers. As the guard was relieved, the man on duty remarked, jokingly, that a fat Chinaman was being taken to his long home. To the sergea .it the movement seemed suspicious, and he at once pro- ceeded to the funeral cortege, who at his coming precipitately fled, leaving the supporfitious corpse to its fate. Upon breaking open the coffin, instead of a dead Chinaman, it was found to contain the greater portion of the stolen bullion, which was thus being conveyed to a safe resting place. Besides the races already mentioned, Port Louis hfts samples of almost every Asiatic, and many European and African nations, all of whom find occupation in various departments of its now active commerce. This commerce is mainly in the hands of the English and the French Creoles. The French language is universally spoken as much so indeed as though the island still belonged to France. The merchants mostly have their dwelling houses on the outskirts of the city, and many of them have built upon the sides of the mountains which surround Port Louis. There the white houses may be seen perched upon abrupt crags, and peeping through thick groves of beautiful trece. CHAPTER XV. ON the first Sabbath after I came ashore i was witness, in my capacity of captain of a boat, to the performance of a very touching ceremony. I had been informed on the preceding day, by Ange- lique, that she and certain of her friends expected me to ferry them across the harbor to the city cemetery. Accordingly, at early dawn I was summoned, and repairing, in company with my little Malabar assistant, to the boat, found her already laden with fourteen or fifteen young girls dressed in puie white, and each with an armfull of flowers. We hoisted our sail, and just as the sun rose glided gently across the smooth surface of the bay, toward the western headland. Several other boats, freighted like mine, were ahead and astern of us, bound on a like errand with us. Low, plaintive songs resounded from the boats across "BRING FLOWERS:' 271 the still waters of the bay. The scene was very beautiful. Half an hour's slow sailing brought us to the opposite shore, where my passengers debarked. 1 :ur ompanied them to the bury ing-ground near by. Here the flowers each had brought were strcu r* over the graves of departed relatives and friends. The mounds and tombstones were nicely cleared of all rubbish, and their floral offerings were placed at the head and feet. As the maidens, in their white and flowing dra- pery, glided noiselessly yet cheerfully from grave to grave, doing kind offices to the resting places of their friends, and scattering beautiful flowers over their remains, they seemed like a chorus of blest spirits come down to summon loved OUCH to their homes. Occasionally a low sob or wail from some mourner for the recently departed, would break upon the ear, but otherwise all was eilent as the graves we wandered amid. In looking among the mounds by which the whole surface of the old cemetery was broken, I came upon a rude wooden cross, worm eaten and weather beaten, fast mingling its dust with his who lay below. Upon the horizontal piece were cut in rude letters, probably done with a sailor's jack-knife, the words, ' Here, a sheer hunt, lies poor Tom Bowling." It was the last resting place of some poor weather-beaten sailor who had found here, far 2?2 WHALING AND FISHING. away from homo and friends, the peace he had sought in vain during a hard and perilous life, lie too was thought of by some kind flower dis- penser. The dead leaves and rubbish had been nicely swept away from the sod-covered grave, and two beautiful flower wreaths lay upon it. Poor fellow in all his lonely seaman's life he had possibly never met with so much kindness. On inquiry I learned that it was customary every Sunday morning thus to decorate the graves of friends and acquaintances, the boatmen of the harbor on these oo.ctasionfl doing volunteer service, to aid the undertaking. My life was now for some time very much hap- pier than it had been for a long period past. 1 was free : and the remembrance of my slavery on board the whaleship was yet sufficiently vivid in my mind to make me appreciate very keenly the new liberty. I was, for a sailor, pleasantly situated. My work was light and pleasant, the pay regular and sufficient to support me ; and my associates, if not very intelligent, were yet good, and well- meaning toward me. Angelique, who proved a noble girl, seemed sin- gularly enough to have bestowed upon me all the affection she had entertained for her deceased bi other. She not only interested herself in my little affairs, but prevailed upon her lover, who was captain of a little coasting schooner, to introduce me to the captains of the French bul- Jock droghers, in order that I might, when ouco REFLECTIONS. 273 more ready for sea, have no difficulty in obtain- ing a berth on board a country ve&sel. She had resolved that I should become a settler in the country, never to return to Britain or America. My occupation as boatman continued four weeks. By this time I was able to make for myself another opening. I entered a stevedore's gang, and tugged in tin fully at sugar bags all day, content to return to my nicely fitted room at night, the richer by two rupees, and with a certainty that no storm, however severe, could disturb my sleep. But soon " the demon of unrest" again stirred within me. To be sure, the life I led pleased me to a certain extent. So well, indeed, that I too shortly began to entertain the idea of spending some years, if not the balance of my life, in the Mauritius and the Indian seas. Once in a while, however, the thought would arise, that I was not surrounded by just such society as was most con- genial to me, and that in the mode of life I thought of adopting, there was nothing improving or elevating. But eight years at sea had pretty effectually scotched any aspirations for a higher position which I might once have entertained. Life the sailor's life, the only one of which I now had any \>ell shaped idea seemed at best but a trouble- some and tiresome struggle. And so I brought myself to think the vegetative existence of man upon an out of the way place like the Mauritius, at least better than a more toilsome life in more 18 274 WHALING AND FISHING. civilized parts. Some indolence, some hopeless- ness, and a vehement desire for once to enjoy life, probably brought me to this conclusion. And to this will come every one who takes to the sea for a livelihood. It is very well to thio- rize on the ennobling and elevating character of a perilous life like that of the seaman. It is true, oeyond doubt, that in those scenes where he con- tends with and overcomes the powers of nature, his spirit, let it be sunk low as it will, is refreshed and elevated. But the excitement once over, the life is altogether too commonplace, too void of purpose to keep up a manful spirit. Its degrada- tion is too great, its associations too wretched to leave the aspiring soul room for a better hope. And so the sailor boy who has leaped into life with a trustful determination to do and dare, and deserve at least the good will of his fellow men, emerges into manhood with all of good within 'am, not killed, but fearfully crushed beneath the veight of evil and down -dragging associations. And so I began to look for a ship, content to do as others did, satisfied to accept the place appa- rently determined for me by fate, and willing to make the best of it. Wanting a ship, and getting one, seem to \* ort'iely different -things in Port Louis. My fiiends the French captains were, unfortunately for me, all gone on their voyages, the regular sea- eon for starting on a long trip to the Eed Sea having arrived while I was still boating. Work SEEKING A BERTH. 275 was iiO longer to be obtained in sufficiency to make me contented, and so, rather than wait for better times, I essayed to procure myself a berth in some one of the British country ships which traded to the Mauritius. Day after day I dressed myself in my best, and presented myself to some captain or mate to ask for a chance. Day after day I walked the mole, looking longingly at the departing ves- sels, and listening with sinking heart to the cheer- ful songs of those who had what I wanted employment. To be sure, there w T ere ships for England. But thither I would not now go. The difficulties in the way of remaining in the Indies only endeared the prospect to me. And my determination in this regard was now strengthened by that of a friend whom 1 had found on shore ; a noble fel- low, between whom and myself there shortly ex- isted a bond warmer than is common even among sailors. Poor Joe Kodgers had already several years' experience of the Indies. lie owned it to be a dog's life. "Hard work, poor pay, and you have almost to beg for a ship, when you once get adrift, Charley," said he to me. "But I dare not return home as I am." lie too was an American. He too had set out to sea whh romantic notion? of a life which he was BOW old enough to view in all its cheerless, homeless 270 WHALING AND FISHING. degradation. To return home was the strongest desire of his hearc. But to return home penni- less, after years of hard struggle to be sneered at by those wiseacres whose advice he as a boy tiad scorned to go back to his native village not only having done nothing heretofore, but with the consciousness that he was now worthless for any other life than tliat which had grown to be a part of him this he could not do. " And so I guess we'll have to rough it in the Indies as long as we can stand it, and when it grows unendurable, Charley, a trip to Batavia will finish poor Jack." At first, while yet the-cheerful jingle of a few rupees in our pockets kept us in spirits, we could think of nothing but sailing together. But ere long it became evident that even this poor plea- sure would be denied us, and we would be com polled to look for separate chances. One day I boarded a vessel bound to Arracan, ai the head of the bay of Bengal. The captain wanted a sea- conny, and agreed to take me. There was no other chance. Joe and myself would have to part. With a rather heavy heart I returned to the fihoi e, to tell him of my questionable luck. The voyage was good, but we did not want to part. We talked matters over. Joe had been some weeks longer on shore than I, and I felt that to bini of riglri belonged the first chance, if we were to be parted. Accordingly, I proposed to him to TO TAMATAVE. 277 go to Arracan, while I looked for another vessel. And he, who was nearly at the end of the little money he had brought on shore with him, reluc- tantly accepted my offer. On the following day, the captain stating him- self willing to make the exchange, Joe took his things on board. The vessel sailed, and I saw his face no more. Two days afterward I procured a berth as sea- conny on board a Tamatave bullock trader. Tho news had just arrived at the Isle of France that che despotic queen of Madagascar, who had for a long time kept every trading port on the eastern side of her island hermetically sealed to foreign vessels, had at length been induced to open the harbor of Tamatave to trade. The Isle of France is entirely dependent on Madagascar and the African coast for beef-cattle. None are raised on the island, which is devoted almost entirely to the culture of sugar. The Madagascar coast is only three days' sail distant, while the nearest point on the African coast can not be reached under twelve days. Of course the Madagascar trade is of great advantage to the Mauritius. All was at once bustle and business among tie bullock traders, on receiving the news rf a re- newal of trade. Our vessel was among the first to reach the newly opened port. The trade winds swept us down in three days and a half! We fouiid cattle enough on the white beach before the 278 WHALING A:\IJ FISI1IXG. town to load a dozen vessels. The natives were moderately civil, but evidently not at all cordial But it was their cattle and not themselves w wanted ; and so, the business being conducted on the cash and one price principle, there was but little difficulty in our intercourse with them. The large hump cattle were brought alongside, one at a time, in native canoes. We hoisted them in and bestowed them in the hold, in stalls pre- pared for them. On the second day after our arrival in port, I, with the other seaconnies, took a walk up to the town, which is situated, in Madagascar fashion, upon a hill, a quarter of a mile from the beach. It consisted of an assemblage of most wretched looking huts, dark and poorly fitted within, and unprepossessing without. A mud wall surrounded the place, and with a moat, formed its chief de- fense against an enemy. Over the gate at which we entered, twenty human sculls were ranged in a semi-circle. These, now bleached by several rainy seasons, were once the property of some English sailors, who fell into the hands of the natives while making an attack upon the town some years before When news reached the governor of the Mauri- tius that these barbarous trophies were yet dis- played before the eyes of British and French traders, a remonstrance and request for their deliverance into the hands of a British agent, for decent buriil, was despatched to the Madagascar OUR CARGO 27& chiefs wlio ruled that part of the coast. Tho reply from the queen was, that the sculls must remain where they were placed, and that '.f Brit- ish merchants and seamen found themselves in- jured in feelings by this display, the} r need net come there to trade. As Tamatave is important on account of its nearness to Port Louis, and the quantity of bullocks brought there from the inte- rior, it was resolved to pocket the affront and con- tinue the trade. We remained but three days in the bay. Our passage to Port Louis lasted seventeen days. The fair wind down was of course dead ahead when returning, and we were forced to beat to wind- ward every inch of the way. It is singular how quickly on board ship the most ferocious "animal becomes tame and docile. ,The cattle of Madagascar are noted for their wild- ness and savage temper. Yet we were scarcely a week at sea ere every one of the one hundred and twenty which formed our cargo knew the voice of his attendant and was perfectly tractable and obedient to command. Before we reached Port Louis many of the finest animals, who were much caressed by the crew, grew to know individual visitors to their places of confinement. I remember well one noble fel- low, who had killed a Madagascar man on shore befure we took him on board, and who for two or three days gave the cattle tenders more trouble than any half dozen others. He was as fine 280 WHALING AND FISJIING. n specimen of hit? kind as ever I saw, and excited universal admiration when we got him on deck. AVell, this savage fellow gradually came undei the influence of man, and at the end of the first week out was already as tame as need be. He was my favorite. I frequently walked to his stall with a handfull of salt, or an armfull of feed. And shortly he w r ould low gently at my approach, and if I stood near enough to him, would hold out his great head to be scratched, permitting me to handle the horns which but a few days before had impaled a Madagassy. He could distinguish me from all others, even at some distance, and would manifest pleasure even at the sound of my voice. Many of the cattle had names given them by their especial friends among the crew. Thus the Malabars had two favorites whom they called respectively Abdallah and Mohammed Ali. I called my huge friend, Sancho, and by this name he was shortly known to all on board. When our cargo was landed at Port Louis, I took a farewell of Sancho. But some days after- ward, w^hile rambling over a beautiful pasture some miles from the city, I unknowingly ap- proached a herd of cattle. I was about to retreat for the hump cattle quite frequently attack stran- gers whun a mighty animal came running toward me, head down and tail high in air. 1 thought my end was nigh, ana looked about rather de- Bp.'iir : ngly for an avenue of retreat, when I recog- nized in the advancing brute my old friend SANCHO. 281 Sancho. Somewhat reassured, I awaited his ap- proach. I should have run, had there been a place of security at reasonable distance. But from my position to the nearest tree or fence ^as such a distance as that in a race I would certainly have been overtaken. "When Sancho came within a short distance, I spoke his name. At this lie grew almost frantic, and began such a series of ungainly capers about me, that though in immi- nent fear of being crushed by him in his elephan- tine manifestations of joy, I had to laugh heartily When he was a little quieted, I advanced and stroked his bushy head and handled his horns, whereat he seemed as pleased as a child would be at the caress of a friend. The other cattle mean- while gathered around at various distances, sus- piciously watching my movements, and evidently much at a loss to know the import of Sancho's actions. After paying my huge friend such attentions as I thought would be mutually agreeable, I turned to leave. But this motion he strenuously resisted. Turn which way I would, he got before me, and insisted on further attention. The nearest fence was some hundred yards off, and I saw no way of getting there with his opposition. When I per- sistently moved on, he would recommence his huge gambols in such close proximity to my person as to make me glad to stop. He would toss his head an 1 leap about me madly, sha- king his ungainly hump, and making altogether 282 WHALING AND FISHING. unmistakable demonstrations of the pleasure ht> found n my society, as well as of his aetcrmi Da- lion not to forego that pleasure for some time. Moreover, the balance of the herd, nearly a hun- dred huge bulls, followed implicitly the motions of my friend, and threatened by their sympathetic rejoicings to become exceedingly troublesome. I was soon aware that a good degree of gener- alship would be necessary to get safely away. I plucked some grass, and Sancho, appeased, good- naturedly ate it from my hand. I moved slowly on, gathering grass as I went, and thus keeping ais suspicions at rest. In the course of half an hour I found myself by this means within a short distance of the fence. Picking out a part easy to leap over, I gradually approached it, and finally, with a quick spring placed it between myself and my troublesome friend. This violation of confidence aroused his fury ; and with glaring eyes and angry toss of the head he pawed the ground, and bellowed hoarsely at me. I, meantime, not knowing but he might attempt to follow me even over the fence, mud 6 good headway toward a turn in the road> where I should get out of sight, and I hoped out of mind This w r as my last visit. A week after, with many compunctions of conscience, I ate a steak cut from Sancho 's fore quarter. Upon my return to Port Louis from Tamatave, rny good friend Mademoiselle Angeliquewas mar- ried. I attended the wedding, as her adopted A WEDDING. 283 t rother, and was much delighted at the charming simplicity with which everything was conducted. Most of the French Islanders are Roman Catholics. Angelique and her intended husband. Captain A.lexandre, wera nominally so ; and of course the marriage ceremony was pronounced by the Priest, at a little church situated in the native quaitor. The bride and groom walked together from the house of the former, to the church, preceded and attended by a company of young girls, dressed in white. These strewed flowers on the way, and sung verses suited to the occasion, to a simple and beautiful air. At the church door they were received by such of the bridegroom's male acquaintance as had been invited to attend. The attendant maidens entered the church, singing and casting flowers about, until they reached the altar, where they formed in order on each side, leaving a middle space for the happy couple. These took their places, and the male friends formed a semicircle outside of all. The ceremony was then performed by the Priest. 1 presume it was the common ceremonial of the Roman Church. Near its close one of the maidens handed to the bridegroom 1 beautiful wreath of white flowers, which he placed upon the head of his bride. She was dressed in pure white, with a small gold cross euspended by a thin gold chain from her neck. The bridegroom vas clothed in a check shirt, and 284 WHALING AND FISHING. handsome blue jacket and browsers. They were a fine looking couple. .At the close of the ceremony, flowers were show- ered down upon the bridal pair until I thought they would be smothered under the load. Thou, amid another and more solemn chant from the attendant ixaidens, the party left the church; the newly married couple walking hand in hand like little children. All now walked to the groom's house, situated a little distance in the country. Here some matrons and old men were in waiting, with presents of necessary household articles, of no great value, but altogether helping very materially to make the young pair comfortable. As each one pre- sented his or her gift, a kiss and a graceful u mcrci " from the bride w r as given as reward. An ample supply of fruits and wine was then laid out on mats wpon the green, beneath the shade of some cocoa nut palms, and here the day was passed in quiet enjoyment, tLe evening closing with a dance upon the green sward, to the music, of a most wretchedly played guitar. CHAPTER XVI. UPON my return from Tamatave I left the vessel I bad sailed thither in. She was going to Calcutta, and thence to London. I desired to go nowhere just then, without having at least a fair prospect of being able to return to the Isle of France. 1 was so fortunate as to obtain in a few days, a berth in a little Scotch brig, bound to Algoa Bay, on the African Coast. The Annie that was the brig's name was a beautiful little craft of about two hundred tons burthen. I had often heard old sea dogs tell cf vessals that they loved almost better than them- selves, This was such a one. Her long, low, gracefully curving hull, her sharp, keen bow, and clean cut run, her taunt, tapering masts, and vast yards, almost heavy enough for a vessel of twice her size, thr jaunty, reckless, yet neat air of every- 28G WHALING AND FISHING. thing, alow and aloft: all these tended to mako her the delight of a true seaman, proving, as they did, that she was a clipper in every sense of the word. She came into port on the same day with us, iind as she easily glided past us, with a light breeze, all hands congregated on our deck to look at and admire her. I think I never saw so perfect a little craft, or one so consistently rigged and fitted throughout. To my rather matter of fact spirit, it had always seemed an absurdity to love a vessel. But this time I was forced myself to entertain the feeling. She was a beauty, and as 1 stood in silence examining her matchless hull, no line or curve of which, but was artistically true, I owned, with an inward smile, that this was really a case of " love at first sight." " That's the vessel I am going in next voyage," said I to one of the other sea-con nies. " You'd better keep out of her. Her captain is the meanest Scotchman that ever lived. And moreover the mate is his brother. The man that ships in her will smell brimstone, I can assure you." "Brimstone or no brimstone," thought I, "that's rny ship, if I can prevail on the captain to carry me " On farther inquiry I learnt that the Annie's Captain was indeed a tyrant, and that the little beauty never carried the same crew two voyages. A SUSPICIOUS CRAFT. 287 Ncr\ erthelcss, the vessel was not to be driven from in y mind, and I determined to risk at least one trip in her. I boarded her the following day, and heard from hoi crew that they were all going to leave. "No white man can stand such a wretch t^o voyages," said an old tar to me. " You have no thought 01 going in her, have you, boy? " I hesitatingly acknowledged my desire to make s. voyage in the Annie. " You're a fool that's all. But you're in lovo with the little craft." " Small blame to him," spoke up another of the crew. " Sure, every one of us was in the same fix this day two months ago." " Well, she's a darling," said a third, with a sigh, "but the master is the devil." I could not find out in what respect the captain resembled the individual last .mentioned. Her crew were going to leave ; and with a jealousy somewhat characteristic of British seamen, pre- ferred to let me learn by experience the disagree- able traits in the captain's character. So I determined not to be frightened at shadows, but being able to do my duty, to ship in her, fear- loss cf consequences. When the captain made his appearance on deck, I walked aft, and asked him for a berth for his next voyage. " You're a Yankee lad, are you not? " he asked I replied in the affirmative. ''Have you heard any thing about me ashore? 288 WHALING AND FISHING I hesitatingly replied that he was scarcely h) the odor of sanctity with those who had sailed with him. " I suppose not. But if you can do your duty, you need not be afraid of the Annie. If you <-r which every one knew was not at all necessary. For so taut were the ropes sometimes, that it was actually necessary to ease them off again during the succeeding watch only however, to be again swayed home when the watches were changed. 29 WHALING AND FISHING. In addition to this, the desks of the little craft were holy-stoned every morning for at least an hour : until we one night emptied the sand neces- sary to this labor, over board. After that the paint work received a double share of attention, and even the masts were scrubbed ; while any spare time in the morning watch was devoted to brightening up the brass-work, of which this daintily fitted little vessel had as much as many a frigate. All this kind of labor is irritating to sea- men. They call it humbuggery. To work hard from daylight till dark, at the vessel's rigging or sails, where perhaps every bit of sea lore they may be possessed of is brought into service, would not be thought disagreeable. But to set a parcel of old tars at scrubbing paint- work, brightening brass rigging caps and capstan heads, and knock- ing rust-scales from the iron work, will produce mutinous thoughts sooner than any other course of treatment. So it came about, that ere we were a week out, as I came forward from the wheel one day at noon, a plan was being discussed, by which we, the crew, were to take possession of the vessel, getting rid of the officers as best we might. The reckless fel- lows laughed heartily at my serious face when the project was bluntly laid before me. " As for Jimmy"' the mate "I can easily put him over the taffrail any night when I am at the wheel, for the booby regularly goes to sleep when A MUTINY. 205 be has the midwatch upon deck," said a Scotch- man, between whom and the mate there was a standing grudge. " And the skipper wouldn't give us much trouble. Only bring the vessel in the wind once, and he'd :ush right into our arms. " And then just think that this little craft and by ail that's good, she's the smartest and prettiest little thing that ever I saw just think that she'll be our own." " Look out ; here comes the mate," said I seeing that worthy approach. So the conversation was closed for the time. I did not sleep, that afternoon watch. I had sufficient subject for thought. It was evident that although the matter of a mutiny had been broached at noon in a kind of semi-joc- ular way, there was that in the hearts of some which it would require but an accidental excess on the captain's part to fan into a flame of action. How to prevent this was now a matter for very serious consideration. To withold my consent would perhaps have some influence on their actions for although 1 was physically the slightest of our crew, they had all somehow got a liking for me. But this would j ->t answer all objections. After a couple of hours study, it finally occurred to me that the whole plan was certainly not yet matured, and I deter* mined to hinder its farther progress, by showing up as clearly as I could its impracticability. That evening in the dog watch., a young lad 296 WHALING AND FISHING. sent to the wheel, and the rest of us Congregated before the windlass to have another talk over the matter. "You see, Charley," said our Scotchman, "the thing is as easily done, as turning over your hand." " But what are you going to do afterward ? " I enquired. " Oh, we'll sail about till our provisions are out, and then run in to some out of the way place to get some more." " Where's the money to purchase more? " " That's a fact. I heard it stated at Port Louis, that our skipper always sends his money by another vessel. Having an agent at Algoa Bay, he don't need much." "Besides which," suggested I, "if the Annie don't arrive at her port in proper time, you'll see some man-of-war brig after her in double quick time." " I have yet to see the brig, or sloop, or frigate, that could catch the Annie, sailing on a bowline, or in fact, any other way." " What do you propose to do with the brig, when you have got her in your power? " I asked. "Keep her or sell her, as may seem best." "You can't sell her, for no one will believe 3 uii came rightfully by her, and who ever you oiTei her to, if rascal enough to buy her of you, wruld be also rascal enough to put you in jail til] you gave a better account of yourself than you could do." THWARTING THE PLAN. 297 "Well, we'll keep her." " Yes, and be caught in her, and nung up to her f$rd-arms. Not I for one," here broke in a taU Irishman, who had not before said much. " There's some fine spots among the South &aa- Islands. Let us go for instance to Ocean Island in her, and there break her up, or wreck hei before we get in." Now was my time to sum up the case; and drawing a long breath, I was about to commence euch a setting forth of the whole matter as should show them the unsafeness, as well as the unsatis factoriness of any one of their proposed modes of action, when the sharp voice of the captain was heard, shouting " Do you hear there ? Lay aft here, and sway up this topsail ! The leech is hanging in a bight ! " "Aye, aye, sir/' sung out Scotch Jack; adding In an under tone, " Blast you, I wish you were at the other end of the halyards." We swayed up ^the top-sail, then pulled hoim the top-gallant sheets, swayed up the top-gallar* sail, and finished with the royal. " Now, we'll take a pull at the forward ha yards," said the skipper; who was never so well pleased as when he was bowsing taut a rope >r rather ordering others to do so. After half an hour's straining and hallooing, every rope was again taut as a harpstring, and we were told that "that would do, till the mid watch." Jt was by this time eigM bolls; the 298 WHALING AND FISHING. watch was set, and all farther deliberation wa* over for the night. I did not fear any precipitate action on the part of my evil-inclined shipmates, woll knowing that those who talk most in suel matters are generally slowest to act. I trusted, besides, that the words of caution I had thrown out, would not be without fruit in their minds. In this 1 was not deceived ; for when, on the fol- lowing evening all hands were once more gath- ered on the forecastle, every one but Scotch Jack declared the execution of their project to bo attended with more difficulties than they had at first sight thought. I now determined to place all the impossibility of success before them in its strongest light. Ac- cordingly, after listening for -some time to new suggestions, and even throwing out one or two myself, I began : " You can't sell the vessel, boys : that's clear. You can't keep her that is equally plain. She's too pretty a craft to be broken up in the surf; and besides, if you want to go to Ocean Island or any- where else in the South Seas, you have all been to Sydney, and have only to go there again and ship for the very place you want to settle down in. As for the skipper's working up we all owe him a spite, and the greatest satisfaction will be to give him and the mate a thundering beating, when we get back to Port Louis. If ever he comes into Malabar town, he won't leave *t with a whole skin, if I know it.' With this piece, half of reasoning, half of bra/ gadocio, I lit my segar, confident I had given death-blow to our harmless little conspiracy. " It'fr just as Yankee Charley says, boys, ' spoi one, after a long silence, during which all ha evidently been chewing the cud of reflection. " It not fit that British sailors should toss sleepin men overboard, or knock defenseless men on tl head. It looks too much like a parcel of miser; ble Portuguese. But if either skipper or mate wi fight me, man fashion, when we get ashore, I 1 give them such a pair of black peepers as yc won't find this side of London bridge, or Donrp brook Fair." This was the' last of what was afterward calk "our pet conspiracy." Had our passage been tedious one, I am not certain but that it woul have been again revived. Happily, however, f( all concerned, it lasted but fourteen days, and f( three of these fourteen we were in sight of the A rican coast. It takes longer than two weeks 1 natch out a mutiny a fact in ornithology } which, perhaps, our rascally officers owed moi than they were aware. We made the coast at some distance to the norl of our port. Here, the African land, which I no beheld plainly for the second time, was high, ai apparently barren very unattractive indeed, ar with its yellow sandy hills, realizing somehoi my conception of the Great Desert. As we a] proached Algoa Bay. the bluffs disappeared, ar 300 WHALING AND F1SIIINO. low islets and sand-banks took their pla ,e tnak ing the prospect vet more dreary. The bay itself is wide and shallow. It affords hut an insecure anchorage, and would not be fre- quented, were there a better one within a hundred miles. The town is situated on rising ground, facing the roadstead. Its white, clean look ins houses present a very pleasing appearance. A fortress, called Fort Frederic, crowns a hill adja- cent to the town. Fort Elizabeth is situated at the mouth of Baasheer river, which flows into the bay, near the town. Algoa Bay is distant from Cape Town four hun- dred and twenty -five miles. Capes Padron and Recife are the promontories by which it is bounded. The settlement belongs to, and is under the control of the Government at the Cape of Good Hope. The entire district, as far as Port Natal, some dis- tance North of Algoa Bay, is known generally as the Cape Colony. Algoa Bay is rather an open roadstead than a safe harbor. Vessels lie at from one to two miles from the shore, with which they communicate by means of surf-boats. Upon entering the roads, the captain chooses a berth for his vessel, and there brings her to, with two anchors. One hundred fathoms of cable are paid out on each anchor. The swell of the Ocean beats in here with the wind at the South-east, and makes rough riding. It is at all times necessary to keep an anchoi watch. SURF-BOATS. :5uL A South-caster almost always sends someTesscla ashore. The beach, which rises gradually from the bottom, is composed of sand. When a vessel once begins to drag, there is but little hope fur her. She goes ashore, taking with her all who come athwart her hawse while drifting. Vessels are generally, in such cases, washed high and dry. There is but little danger to life, and sometimes the crew get off without even wetting their feet. Our first operation, after anchoring, was to send down topgallant and- royal yards, and house top- giillantmasts. Larger vessels, which were to wait some months for cargo, had their topmasts housed, and topsail yards on deck. But as \ve were to remain but a very few days, our preparations were not so extensive. This sending down top-hamper very much lightens the strain upon the anchors, as of courso the wind, which in a gale bears with it a v>er} tangible pressure, meets less resistance aloft. It is a practice very common in the Indies, where harbors are poorly sheltered, anchorage is unsafe, and periodical hurricanes sweep with almost resistless force across the surface of the sea. Our only communication with the shore was by means of surf-boats. These are large, roomy boats, sharp at both ends, and capable of bearing from three to six tons each, of freight. They are Xfumed by a people there called Malays, and by Africaners. The former, from their appearance, [ judged to be descendants of Malay settlers* :J02 WHALING AND FISHING. They had the bright j^ellow color, the high cheefc bones, and lithe figures of the native Malaccan. The Africaners were fine looking men, with .'ong wuvy hair, and sharp features. The boats are hauled to and from shore by means of large coir hawsers, stretched along over the bottom of the bay, from the landing to the anchorage. We were scarcely at anchor when a surf-boat was seen putting out toward us, over- hauling and carrying along a hawser which had before lain at the bottom, and which they guessed would be found, at its outer end, to be moored bu1 a little distance from our vessel. They were mis- taken, however. But the moorings of these lines are buoyed ; and a few minutes after they got out to us sufficed to pick up a line which was suited to our* place. This was immediately made fast to our bows, by the bight, to use a sailor-phrase, the end remaining fast to its moorings at the bottom. This completed, the captain jumped into the surf- boat, and was taken ashore. "We now learned for the first time, that as this was the South-easter c eason in Algoa Bay, no one but the captain was allowed to go ashore. This was a sad disappoint- ment to me, again, as I had set my heart upon an exploration of the place and would not have hesitated to accompany some old Cape farmer into the backwoods of Africa. But the fates ordainccl otherwise. These Cape " Boors," as they are called, seem to be a queer set. With a good spy-glass we could A SOUTH-EASTER. ;],>:$ see tl.eir huge, clumsy wagons, dragged by oxen almost innumerable, approaching the town, over a high ridge at its back. They brought in wool, ostrich feathers, lion's skins, beef, butter, and piany other articles, which form the export trade of the port. Long, slow-moving trains they ^ ere, looking tc us like vast serpents crawling along. So we were not to go ashore. This vexed my ill satisfied shipmates, who would have been ghu* enough to desert here, had there been the slighter, opportunity. Not that they had not been in worse vessels. Not that the voyage was unbearably long. Not that the labor during our stay in port was likely to be exhausting. But simply because they had by this time found out all about the ves- sel and her officers. They had exhausted the excitement of novelty on board, and their restless spirits pined for more. It is so always, at sea. I was possessed with this spirit, as well as my shipmates. And to me, as to them, it was a bane to true con- tentment. It was on the third day after our arrival in the roads, that a regular South Easter blew up. The air, at no time since our arrival too genial, became almost frosty. Heavy storm clouds blew in dense white masses to the North West. The sea began to roll in, in mountain surges, threatening to engulf the vessels which lay anchored in its course. The surf boomed solemnly from shore, and the wind shrieked through our rigging, until one could scarcely make himself heard on deck. . 304 WHALING AND FISHING. Oar brig was furnished with new ground tackle and patent anchors. We were tolerably secure also, in the berth our captain an old visitor here had chosen. But as the little craft tugged at her anchors, head to the swell which tossed her about as though but a feather's weight, every few minutes a sea would board her over the bows and sweep spare cable, buckets, men, and every thlnsr movable, aft. We were obliged to batten down the hatches and to close the forecastle and companion hatches with the utmost care, to prevent some chance wave from swamping us. The breeze freshened toward evening, and the mate, examining his barometer, foretold a hard gale before midnight. "Mr. McDonald thinks the Earl of Harwood will drag before two hours," said the cook, as he gave us our tea. " Let her drag," answered Scotch Jack, " she wont fall foul of us. And that will be another Scotch vessel gone to the dogs. I wish they were all at the bottom, and their masters with them." Scotch Jack could not bear those of his country- men who chiefly command vessels from the Mau- ritius. He was from Glasgow. Our captain and mate, in common with most of their countrymen in this part of India, owned Aberdeen (they pro- nounced it A-bur-diri) or its immediate neighbor- hood, as their home. Between these two sections of country there has long been much jealousy. Sailors from the western coast of Scotland can DRAGGING. 305 K arcely ever be gotten to do justice to those on the East Coast whom they think sneaks and mean fellows generally. At eight o'clock when the anchor watch was set tin- the night, we dropped a third anchor unde? foot, and paid out some more cable on the others. The wind was now directly on shore, and the long line of white surf which stretched from beam to beam showed plainly the vessel's fate that dragged her anchor this night. We had set the Earl of Harwood by the com- pass, and those on deck no\v kept an eager look out upon her to see if she changed her position at all, as that would be a sure indication that her anchors had broke ground. The fate of two other vessels, one of them partly owned by our captain, depended, in a measure, upon this vessel's. She was anchored directly to windward of them ; and jf she got adrift, they would be either cut down and sunk, or to prevent such a catastrophe, would be forced to slip their cables and drift ashore. Meantime, the gale roared through the rigging rcith freshened impetus, and the surf boomed on the beach with a noise like many thunders. My watch on deck was from 10 to 12. As my watch - mate and I came on deck, the Earl of Harwood began to drag. At first she lost ground but slowly. Her people were paying out cable, in hopes to get their anchors fast once more. Too officers of the brig and barque to leeward, were 20 306 WHALING AND FISHING. violently gesticulating to the Earl of Har wood's ^rew, as we could see through a night glass. They Evidently desired these to cut away their vessel's masts, as the last hope of saving her and them selves. But this they would not do. "I'd sooner try to beat the old craft out, at the risk of burying her bones in the sand, than to cut away those masts; we would never get a set like them again," the Earl of Harwood's mate had said on the previous day, while talking to our mate. But beating out was an impossibility. Only a year before we were there, a mail steamer, drag- ging in a south-easter, had attempted to get clear by means of sails and steam ; but after a desperate struggle of some hours, had gone ashore. .How. then, could one expect a vessel depending altoge- ther upon sails, to be cleared ? "That time she dragged at least a hundred fathom. Another slip like that will bring her foul of the Margaret," said the mate, who was closely watching every turn in affairs. "If he would slip now. hoist his jib, and run her ashore, ho would do no damage to any one else." "There goes the jib!" shouted the cook, who had turned out to witness the exciting scene. "Yes, there it goes," said Scotch Jack, as the ail blew out of the bolt ropes, torn to shreds by the^fierce gale. "That's a mishap, now, for the poor Margaret." The Harwood's crew had slipped their cable at A DOUBLE WRECK. 307 the moment of hoisting the jib. The sail gone, they were row helpless, and dr fted with light- ning speed down upon the Margaret. A few minutes decided her fate. Half a ship's length ahead would have cleared the Earl of Har- wood. But that half ship's length could not be got. In less time than it takes to read the account, the two vessels were hopelessly fouled. There was a sharp crash heard above the gale, and in the next moment the Margaret, jib boom and foremast hanging over the side, was drifting toward the Burf, with the Ilarwood. The barque was un- touched. Fortunately for her, the Harwood's jib and the opposing forces of the collision gave the vessels another direction. In less than ten minutes after the Margaret got idrift, both vessels were bilged, ashore. It was a clear, moonlight night. We could see them, as they were tossed about like two chips, in the mountain surf. The Harwood came down, head on, the foresail being set for a moment, as she got into the surf, to give her a proper direction. The Margaret had lost all her forward spars, and was obliged to drift on helplessly, broadside to. One high toss on the surf, and the two vessels struck. Then for a few minutes the hulls were concealed by the surf which broke furiously over them. But each wave washed them higher up, and in twenty minutes after they struck, both hulk were lying mastless, on their bilge, almost beyond reach of a common swell. 308 WHALING AND FISHING. "The Margaret's crew will get ashore without difficulty," said the mate, who had been examiij- mg with his nightglass the situation of the vessels. " But the Harwood has fallen over with her decks toward the surf. It will not be such an easy matter to get ashore from her." In truth, we were told two days after, when the gale subsided and we once more held communica- tions with the shore, that some of the Harwood's crew had narrow escapes, the surf beating so vio- lently against the vessel's exposed deck as to make their position for a few minutes exceedingly critical. The Margaret's people saved all their clothes and other valuables, and had she had any cargo on board, would have been able to have saved that also. In Algoa Bay, as in every other seaport in the known world, there is found a Lloyd's agent a person who acts on behalf of the Marine Insurance Companies. I have often wondered how it comes iibout that whenever there is a wreck, one of these agents appears almost simultaneously with it. Let misfortune overtake a vessel in the most unfrequented spot in the globe, and I am sure a Lloyd's agent would be on hand. Like the stormy petrel, he is seen principally during a gale and after its subsidence. In fine weather he relapses into insignificance, and be he independent mer- chant or commercial agent, has no marks to distinguish him from others of that class. Wo might have wandered over Algoa Bay for a week LLOYD'S AGENT. 309 and never had cause to suspect the existence of a Lloyd's agent in the place. But no sooner did it become evident that some vessels must be wrecked, than this worthy appeared on the beach, surrounded by a posse of natives, bearing tackles, rollers, boats, and divers other contrivances to facilitate the safe hind ing of the crews. AnJ scarce was the Margaret abandoned by the crew, than this master spirit of the storm was seen climbing up her side, intent to seal up everything movable, and guard the vessel and all within her from marauding hands. While she was lying at anchor in the Bay, he had no business with her. No sooner was she wrecked, than she was so entirely under his charge, that her own captain, wanting some sail-twine which was left on board, was obliged on the following day to puicbase it of tlic agent. CHAPTER XVII. As BEFORE mentioned, our captain was part owner of the Margaret, which vessel was now wrecked. Among her crew were four apprentices, Scotch boys, belonging to Peterhead, where the Annie was built. These boys, being now without a vessel, but still having claims to wages and employment, Captain McDonald determined to take on board the Annie, discharging four seamen to make room for them. Accordingly, on the second morning after the gale, the skipper came on board. He called us aft, and asked who of us desired to leave the ves- sel here. Every one at once expressed this desire. Scotch Jack, in his dry, bantering way, which irritated the skipper exceedingly, said that he SCOTCH JACK. 311 dearly loved the vessel, and her officers, and would not leave on an}' account, but for the fact that he had a wife and family at Cape Town, who, he fearet 1 , needed his protection. " You impudent varlet, I've a mind to keep yuu, as punishment for }'our sauce," said the skipper. " Do so, if y ,u please," answered Jack ; " 1 don't like to stay longer from my family, but you have such an agreeable way with you that I could easily find it in my heart to make the sacrifice." This allusion to the captain's " agreeable way ' capped the climax. Foaming at the mouth, he advanced toward Jack, who stood, meekly smiling, before him. lie dared not strike him. A single blow would have been the signal for a general melee, in which, although the crew would have doubtless suffered for it afterward, he knew Tie would fare very roughly. So the worthy man contented himself with applying to Jack all manner of opprobrious epi- thets, calling him a lazy scoundrel, a mutinous rascal, and declaring that he was not deserving of so good a craft as the Annie, and could not appre eiate the generous treatment he had received. All this Jack bore with imperturbable gravity. But when the skipper, stung possibly by his coolness, ventured to call him " no sailor," Jack, fire flashing from his eyes, stepped i p to lii'm and said, "You wretched North-conn vrymar yon talk of sailurship. There never was a sailor in all jour miserable place. There is not in a million 312 WHALING AND FISHING. of you enough soul to make one seaman. You are tit for nothing but to tyrannize over better men than yourself: you and your booby brother. You remember Glencoe. I wish your whole infernal clan had been killed there, that there might have een none of the ugly brood left." This last remark was in allusion to the famed massacre of Glencoe, where almost the entire clan of McDonald was destroyed. The skipper cowered under Jack's glance, and contented himself by ordering us all forward. We now fully expected to have " leave to retire," as Jack called it. In the course of the forenoon, however, the cook whispered to us that only four were to be discharged. Who is the unfortunate, fated to stay ? was a question asked with some misgivings by each. Even Jack was troubled by the fear that the captain would retain him, and on the passage home pay him up for hi? saucy language. " If he does, as sure as I'm a living man, he'll never leave Port Louis again with whole bones,'' vowed he. At twelve o'clock the mate announced that " Yankee Charley," the present writer, was to remain on board. The others were ordered to prepare for going on shore by the first boat in the afternoon. " I would rather it was you than me, my poor fellow," said Jack, with a pitying smile. I proceeded straightway to the captain, and A NEW CREW. 313 requested permission to accompany the others A gruff " No " was the answer ; follow eel after a mo- ment's consideration on his part, by a more civil refusal, in which he stated to me the reason fcr which he desired to discharge the others. At the same time, he declared himself satisfied with the conduct of all but " Scotch Jack," and ventured upon the opinion, that but for him we would all have enjoyed the outward passage much more than we did. It was not without some sinking of the heart that I saw my shipmates take a joyful leave of the Annie. They had no pay to take, and had but seven shillings (not quite tw r o dollars), among the four. Nevertheless they were as jovial as though their pockets were lined with rupees. " Give my regards to the consignee and his family, in Port Louis, Captain McDonald," were Jack's last words, as the surf-boat shoved off. The returning boat brought on board four green- looking Scotch boys, ranging from fourteen to twenty years of age. They looked at me with evident suspicion, and sat apart in the forecastle at supper, devouring their tea and biscuit without any attempt at establishing a friendship. For this I cared but little, as their acquaintance was little desirable. But their language was a sore thing to ears like mine, unaccustomed to hear the King's English treated disrespectfully. For a while 1 listened, in the vain hope of understand- ing somewhat of the jargon which they called 314 WHALING AND FISHING. English. Vain hope, truly. It was worse that the French upon which I had months ago ex- hausted all my powers of understanding. But the worst was yet to come. On the morn- ing following the advent of our new crew, the mate came out ten times more Scotch than ever ; and when, not understanding an order he gave, J asked him to explain himself in English, he gravely asked if that was not English, meaning i\\Q patois in which he had spoken. The majority rules, even on shipboard. While our old crew was yet on board, the plain " Anglo-Saxon " car- ried the day triumphantly, and more than once Scotch Jack took occasion to rally the officers upon their unintelligible Scotch English, by ask- ing them if such a language was permitted be- neath the British Union-Jack. But now the other side was in the majority, and it shortly began to be whispered about among the boys, that I could not understand plain English. This was good enough to laugh at. But when some days after we left port, the captain in a fit of unusual candor ow r ned that he did not under- stand more than half I said, the matter assumed to me a graver air, and I heartily advised him to procure a grammar and dictionary of the English language. Our return cargo for Port Louis consisted of salt, sheep, and butter. In one week after our change of crews we Avere loaded. We got under way with a fine but rather stiff North-wester a GETTING UNDER WAY. 315 wind that blows right out of the harbor. The top-gallant masts and top-gallant and royal yards had been sent aloft the day before. One anchoi was on the bow. Before we broke ground on the other, the fore- topsail was set. On heaving " short stay a-peak " i he anchor broke ground, and before we could run it up to the bows, had caught a fair half of all the surf-boat lines in the bay. In vain we tugged at the windlass. In vain we lowered and backed the topsail. In vain we payed out chain. The lines were fast about the anchor flukes, and remained there. Finally, after wasting an hour in fruitless efforts to clear ourselves, the skipper ordered all sail to be set that she would carry ; this done, we bore gallantly seaward, with an anchor and fifteen fathoms of chain overboard. When we were two miles from land the vessel was hove to, while we hove up, catted, and fished the anchor. Three hours were consumed in clear- ing and coiling down the stiff coir lines and haw- sers with which the anchor was encumbered. Home of them were from thirty to fifty fathoms long. I dare say the surf-boatmen did not spare their maledictions at our carelessness. The passage to Port Louis was sufficiently une- ventful. I learned somewhat of Scotch clannish - ness, and a good deal of Scotch brogue. I learned, that to specr meant to look that a dibble was a spoon that in short, Scotch and English were two different languages. And I arrived, probably, 316 WHALING 'AND FISHING at a better understanding of B'.irns's delighlfril songs and poems, than I would else evor have attained. It was on this voyage that I saw illustrated to better advantage than ever before, the uses of a barometer. Our captain owned a most excellent one, and by long study had made himself a scientific observer of its mercurial motions. I have before stated, that to watch the compass was his greatest delight. Next in importance to this was the barometer. When on deck, particularly on this homeward passage, he vibrated regularly between the binnacle and the barometer. When at dinner, he would look up to see how she headed, and then rise to glance at the barometer. In the night, if his eyes opened to look at the compass overhead, his mouth at the same time opened to shout " how's the barometer, Jims? " I must own that much trouble was saved us by his close watch of this weather gauge. The Afri- can coast is squally. The squalls do not rise gradually and perceptibly, as in other latitudes, but burst suddenly upon a vessel, giving no pre- vious warning to the most watchful mariner. But by the aid of our faithful barometer the approach of one of these unwelcome visitors could be fore- told some hours. Thus, we would be going along with studding- sails set, under a press of canvas, and with a good and fair breeze; no sign in the heavens would indicate a change. While congratulating A SOUTH-EASTER SQUALL. 317 ourselves, perhaps, on the steadiness of the wind, and the fine progress we were making, the skip- por would order the studdingsails taken in. 44 Is the poor man daft?" said Scotch Jack, the firet time this maneuver was performed. The studdingsails in, the lighter sails would be clewed up and furled. The topsail halyards were then laid down, tacks and sheets were cleared, ready for running, and all was again expectation. Often an hour would elapse before the squall broke upon us. On these occasions there were not wanting weather-wise tars who thought our Scotch skipper 11 o'er careful." But the event always justified his prudence, and before we got to Algoa Bay, we, the forward hands, acknowledged that the captain and his weather glass were more skillful judges of the weather than the oldest tars. On the passage to Port Louis I, for the first time, met one of the South-easter squalls, pecu- liar to this African coast. We had got the wind from the South -south -east, and were going along merrily before it, with all sail set. The weather was balmy, the sky was filled with white clouds, but no symptoms were there of an approaching squall. Toward noon the air grew chilly. At two o'clock I, who had moved about decks all the morning in my shirt sleeves and barefooted, shiv- ered at the wheel, though wrapped in a stout pea- jacket. The breeze was all this time gradually freshening, and the huge, snowy-white clouds rolled up swiftlj from he South-east, and covered 318 WHALING AND FISHING. the heavens, leaving scarcely a spot of the blue sky perceptible. At half past two the royals and top gallant studdingsails were taken in. Shortly thereafter, a heavy white cloud appeared above the horizon. As it developed itself, a small black spot appeared in its center. This would not have been noticed by an inattentive observer. Yet this contained the squall. As the cloud approached, the black diffused itself over the white. " Stand by your top-gallant halyards," said the skipper. Now a few drops of mixed hail and rain the advance guards of the squall fall upon deck. And now the wind changes about two points that is, to due South-east. " Keep her off before it," says the captain. The sails flutter a little; and then, with a heavy shower of hail, the ice-cold gust strikes us, One strong sweep of the wind, which lasts not ffered his services to recover the lost property. The place whence it dropped was pointed out to him, as nearly as possible. He dove to the bottom, and almost immediately brought up the watch and chain. Ten rupees (fire dollars") was all he asked for this service. Well, we sailed. Our crew cori-vlsted of eight men. The vessel should have carried ten; but OUR CREW. 325 the '11 repute in which she stood among seamen in Port Louis, made it impossible to procure more. IIiul these eight been able seamen, we would Lave gotten along tolerably well. But two of them were runaway soldiers ; one was an Irish man-of-war'fi man. who had served three years in the receiving-ship at Portsmouth, in England, in the capacity of ship's tailor, and had afterward somehow strayed out to the Isle of France; and another was a deserter from some outward-bound American whaleship. INTone of these four roukl steer our heavily-laden vessel, so that the entire labor of steering, except in very fine weather, fell upon the other four of us no slight addition to duties already sufficiently onerous. Our runaway soldiers were the best of the greenies. Eejoicing in their new liberty, they were ready and willing to do all they could, and quickly learned all the minor and less important duties of seamen. The whaleman was sick nearly the entire pas- sage. He was paying a fearful penalty for past excesses. Aside from his illness, he was a spirit- less creature, who permitted the officers to treat him as the-?/ chose which was in a most rascally way, to be sure. But our Paddy was a genius. He had been told that " there is no such word as can't, at sea. n Accordingly, he took especial care never to utter this forbidden monosvllable. ;3;20 WIlAJJXd AM* FISHING. a Paddy, can you steer?" asked the mate of him. on the day we sailed. "Yes, sir," was Paddy's ready reply. No more questions were asked. But w*ion the decks were cleared up, and the watches chosen 'Send the gentleman from Ireland to the wheel! 1 4iing out the captain. Accordingly, he took the wheel, and in less than two minutes had the vessel all in the wind, sails shivering, sheets slatting, and the spanker boom nearly knocking him overboard. "I thought you could steer!" shrieked the skip- per, in a rage, at the same time applying a rope's end freely to Paddy's shoulders. " I thought so, too," submissively answered the Irishman. " Do you know the compass, at all ? " he was asked, after we had once more got the ship upon tier course. "Yes, sir." " What's this point, then?" u That's North." ' .Right, Now what is this next to it?" To this there was no answer. Paddy had made \Ap his mind not to confess ignorance of anything. And when he knew r nothing, he wisely held his tcrgne. After giving him a hearty cursing, the captain sent him forward. Here he received from the sailors another series of curses, for shipping under false pretences He bore it all in dogged silence, PALDY. 32? That i. ght, the second mate, in whose watch he was, told him to slack up the foretopgallant clew- line, which happened to be too tight. He went forward, and let go the foretopsail halyards, car- rying away by this stupid trick, both foretopgal- lant sheets. We of the watch below were awak ened by his cries to the second mate Tor mercy. We lost two hours' sleep by his blunder, and did not therefore feel sorry that he got a beating, severe as it was. He bore the marks of it upon him for nearly a month. We were a week from land ere we arrived at a full understanding of all the length, breadth and depth of his ignorance. He actually knew no more about a ship, than a person who had never aeen one. When sent aloft to furl the royal, he whispered to one standing near the main rigging, " Is it the highest one?" On receiving an affirmative answer, (accompa- nied, I must say, with a curse,) he hurried aloft. But now instead of rolling up the sail and passing the gasket lines about it, he sat on the yard and looked sapiently down upon deck. Such a look of angry astonishment as filled the mate's face upon this occasion, I never saw equaled. "Why don't yo-u furl the sail, you booby?'' he shouted. "Aye, aye, sir!" answered Paddy, readily enough, but never stirring. 44 Boll it up. you infernal stupid ! and come down here quick; I want to thrash you! " shouted lh 328 WHALING AND FISHING. skipper, dancing about the quarter deck rage. " Oh ! " said Paddj^, as though the whole idea had suddenly burst upon him. And then he began to roll up the royal. But as he w?is in ev'dcnl ignorance of the existence of gaskets, when he got the middle rolled snugly he found sufficient to do to hold that, without attempting more. He cast another despairing look upon deck. One of us was now dispatched aloft to help and show him how to take in a sail. But Paddy, look on as carefully as he would, could never be taught to perform this operation. He did not know a single rope, and indeed, all our efforts to teach him to the contrary notwith- standing, was no wiser in this regard when he left the barque in London, than when he came on board, in Port Louis. Seeing the poor, foolish fellow so much abused, I took pity on him, and in the moonlight night watches used to go around the ship with him, to tell him the names and uses cf the various ropes. Thus, I would say, " Now, Paddy, this is the forebrace this is the foretopsail brace this the foretopgallant brace and this the foreroyal brace ;" making him touch each c ie in successior, and repeat its name over after m WHALING AND " I think we won't try that an}' more. Greatui perfection is not desirable," said he, as he gath- ered up his ammunition and retired to the cabin. I will confess to being exceedingly rejoiced at his determination. It was by no means pleasant to stand still and be in this manner indirectly S-hot at. Hard work, poor provisions (and a very small allowance at that), and two quarts of water per day to drink and cook with, with officers that were brutes, and a vessel in the last stage of decay all these things make a sailor s life the reverse of pleasant. And so we did not even enjoy as one ought the glorious region of the South-east Trades: those purer skies and brighter stars, bluer waves and softer breezes, which he who has once experi- enced will certainly never forget, nor ever think on without longing for their return. On these followed the tedious and exhausting calms of the equator. Then, after weeks of idle drifting about at the mercy of every chance cur- rent and catspaw, came the re-invigorating North- east Trades. And finally, the lowering heavens and gloomy sea of the English Channel. By this time we had only three, men fit for duty. Even Paddy had at length succumbed to ill treatment, and now lay despairing in his berth, little caring for the diurnal threats of the captain, that he would hoist him on deck with a tackle. The last actual torture which this poor fellow suffered, frightened him into a s'ckness. Having THE LAST TORTURE. 337 one day, during the captain's usual eatecliisingj proved unusually stupid, that worthy, intent upon a novel excitement, determined to hang his victim ever the side on a level with the water's edge> and there make him scrub the long grass off the water-line. A stout rope was provided, and Paddy, who was a non-resistant, was made list and helplessly lowered till he was up to the mid- dle immersed in water. " Now scrub, you scoundrel," said his tormentor, as in savage glee he looked down at him. Paddy's entreaties for mercy were uninter- rupted, save by an occasional sputtering cry, fol- lowing upon his complete immersion. For as the vessel was under strong headway, she once in a while careened over sufficiently to entirely sub- merge the poor half-witted Irishman. There was no actual danger the captain and mate having taken care to so secure him as to make it impossible that he should be lost over- board. But with Paddy's nervous condition, and constitutional antipathy to water in any shape except as " tay," he was in mortal fear. After two hours of suspense, he was once more safely landed on deck. He took immediately to his berth, and did not recover from the shock of that morning till two or three days before we entered the West India dock. Channel navigation, hard at best, is a tortuie where it becomes necessary that three wretched men shall perform the duties for which an entire 22 338 WHALING AX I) FISHING. crew is not too powerful. Wearied, sore, chtifed in every limb, till the blood flowed from our feel s we ran aloft, and from oiu hands as we tugged t sails or painfully dragged heavy chain-cables nbout the deck, we at length arrived in the Downs. Here the pilot declared it necessary to procinc a reinforcement of men from shore. A*nd as the British Pilot makes his orders obeyed by captain as well as mes, our labors were lightened by half i dozen hands, who were engaged to assist in taking the vessel into hei dock. Yet another day of hard labor, and with somewhat joyful hearts we were gliding up the crooked Thames, behind a. iowboat. The following morning we hauled the vessel into her dock and left her. This was on the one hundredth and thirty-sixth day since ^e sailed from Port Louis. Going up to the " Sailor's Home," I deposited my luggage, had a refreshing bath, trimmed my numerous sores, and at eleven o'clock retired to my bed, preferring sleep to the dinner which was read}' an hour afterward. My rest, undisturbed by many dreams, was not broken till nine o'clock the following morning. These twenty-two hours of sleep restored in some degree my usual elasticity, and after another im- mersion in cold water, and a hearty breakfast, 1 was almost myself again. I had been in London before, and welf knew that no time was to be lost in securing a vessel There is nearly always, in that port a surplus of SEEKING A BERTIL 339 seamen; and many a poor fellow hub -u iggled weeks for employment, nearly starving the while, before obtaining even a poor chance. I was deter- mined to return to the United States, and leave British vessels henceforth to British tars. 1 there- fore immediately proceeded to the St. Katherine's dock, where most American vessels are found, to inquire for a chance. After asking for a berth in quite a number of ships and barques, I at last happened on a barque, some of whose hands had left her. She was not to sail for several weeks, so the mate said. Never- theless, 1 resolved if possible to engage a place on her, rather waiting some time than losing the Jiance altogether. I accordingly sought out the captain. To my respectful request for employment, he gave a gruff reply, that he was daily, almost hourly, importuned by a parcel of lime-juicers. " But I am an American," said I, thinking that with common perspicacity he might have seen this. " Yes, they all claim to be Americans. And when you once get them to sea. you can't near y urself speak for their growling." " But can you not promise mo a chance?"! " JJo you want to wait three weeks? 7 " If 1 have your promise to ship me, I will dt BJ willingly." " Well, you ma}' wait, ! guess " u Can't you give me some kind of employment on board meantime ?' ? 340 WHALING AND " No. I want no more idlers than I've get now." With this our interview closed. I told the mate, >\ho seemed a more civil nuui than the captain, that the latter had promised to ship me. u Come down every two or three days and show yourself to him, that he may not forget you," said he, kindly, in answer. Meantime my last captain was making use of the last vestige of power in his hands, to make his crew uncomfortable. The British sailor is so important an individual to the prosperity of the Empire, and the British captain is so inva- riably a tyrant, that it has been found necessary to hedge seamen about with numerous laws, by which it is supposed they are protected from the evil inclinations of their superiors. These in turn, having a line drawn over which they may not stop, take care in general to go quite up to it. Thus it is provided, for the protection of sea- men, that they shall be paid off within ten days of the time when the vessel has been made fast in her dock. Accordingly, our captain told us to come to the owner's office on the afternoon* of the, ninth day, when our money would be ready for us. Tt is usual, with the regular discharge, to give soanien in British vessels a " recommendation" to the ten.ler mercies of any others who may pro- pose to employ them. An American shipmaster or owner thinks a man's face and carriage sufficient to judge of his merits. A Briton asks first for the A RECOMMENDATION, 341 recommendation, and if this is not forthcc ming, at once refuses, unless pressed for hands, to engage the applicant. We had been told that our captain would refuse any one a recommendation. For my part I caied little for it, as 1 was not to sail under the flag any more. My shipmates, however, felt somewhat anxious on the subject. At the appointed time we met at the owner's of? r :e. The captain was there. As each one's name was called, he stepped forward to receive his wages and sign his account. Then the captain handed him his discharge and recommendation, if any was forthcoming. Fred, George and I, were the only ones of the crew who were favored with the latter document. I will here give a copy of mine, as it may satisfy the curiosity of some reader. "(this is to (fctrtifg, That , has served on board the PAULINE HOUGHTON, under my command, as able seaman, from Mauritius t London, and has conducted himself to my satis- faction ; and can recommend him to any person that may require his services. " JOSEPH E. SMITH. Master/' With this precious indorsement in my ha. id, and seven pounds sterling (thirty-five dollars) the proceeds of my voyage, in my pocket, I left cap- tain Smith, thinking, " Take him for all ID all, [I hope] I ne'er shall see his like' again." CHAPTER XVIII. AT the mate's suggestion, I came down to tho barque every second or third day, and placed myself in the captain's way, sometimes speaking to him, at others, satisfied if he saw me. He occa- sionally expressed his opinion that I ought not to wait so long; yet never refused to ratify his prom- ise to ship me. Meantime, although entertaining no doubt as to his good faith, I kept a watch for other chances, determining that if I could get a berth in any vessel sailing earlier, I would accept it. No such chance, however turned up. Every American ship that sailed was full manned, and in many there were extra hands, who were work- ing their passage. So I was compelled to await the expiration of three long weeks ; during ^hich time the sum of money I had been paid off with DISAPPOINTED. 343 i>oir. '!<- Pauline Hough ton, was very considerably It was yet early in the year, and I knew that a passage across the Atlantic would not be unattend- ed with cold weather. My, first investment was therefore ir. some warm clothing. This provided J felt more like trusting in Providence for the "balance. A day ct me at length, when the barque was to ship hands. I presented myself on her quarter deck, early in the morning; where I was met by the captain, who told me gruffly that he found he should not need my services, as some other men had been shipped for him, by a friend. I looked up in his face in mute astonishment. It was too bad. I had depended upon his word so entirely, that the possibility of his failing to keep it had never entered my mind. Before I could make any reply to his announcement, he left the vessel. Some of the crew, who from my frequent appear- ance on board had gotten to know me, shortly approached to question me as to whether 1 was shipped. On learning what the captain had said they at once explained the secret of this movement Some dealers in seamen's ready-made clot:, ing, i7ho had men on their hands, owing them money, had persuaded the worthy captain tc engage their men, they the slop-dealers retaining, of course, ihe advance pay they got. While the crew /r to me. the mate came up. Aro you shipped, my lad?" he askod, 344 WHALING AND FISHING "No, sir; the captain says all his hands arc already engaged, elsewhere." He appeared surprised. After a moment's silence, he aasked, "Do you need any advance? 5 ' " No, sir. I don't owe any one a cent." "Would you work your passage, if the captain consents to take you?" Now, to keep a man three weeks waiting for a place, and then ask him coolly to take the place and perform its duties, but without remuneration, I thought, looked a good deal like an imposition on good nature. Nevertheless, as my case was tolerably urgent, I expressed my willingness even to work my passage. Hereupon the mate sought out the captain, and after conferring with him for a few minutes, returned to tell me that I might bring my luggage on board. We sailed on the following day. To the surprise of all the crew, one of the other new hands claimed also to be working his passage. He had been entrapped into this in the same way by which I had been victimized. Here should now have been two extra hands. But there was just the regular number of us ; so that by this operation, the cap- tain was enabled to pocket the wages of two men during the passage home. This passage lasted forty days. We had ?omo rough weather; but with a comfortable ship and tolerably kind officers, sailors care little for the weather. So we passed the time very contentedly ; I daily wishing for a succession of fair winds, to A LOOK AT THE PAST. 345 shorten a passage for which I was to receive no It was en a bright July morning that we entered New York Bay. By four o'clock that afternoon. the barque was moored at one of the East Kiver vvharvcs; and I stepped ashore, after an absence of over two years from the United States, with three suits of seaman's clothing in my chest, and an English sixpence in my pocket, the result of those two years of hard work, exposure and deprivation. I don't know but a glimpse of common sense penetrated for a moment the thick mist of romance with which I had always sought to sur- round the life I had chosen, as I stood upon the wharf, and remembered with what a light heart [ had two years before sailed from that same pier to New Bedford ; how I had willfully tempted for- tune, by throwing myself recklessly into a life of which I knew nothing; how I had labored twelve months in all the filth, moral and physical, of a whaleship, and left her at last, with no returns to show for my work ; how I had wasted more time in the Isle of France; and how now, looking back, I could see two years of my life to all appearance brown away. " What would the folks at home think of me, could they see me now?" I asked myself. ** Don't you want your luggage taken up to ft boarding-house?" asked an express man. " Yes, take me up to Cherry street, No. ." Arrived at the place designated, I stated my 340 W1IALIXU AND circumstances to the worthy man who there kept a boarding place for seamen. He knew me, and received me kindly, " money or no money," as he expressed it. I told him that I wished to go off as soon as possible. " Better stay a week or two to recruit yourself. Any money you want I will let you have fieely You can repay it at your convenience." I felt deeply grateful to him for the offer. Prob- ably not another sailor boarding-house keeper in New York, would have said as much to me. But I was determined to lose no time in idleness, and expressed a strong desire to go off on the following day. That evening the captain of a schooner trading between New York and Boston, came up to get a hand. I offered myself, was accepted, and engaged to render myself on board on the following morn- ing, at six o'clock. So, having returned at four o'clock, P. M., from a two years' absence from the States, six o'clock the following morning found me working at the windlass once more an " outward bounder." Schooner sailing was somewhat strange to me. But the people, Cape Cod men all, were kind to Lie and bore with what must have seemed to them the rather gruff and odd ways of an old salt. Our 31 ew consisted of five: captain, mate, two hands, and the cook. The latter was a little boy of ten years, the captain's son. All hands lived in the cabin, ard the officers, although a little lesorved SMYRA. 347 in their conversation, as is the manner of Cape men, were kind-hearted, hard-working people. Thej- were plainly unused to the company o( such an outlandish fellow as I had by this time grown to be. Every article of my clothing seemed a ' iiriosity to them. My old sea chest was an object of mysterious interest to the little cook, who evidently connected it in his mind with number- less romantic adventures. The shrewd little fellow lost no time in finding out my weak side, and hav- ing once, as he judged, established himself in my good graces, straightway importuned me for a yarn ; and I soon found that Smyra that was his singular name faithfully repeated my tough yarns to his father, who used to smile good-na- turedly at his childish enthusiasm, and at my, to Mm, queer ways. For myself, the company of the child was grate- oil to my feelings. I liked .his unsophisticated ;vays and ingenuous talk. And so I tried, and successfully, to win his regards. These little Cape boys start early into active life. Smyra had been cook since his eighth year, and now at ten, with all of the child about him yet, was as self-reliant and shrewd, in matters appertaining to his pec-i- liar life, as many a young man at twenty-one. Our crew had their homes in a little village en the Cape. It was the captain's custom to lay by here for a day or two, on each trip. Accordingly, when we were through the Vine3*ard Sound, our course was shaped toward Harwich, and by noor 348 WHALING AND FISHING. of the second day after we left New York, ti o little craft was safely moored at " Deep Hole " the name of the particular anchorage chosen for her. We found here a number of schooners fit anchor. "What are those vessels, Smyra?" asked I as we two were stowing the jib. The whole smells villainously of decayed fish. The hold is filled with barrels, some empty r some full of water, used as ballast. The deck contains naught but a bait-mill, a barrel of bait, and some strike barrels which it is hoped we shall shortly fill with mackerel. The crew were a set of genuine Cape men. I was the only " stranger " on board. The rest were all born and bred fishermen : quick moving, nervous men in fact, although they seemed, when unexcited, slow enough to please the most lym- phatic Hollander. Our captain was a tall, portly man, blue eyed but dark complexioned, and of a fair presence. He was reputed as he afterward proved himself the most skillful fisherman on board. His lines and jigs were fitted with the most scrupulous nicety. He had a set for every kind of weather we were likely to experience, from the large line and heavy jig to be used only on fish-days or in rough weather, to th-j most del- icate fly-lines, with minute hooks and jigs, with which to tempt the daintiest of mackerel on smooth days. 358 WHALIXU AM) FISHING. He was a man of infinite patience. In a calm lie would lean over the rail for hours at a time, once in a while hauling in a huge mackerd, while the others were lounging idly about decks, or if at the rail at all, were inattentive to their lines. Ills exhortations to others to attend to the fish, \\ere ceaseless, while fish were along side. "Now they bite, boys; here's a spirt!" he would cry whenever, by unusual wariness, he succeeded in capturing a mackerel. Then would follow a rush to the rail, a few moments of breath, less attention, and finally, " now they don't bite, boys," from some disappointed lounger, as he fell back upon the deck or hatchway. Such was " the skipper," and a better man could not bo found to command a fishing vessel. CHAPTER XIX. IT was on the fifth night after leaving our port> that we came into " the fleet." During the day an occasional homeward bounder, steering off with all sail set, had passed us. Toward evening, white sails were visible in many directions. > At sunset we were already near the outsiders, the videttes of the fleet. And before retiring to rest we wer in the midst of the vast collection of vessels, their innumerable lights glistening upon the smooth expanse of ocean, and dancing solemnly up and down on the great swell which the Atlantic ever keeps up, much more resembling the vessels in a vast naval panorama, than a scene of real life, There is something solemn and thought-inspir- ing in a scene like this, at all events to a thinking 300 ^Y^ALI^(i AND /Y,S///.\V/. persoD who for the first time witnesses it, Th. entire stillness which reigns by night over this vast aquatic town, the absence of all noise except the continual faint roar of the swell, the sorrowful creaking of the rigging, and the solitary "sug r of the vessel's bow, as she falls into the trough of the sea; the bare poles of the distant vessels thrown in vivid, almost unnatural relief against the sky ; the crazy motion of the little barks, as they are tossed about at the mercy of the waves, having scarce steerage way; the lonely-looking light on the mast, seeming to be the spirit which has entire charge of the hull beneath ; the absence of all life where but a short time ago all was life and bustle : all this contrasted so strangely with the lively appearance of the vessels by day, as they skim rapidly over the waters, their great piles of snow-white canvas gleaming gayly in the sun, and their crews moving merrily about decks, as to make me almost doubt that there were in fact in the shapeless masses drifting past us, hither and thither, at the mercy of wind and wave, men Btout and able, who had often battled for their lives with the same old Ocean upon whose bosom they were now so placidly reposing. But here comes one, rolling toward us, ^ " As silent as a painted ship, upon a painted ocean," and seemingly just as likely to hit us as not. Wo bail him. " Schooner ahoy ! " *' Hillo ! " is answered by a tall figure which AT DAWN. 361 starts up from a reclining posture on ,he com- panion hatch. " How many mackerel did you get to day?" " About twenty wash-barrels, mostly large." "Did the fleet do anything?" " Some of them lay still a good while, and guess had pretty good fishing." Here some of our crew mutter out a weak im- precation upon the weather, which has prevented us from joining the fleet before. Our friend hails us " Are you just from home ? " "Yes; all well there." And the faint sound of the waves as they surge under his bows tells us that we are too wide apart for speaking purpose, . Standing a little farther on, into the thickest of the fleet, we too, about nine o'clock, hauled down our mainsail and jibs, and leaving one man on deck as a look-out, went below to prepare by a sound sleep for the labors of the morrow. At early dawn we turned out to make sail. Although yet too dark to distinguish the numer- ous fleet in whose midst we had taken our place, our ears were saluted on all sides by the rattle of ropes, the creak of blocks, and the rustling of raii- vas and we were conscious that ten thousand iren ^ere actively employed around us, at the samfc moment, in the same work, and preparing fot similar duties and labors. As the day breaks, a grand spectacle bursts r*pon our view. The sky is clear, and the sun. as he 362 WHALING AND FISHING. rises above the eastern horizon, gilds with his the sails of a thousand vessels, as they lie spread out upon the mirror-like surface of the sea. And DOW our crew b^gm looking for acquaintances among the vessels, My astonishment is unbounded at hearing them name vessels distant from a quarter of a mile to six or seven miles, and that with perfect certainty of their correctness. To such perfection has practice trained the vision of these men that notwithstanding mackerel catch- ers are scrupulously rigged alike, the crew would point out not only schooners with which they were acquainted, but also tell the hailing -places of many which they had never seen before. As an old salt, I prided myself not a little on my expertness in detecting differences in rig or build, but was obliged here to give up my art as completely beaten. For where I could not detect the slightest distinguishing characteristic, the experienced eyes of one of my companions would at one glance reveal the whole history of the ves- sel in question, and would enable him to tell, with a certainty which scarcely ever failed, the place where she was built, where rigged, and where at present owned. This wonderful faculty is the result of keen eyes and long experience, and is found nowhere else in such perfection as among American fishermen. Lying to for a little while, to try for fish, we shortly got under way, and stood on with the rest of the fleet. The wind was from North west MOTIONS OF THE FLEET. 303 and every one of the nine or ten hundred vessels composing the fleet, tire tacked to the Northward. It \vas curious to watch their motions. They have no head,' no organization of any kind ; yet do they move as much in concert as would the best organized naval fleet, working bj the signals of their commodore. See, the headmost vessel of the fleet is in stays. There the next one tacks. Little squads of half a dozen follow suit; and in fifteen minutes the whole fleet is on the other tack, standing to the westward. And so we go all day, working to the windward as fast as the light breeze will bear us along. Every once in a while some one heaves to and tries for mackerel. But mackerel won't bite well, in general, on such a day as this; and this day we don't see a live one at all Mackerel go in large schools, one of which con- tains fish enough, if all caught, to fill up every vessel in a fleet. But, vast as such a body is, it occupies but a very small space in the ocean which supports it. A school of fish, therefore, is to be searched out much as one would look for a needle in a haystack unwearying patience and deter- mination being qualifications as necessary to ccn- stitute a successful fisherman as to make one a fortunate searcher for needles. The fishery is pursued in small vessels, of from thirty to one hundred and twenty tons, and inva- riably of the "schooner" rig, that is, having two and " fore anl aft" sails. The business :3U4 WHALING AND FISHING. commences in the latter part of March, when the mackerel first return to our coasts from their winter's absence in more southern waters, and lasts until the end of November. At that liinr f he fish and of course their pursuers also have made the entire circuit of our eastern coast, fro in the capes of Delaware, off which they are first seen in early spring, to the extreme borders of Maine and the bays of British America, and back again as far as the headland of Cape Cod. Thence the fish about Thanksgiving Day take their final departure for their as yet undiscovered winter quarters. All attempts made by enterprising fishermen to follow the mackerel, after they leave " the Cape," have hitherto proved utterly futile, every trace of the vast school which annually congre- gates there being invariably lost within fifty miles of the south shoals of Nantucket. Many different surmises have been offered to account for their sud- den disappearance, and various theories started by those curious in such matters, to explain the why and wherefore of the eccentric motions of a school of mackerel. But the matter is apparently just as much in the dark as ever, and their disappear a nee about Thanksgiving time remains as rnucb a subject for speculation as the similar annual disappearance of swallows. Many, >vise in such matters, think that the fish, after leaving our coast, lie at the bottom of the sea, in compara- tively shoal water, in a p*ate of stupefiicaion until THE RACE IS TO THE SWIFT. 305 the rcUirn of warm weather; others suppose that they emigrate to warmer latitudes, wLere they ewiii. deep beneath the surface, in order to keep themselves in a temperature suited to their nature ; and many old fishermen devoutly believe that after leaving us they are, somehow, changed into fish of an entirely different species, and are met A T ith in the tropical seas as albicores, bonita, etc. All that is known on the subject is, that those svhich leave the coast at the beginning of winter are of moderate size,, but very fat; while those which return in the spring are large, extremely poor, and ravenously hungry. The vessels in which the fish are pursued and caught, are small, but stoutly built, formed to resist some degree of bad weather, and having, almost invariably, excellent sailing qualities. The latter, indeed, is a necessary qualification in a vessel intended for this business, as the success of a voy- age, in many instances, depends on a vessel get- ting to a certain place, where fish have been discovered, an hour sooner or later. Thus, it once happened that the entire fleet took shelter in Cape Ann harbor, on occasion of a storm. After lying in port two days the weather moderated. Early the following morning the fleet got under way. The first little squad of about a dozen vessels, manned probably by the most eager fishermen, but consisting also of the fastest sailing schooners, had about forty minutes start of the balance. It was a beaut tful morning :}(j(j WHA.LIN'0 A \ A very light breeze prevailed, before which none but the sharpest vessels could make headway. These had hardly gotten clear of the land, whew they "struck" mackerel. They at once " hove to," and did not again get under way until their decks ubcre filled the fish biting all this time as fast as they could be hauled in. Meantime, the slower moving portion of the fleet had just time to reach the harbor's mouth when the little breeze which had carried them thus far died away, and it fell a dead calm ; and they were actually forced to lie there, within four or five miles of a vast school of fish, and in plain sight of their more fortunate companions, without feeling a bite. " The fleet " is an aggregate of all the vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery. Experience has taught fishermen that the surest way to find mack- erel is to cruise in one vast body, whose line of search will then extend over an area of many miles. When, as sometimes happens, a single vessel falls in with a large "school," the catch is of course much greater. But vessels cruising separately or in small squads are much less likely to fall in with fish than is the large fleet. "The fleet" is there- fore the aim of every mackerel fisherman. Tbo b^st vessels generally maintain a position to the windward. Mackerel mostly work to windward slowly, and those vessels farthest to windward in the fleet are therefore most likely to fall in with fish first ; while from their position they can quicklj run down, should mackerel be raised to leeward. "RAISING" MACKEREL. 307 Thus in a collection of from six hundred to a thousand vessels, cruising in one vast bod}', and spreading over many miles of water, is kept up a Constant although silent and imperceptible com- munication, by me ins of incessant watching witb good spyglasses. This is so thorough that a vessel at one end of the fleet can not have mackerel " alongside," technically speaking, five minutes, before every vessel in a circle, the diameter of which may be ten miles, will be aware of the fact, and every man of the ten thousand composing their crews will be engaged in spreading to the wind every available stitch of canvas to force each little bark as quickly as possible into close prox- mity to the coveted prize. And then commences the trial of speed. Then the best helmsman is called to steer; every eye watches the sails, to see that they draw well, and every hand is ready to jump to remedy any defect. Then is the anxious moment for fishermen ; for they see spread out before them a vast school of fish, in the midst of which lie the few favored vessels which have suc- ceeded in raising them, and are now reaping a golden harvest. This is indeed the most exciting scene in the experience of a mackerel catcher. The fish are caught with hook and line, each fisherman using two lines. When hauled on board, they are "struck" off by a peculiarly quick motion of the right hand and arm, into a "strik barrel" standing behind and a little to the right of its proprietor. The same motion winch leaves 308 WHALING AX/) PIS the mackerel in the barrel also suffices to project tho hook (which has a little pewter run on its shank) back into the water, and the fisherman immediately catches up his other line, going through the same maneuver with it. So raven- ously do the fish bite, that a barrel full is some- limes caught in fifteen minutes by a single mun. The bait used to entice them alongside, and keep them there afterward, consists of a mixture of clams and a little fish known by the euphonious name of "porgies." The last are seined in great quantities every summer in the mouth of the Con- necticut river, and the adjacent waters, and are used by farmers as manure for their land, as well as by mackerel catchers as bait. This bait is ground up fine in a mill provided on board for the purpose, and is then thrown out on the water. It sinks to the depth at which the fish lie, when they, in their eagerness for it, follow it up until they get alongside the vessel. Once alongside, they bite indiscriminately at bait or naked hook. Life on board a "mackerel catcher" is very monotonous. There is literally nothing to do. One man who can steer can work the craft all day. The sails are so arranged that in tacking they work themselves. The hands do therefore what they please. Some sleep, some read, some talk over old times, and a few old fishermen sit upon the quarter, hour after hour, spyglass in hand, watching the fleet and wishing for fish. Some days we catch a few mackerel ; some days A FISH-DAY. 369 we do not see a " live one," but tack and tack to windward all day long, glad when the setting sun proclaims the time for ; ' heaving to " and going bol-jw to sleep. After more than a week of this kind of life, there conies a day when fishcimen begin to prophecy the approach of a " regulai fish day." All day the wind is light and baffling, while a swell comes rolling in from the eastward*, which makes our little vessel tumble about strangely sails slatting, and blocks creaking mournfully in the calm. Toward evening the wind goes down, the sky is overcast by white clouds, and the weather becomes a pea-jacket colder. Having found no fish all day, we take in sail early, see everything clear for a " fish -day " to-morrow, and, all but the watch (one man), turn in about eight o'clock. At midnight, when I am called up out of my warm bed to stand an hour's watch, I find the vessel pitching uneasily, and hear the breeze blow- ing fitfully through the naked rigging. Going on deck I perceive that both wind and sea have " got up " since we retired to rest. The sky looks low- ering, and the clouds are evidently surcharged with rain. In fine the weather, as my predeces- sor on watch informs me, bears every sign of an excellent fish-day on the morrow. I accordingly grind some bait, sharpen up my hooks once more, gee my lines clear, and my heaviest jigs (the tech- nical term for hooks with pewter run on them), 24 370 WHALING- AND FISHING. on the rail ready for use, and at one o'clock return to my comfortable bunk. I am soon again asleep, an I dreaming of hearing fire-bells ringing, and seeing men rush to the fire ; and just as I see "the machine " round the corner of the street, am start- led out of my propriety, my dream, sleep, -ind all, by the loud cry of " Fish ho ! " I start up desperately in my narrow bunk, bringing my cranium in violent contact with a beam overhead, which has the effect of knocking me flat down in my berth again. After recovering as much consciousness as is necessary to appre- ciate my position, I roll out of bed, jerk savagely at my boots, and snatching up my cap and pea- jacket, make a rush at the companion way, up which I manage to fall in my haste, and then spring into the hold for a strike-barrel. And now the mainsail is up, the jib down, and the captain is throwing bait. It is not yet quite light, but we hear other mainsails going up all round us. A cool drizzle makes the morning un- mistakably uncomfortable, and we stand around half asleep, with our sore hands in our pockets, wishing we were at home. The skipper, how- ever, is holding his lines over the rail with an air which clearly intimates that the slightest kind of a nibble will be quite sufficient this morning to seal the doom of a mackerel. " There, by Jove ! the captain hauls back there, I told you so ! skipper's got him no aLa, captain, you haul back too savagely ! " "SHORTEN UP." 371 With Jie first movement of the captain's arm, indicating the presence of fish, everybody rushes madly to the rail. Jigs are heard on all Bides plashing into the water, and eager hands and arms are stretched at their full length over the side, feeling anxiously for a nibble. " Sh hish there's something just passed my fly I felt him," says an old man standing along- side of me. " Yes, and I've got him," triumphantly shouts out the next man on the other side of him, haul- ",ig in as he speaks, a fine mackerel, and striking aim off into his barrel in the most approved style. Z Z zip goes my line through and deep into my poor fingers, as a huge mackerel rushes sav- agely away with what he finds is not so great a prize as he thought it. I get confoundedly flur- ried, miss stroke half a dozen times in hauling in as many fathoms of line, and at length succeed in landing my first fish safely in my barrel, where he flounders away " most melodiously," as my neighbor says. And now it is fairly daylight, and the rain, which has been threatening all night, begins to pour down in right earnest. As the heavy drops patter on the sea the fish begin to bite fast and furiously. u Shorten up," says the skipper, and we shorten in our lines to about eight feet from the rail to the hooks, when we can jerk them in just as fast as we can move our hands and arms. " Keep 372 WHALING AND F1SIIIXG. your lines clear," is now the word, as the doomed fish flip faster and faster into the barrels standing to receive them.. Here is one greedy fellow already casting furtive glances behind him, and Calculating in his mind how many fish he will have to lose in the operation of getting his second strike-barrel. Now you hear no sound except the steady flip of fish into the barrels. Every face wears an expres- sion of anxious determination ; every body moves as though by springs ; every heart beats loud with excitement, and every hand hauls in fish and throws out hooks with a methodical precision, a kind of slow haste, which unites the greatest speed with the utmost security against fouling lines. And now the rain increases. We hear jibs rat- tling down; and glancing up hastily, I am sur- prised to find our vessel surrounded on all sides by the fleet, which has already become aware that we have got fish alongside. Meantime the wind rises, and the sea struggles against the rain, which is endeavoring with its steady patter to subdue the turmoil of old Ocean. We are already on our third barrel each, and still the fish come in as fast as ever, and the business (sport it has ceased to be some time since), continues with vigor undimin- whed. Thick beads of perspiration chase each other down our faces. Jackets, caps, and even over-shirts, are thrown off, to give more freedom tc limbs that are worked to their utmost " Hillo 1 where are the fish ? " All gone ? Every THE FLEET ON A FISH-DAY. 373 line is felt eagerly for a bite, but not the faintest nibble is perceptible. The mackerel, which bin & moment ago were fairly rushing on board, hare in that moment disappeared so completely that not a sign of one is lei't. The vessel next under our lee holds them a little longer than we, but they finally also disappear from her side. And so on all around us And now we have time to look about us to compare notes on- each other's successes to straighten our back bones, nearly broken and aching horribly with the constant reaching over ; to examine our fingers, cut to pieces and grown sensationless with the perpetual dragging of small lines across them to " There, the skipper's got a bite ! here they are again, boys, and big fellows too ! " Everybody rushes once more to the rail, and business commences again, but not at so fast i rate as before. By-and-by there is another ces- sation, and we hoist our jib and run off a little way, into a new birth, While running across, I take the first good look at the state of affairs in general. We lie, as before said, nearly in the center of the whole fleet, which from originally covering an area of perhaps fif- teen miles each way, has "knotted up ' into a little space, not above two miles square. In many places, although the sea is tolerably rough, the vessels lie so closely together that one could almost jump from one to the other. The greatest skill und care are necessary on such occasions to keep 374 WHALING AND FISHING. them apart, and prevent the inevitable consequen- ces of a collision, a general smash -up of masts, booms, bulwarks, etc. Yet a great fish-day lika this rarely passes off without some vessels SUE taiain^ serious damage. We thread our way among the vessels with as much care, arid as dain- tily as a man would walk over ground covered with eggs; and finally get into a berth under lee of a vessel which seems to hold the fish pretty well. Here we fish away by- spells, for they have become " spirty," that is, they are capricious, and appear and disappear suddenly. Meanwhile the rain continues pouring out of the leaden sky, which looks as though about to fall on us, and overwhelm us in a second deluge. The wind is getting high ; and the old hands are debating among themselves as to the most judi- cious port to be made to-night. At ten we get breakfast, consisting of coffee, hot cakes, bread and butter, fish, beef, sweet cakes, and apple sauce. The morning's exercise has given us all a ravenous appetite, and the celerity with which the various comestibles spread out for us by the cook are made to disappear, would astonish p dyspeptic. After breakfast, we begin to clear up decks a little, preparatory to experiencing some part of the rough weather which is brewing. Oil clothes are in great demand, but the rain somehow con- trives to soak through them, and they form but little protection. \Ve secure our mackerel barrels DRESSING. 375 co the bulwarks, lash up the various loose objects about decks, and put on the hatches. The fish still bite, but more moderately, and by " spirts," and in the half liquid state in which we all finct Ourselves, we mechanically hold our lines over the rail and haul in fish with as little motion to oui bodies as possible; for the skin in such weathei gets rnarvelously tender, and is apt to rub off on very slight provocation. At one o'clock "Seat ye, one half," from the cook, proclaims dinner on the table, and " one half" accordingly go down to " finish their break- fast," as a facetious shipmate remarks. The cabh. of a fisherman be it known is too confined tc accommodate an entire fishing crew with seats around the table, and accordingly it is customary for the oldest hands to eat first, leaving the young men and boys to follow at second table. After dinner we make preparations for dressing our fish. Gib-tubs, split-knives, barrels, wash- barrels, buckets, mittens, and sea-boots, are hunted up. and water begins to flow about decks more plentifully than ever. Mackerel are "dressed" by splitting them down the back, taking out their entrails (called in fishermen's parlance "gibs "), clear-ing them of blood by immersion in salt water, and then salting them down in layers, in the bar rels prepared for that purpose. Two persons compose a " gang " for dressing. One of them splits the fish and throws them to the other, who by a dexterous twist of his thumbs and the fingers of bis right hand, extracts the entrails and throws the cleaned fish into a bar- 2-el of salt water at hand. " Dressing " fish ia disagreeable work in itself, but generally passes off lively enough, as it is the concluding scene in what fishermen call "a day's work." One now learns how much he has in reality caught, and miser-like plunges up to the armpits in the riches he has that day won. Then too, dressing is enlivened by many a jest, and anecdote, and song, every body feeling joyful at the events of the day, and hopeful for the success of the voyage. And while the operation of catching fish is fol- lowed with an intensity and ardor which does not admit of the slightest flagging of attention, dressing is the very reverse, and may be made as lively as possible without detriment to the work. Soon after commencing to dress, the whole fleet gets under way, and steers toward the land, which is faintly visible under our lee, the wind being from the northeast. Going square before it, we soon near the land, and as we do so, both wind and sea increase. We have a grand chance to try the sailing qualities of our little boat a ohance which a mackerel man never neglects ; for next to getting a good share of fish, a man is considered most fortunate if he has a smart sail- ing vessel. We overhaul a good many, and are badly beaten by a few of the vessels, as might be expected in so large a fleet. And as we come into competition with some new vessel, GOING INTO PORT. 377 ar crew tell at once hei name, if she is known to them, or if entirely unknown, at any rate hei hailing place. Bancroft Library After dressing, we salt our catch. This is sorry work for sore fingers, hands, and arms, of which, after a day's work like the present, there is always a plentiful supply, mackereling being under any circu instances a business in which sores of all kinds on hands and feet are singularly plenty and hard to get rid of. But salting does not last forever, and the few preparations for going into harbor being already completed, we gather together, as dusk comes on, in little knots about the deck, dis- cuss the day's work, point out familiar vessels, and argue on their various sailing qualities, and once in a while slily peep down the " companion-way " into the snug little cabin, where the "ram-cat' 1 (the sailors' name for a cabin stove) glows so brightly, and every thing looks so comfortable, and in particular so dry, that our hearts yearn for a place by the fire. Landsmen, poor fellows, have no idea how great an amount of real, unmistakable comfort may be contained in a little box eight feet by twelve, with a table in the middle, seats and berths at the sides, a stove and hatchway at one end, a row of shelves and a box-compass at the other ana a skylight over head, the whole smell- irg villainously of decayed fish and bilge-water. Happily for mankind, all happiness is compara- tive, else would not the dirty, confined cabin of a fisherman eve/' be considered a very Elysium of 378 WHALING AND FIMIINd. comfort, and a seat by its fire be regarded as a luxury, than which the conqueror of the world can wish for nothing better. We are fast nearing our haven. And gla.l enough we all are 'of it, for the wind has risen antil it already blows half a gale, and the great waves roll after us savagely, trying to overtake UP, and looking as though if they did, they would inevitably smother our little craft. And then too, as the excitement of the day dies out, and we stand inactively about, the rain seems colder, and our wet clothes adhere clammily to our bodies, and make moving about a misery. Yon- der is East Point Light shining brightly 001 our beam. The headmost of our companions have already shot around the point, and are running up to their anchorage. " Man your sheets now, boys, and stand by to trim aft ! " sings out our skipper. As we string along the ropes the helm goes down. She comes into the wind, shaking like a dog just come out of the water, and at the same time the sails are trimmed flat, and we gayly round the point. In less than fifteen minutes we are in smocth crater. Two tacks take us nearly up to Ten Pound Island Light, and as we stand over once moie, "Haul down the foresail!" shouts the captain. M Stand by your main and jib halyards! see you? anchor all clear! " 44 There's a good berth, skipper," says one of ANCHORING. 379 the old hands, " right alongside of that Chatham smack." (It is so dark that, do my best, I cat not make out even the rig of the vessel to which my old friend so readily gives a " local habitation and a name." Here we are down jib ! " and down it rattle* without any trouble, as her head swings into the wind. As her headsvay is deadened, "let go the anchor 1" is the word, and a plash, and the rattle of a few fathoms of cable tell us that we are fast tor the night. " Pay out cable, boys; a good scope, and let her ride easy!" and the rest of us go aft and haul down the enormous mainsail, the wet can- vas of which feels as though made of stout wire. It is soon furled up, and a lantern fastened in the rigging, and then we make a general rush for the cabin. Here wet clothes and boots are flung off and thrown pell mell on deck, dry suits donned, and then " one half" crawl into their bunks, while the balance eat their suppers. Meanwhile we hear an incessant rattling of pails and plashing of anchors on every side of us, while the wind whistles wildly through our rigging, and the rain dashes fiercely against the skylight and deck overhead, increasing our com- fort by reminding us of the sufferings we have escaped. It is not until after supper that we begin to think of the damages sustained in our persona during the past day's work. And now raga, 380 WHALING AND FISHING. eah?e, and liniment, and all the various piepa- rations for ameliorating the condition of sore fingers, sore wrists, sore arms, sore feet, sore ankles, and sore shins, are brought into requi- sition ; the cook is flattered and cajoled out of modicums of hot fresh water; and stockings are taken off, sleeves rolled up, bandages unrolled, and groans and growls resound from every corner of the v cabin. Before retiring to rest I take a peep on deck. The gale is roaring fiercely through the bare rig- ging, and a blinding storm of hail and sleet, a blast of which salutes my face as I put it out of the companion-way, adds to the inclemency of the night. The dark storm-clouds scud wildly across the sky, and the wind fairly shrieks at times, as though glorying in the strength to bear down everything coming in its path. It is truly a wild night, and as I descend again to my comfortable place by the fire, I think anxiously of the poor souls who are tossed about in such weather cold, wet, and suffering at the mercy of the winds and waters. I am not alone in my thoughts, for as 1 shake the sleet off my rough cap, I hear our gray- headed old skipper mutter softly to himself, " God pity poor sailors who are caught in Boston Bay in this storm." We go to sleep early get up late next morning get breakfast (the storm still raging) head up, and strke down the mackerel caught the pre- ceding day; clear up decks, and then go ashore 01 IN PORT. 381 visit some of the other vessels. To do either of the latter, we do not require the assistance of boats, for the fleet has so crowded the harbor, that one can without difficulty walk from one side of the harbor to the other, a distance of three- fourths of a mile, on vessels. Toward evening the wind hauls to the north- ward, the weather clears up, and great snow-white clouds, looking like gigantic puffs of steam from some engine in the other world, roll grandly across the sky, sure signs of good weather. We "turn in" early, and are called out at three o'clock A. M. to get under way. We find every body around us in motion, some heaving up their anchors, others hoisting their sails, some with boats ahead, being towed out of the crowd, so as to enable them to shape a course, and a few already steering out of the harbor. We follow suit with all haste, and daylight finds us in Boston Bay, with the fleet around us, and the hills of Cape Ann blue in the distance. Such is a fish day, with its accompaniments. Of a series of such, with the intervening period? of idleness, our trip was composed. It would be tedious to enter into a narrative of the voyage> therefore. Sufficient understanding of the de- lights and discomforts of the business will bo gained by what I have recounted. Our first trip lasted five weeks. In that time we filled up every barrel on board. Eeturning to Harwich, we landed our cargo. Here the f *h were assorted, 382 WHALING AND FISHING. packed and weighed; and the barrels finally branded to show that they contain u 200 Ibs. mack - erel," No. 1 , 2, or 3, as the case may be. After four days detention, \ve set out upon another trip. This time we were four weeks in filling up our vessel. It was now getting cold. So upon our second re- turn to port, I left the vessel, received the returns for my labor, and with about forty dollars in my pocket, took passage in a schooner bound to New York. Shall I now make my pre-determined attempt to remain ashore? was a question which incessantly engaged my mind. It seemed almost like a vain hope ; but I finally determined to make at least one strong effort. If that failed it would be time enough to think what should be done afterward On my arrival in New York I procured myself some " shore clothing," and for some days dili- gently sought a situation of some kind. It was not till this search for employment began, that I was made fully aware how utterly useless a sailor is for aught, except the most severe physical toil, on shore. It was only now I began to suspect that the habits of the ship had taken such entire possession of me as to unfit me for any other life than that of a sailor. Yet " a trial shall be made,'* thought I. In New York I had no friend's. "Wherever 1 applied for employment, I was asked for references. Having none, it would next be asked, " \Yhat did you do last?" An acknowl- edgment that I had been a seaman was always STAYING ASHORE. 383 productive of a speedy annihilation of my hopes. " I would like to take you," said the kindest man to whom I had occasion to apply, " but a sailor, you know, would never do for me. You would not remain a month at any steady employment." After a week spent in vain applications in New York, I shipped in a brig for Philadelphia. Here I was kindly but suspiciously received by good people who had befriended me when I first set out from home to go to sea. What struggles were necessary before I was able, even here, with the assistance of friends, to gain a firm footing ; how I was on every hand met with suspicion and dis- trust; how no one could believe that I would remain steadily ashore ; and how this very unbelief led me oft-times to think seriously of returning to my sea-life doubting myself, because others doubted me none of this need be more than mentioned here. Suffice it, that by a persistent effort, and a struggle through which I would net like again to pass, I at length proved to doubting friends that there is redemption for even a sailor. But to this day my firmest friends mildly doult the permanency of my shore life. Shall I owi>. that I sometimes see that in a sailor's oxisten* o wl.-ich is oreferable to scre lives on land ?