THE WHALE FISHERY. 219 



ties, known as "seasoncrs,"* "beeeh combers," and slanders." Some oi them may be engaged 

 l'..r i In- season, and olliers for (he halaiiee of the voyage; although the terms are speeitied when 

 the i>a]iers are signed, they are, seldom respected or observed by this class of men. Upon their 

 arrival at ISfew Bedford the crews are not disposed .to ship again as whalemen, preferring to try 



their luck with the coasters in the carrying trade, or perhaps in the, fisheries. But these branches 



* 

 of the service rarely suit them, and as I hey are constitutionally opposed to manual labor ashore. 



being accustomed in their native islands to the open sea, many of them are compelled to ship again 

 in self defense as wh -ileinen, or to be shipped, nolens volens, by their boarding masters for debt. 

 They rarely return to this country, however. No one seems to know or care where this vagabond 

 element goes or how it disposes of itself. 



The natives of the Azores, Cape Verde, Anuobon, and St. Thomas, though of the negro element, 

 speak a corrupt form of the Portuguese language. The "Cape Verdes," as they call themselves, 

 are mulattoes a mixture of negro and Portuguese and more intelligent than the Bravas, Fogoes, 

 and Anuobous, who are exceedingly black. Botu classes may mingle freely in business matters, 

 but socially the Cape Verdes consider themselves superior. The Kanakas, Maories, Guainies, 

 Lascars, Auuobous, West ludiameu. and some of the Portuguese, make good whalemen, but 

 indifferent sailors. On their native islands their eyes have been educated in distinguishing remote 

 objects on the surface of the sea; hence they are especially desirable at the lookout of a whaling- 

 vessel, since they can often detect the slight puff of the sperm whale's breath amid the surface 

 mist peculiar to low latitudes. More especially is this true of the Kanakas. They know no fear 

 and never hesitate to approach a whale and harpoon it ; but on the vessel they are lazy and Shift- 

 less. 



The remnants of the Chilmark Indians (half-breeds) at Gay Head (Martha's Vineyard) and 

 .Montauk Point (Long Island) furnish excellent material for the whale-fishery, and upon them New 

 Bedford relies more or less for her boat steerers. The mate and two boat-steerers of ship Niger, 

 which sailed from New Bedford in October. ISSi', were Indians. In the early days of whaling, and 

 indeed alter this industry had established a solid fooling, the white man relied in part upon the 

 Indian to man his boats and to perform other duties in this fishery, t 



Few Americans below the rank of mates and captains are to be found on whaling vessels now 

 sailing from our ports. Informer days, New England's best sous were trained in this nursery; 

 commencing as they did as cabin boys or foremast hands, they worked their way through the 

 various gradations of promotion. The sous and other male connections of the commission mer- 



* The "seasoners" are men who may be obtained on any coast to .--hip for the season, but. the term is, in a measure, 

 'tiymons, or nearly so, with " beach-combers '' : the principal difference is. that it' there is any respectable element 

 at all in cither class it may lie found in the former. Many of them are adventurers, growlers, and deserters from 

 whale ships. They prowl about the shores of the various islands in the Atlantic' and I'aritie, and can only be induced 

 to aunin enter the service- v, hen necessity drives them to it. It is seldom thev can lie depended upon to discharge 

 their d-:!ies, even after they sign the articles. The "beach-combers " may also lie found about the shores. They are 

 a lazy, shiftless, degraded class of men who have no respect for the.nselves ami. < < . , receive none from 



othi rs. They embrace different nationalities, many of them nd the majority of them are unreliable. 



They are at times compelled to ship as whalemen !o obtain means of subs. ' several 



"able-bodied meals." and receive supplies of clothing from the "slop chest," they desert at the lirsi opportunity, and 

 lice their lays. being m. belief off than before, excepting that they have had a temporary home in the ship and 

 leave with bet tei clothing on their hacks. The " are hall'-! lixtnrc o f Spaniard and Indian, frcipicnt- 



ing the coasts of Pern, Chili, and Colombia. They an- Usually engaged for UJM season, and are fair whale-men. 

 Formerly masters of well . declined to ship any of I ' Imt at present 



they are compelled to make up their clew from this element when they are short-handed on the voyage. 



tin 167;* the town of Sonthampion, Long Island, p: : der I'm- the regulation of whaling and the employ- 



ment of the ' I inly mis to goa-whaling," in \vhich it is stated t hat an Indian should not n for his Hire above one 



Trucking Cloth Coat, for each Whale bee am'. : my shall Kill. 01 ithont the Whale Bone, 



under a Penalty therein exprcst." ALKXAXHF.I: Si.ua-.txk: Ilisi. Amci. Whale Fishery. 



