204 THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN 



down with the ship as near as he thinks advisable, has ordered the main- 

 topsail to be backed. All hands are now straining their optics to dis- 

 cover the whales when they first blow. They are at length seen a 

 short distance from the ship. "Stand by the boats, there," cries the 

 captain; and each man, knowing his station, is found at his respective 

 boat, eager for the chase. "Lower away" — the boats are precipitated 

 into the water, and the crews are at their oars in a twinkling. After 

 pushing from the ship, it takes some 2 or 3 minutes for the har- 

 pooner to adjust his craft, he then seats him on his thwart, and takes 

 his oar. Now the officer who heads the boat, speaks, "Line your oars, 

 boys, and pull ahead — (a lapse of two or three minutes) — pull 

 ahead, I tell you, why don't ye — Oh, how they lay, heads and points, 

 look at 'em — pull ahead, I tell ye — long and strong, head boat, I 

 say — (an interval of about 60 seconds) — every man do his best — • 

 lay back, I tell ye (fiercely) — why don't ye spring — don't let that 

 boat pass ye (despondingly) — spring, I tell ye (authoritatively) there, 

 there they be, round and round with 'em, for God's sake, pull ahead 

 (entreatingly) — (lapse of a few seconds) — everything — every- 

 thing I've got in my chest I'll give ye, do spring boys, let's go on first. 

 Now then, back to the thwarts, give her the touch; I feel ye (encour- 

 agingly) — five seas off, but five seas off, spring! — 3-oar side best; 

 pull all, pull every son of you (boisterously) — I'll give you all my 

 tobacco, everything I've got — look at her, O, what a hump, and 

 slow as night — don't you look round (passionately) — I tell you she 

 don't blow, she only whiffs it out — at the end of your thwarts, pull, 

 and we'll be on this rising — she's an 80-barrel whale; there she 

 mills; by jingo she's heading to leeward; a large fellow separate from 

 the school (shoal) — why the harry don't you pull — now do boys, do 

 your best, won't you (soothingly) — I tell you we are jam on to her! 

 One minute more! Half a minute! — O, boys, if you want to see 

 your sweethearts, if you want to see Nantucket (with emotion), pull 

 ahead — spring, b — t ye, that whale will shorten our voyage six 

 months — I tell you we gain her fast — now's the time — mills still- 

 heading to leeward — slap on to her in a moment — harpooner 

 stand by — all my tobacco — all my clothes — everything that I pos- 

 sess — pull — O, what a whale (softly) — I've hove my soul out — 

 harpooner — harpooner — harpooner ... — one minute more, lay 

 = back; spring half a minute more; all my tobacco, a double share of 

 grog — we are in her wake — (whispers) make no noise with your 

 oars — STAND UP harpooner — pull the rest — GIVE IT HER 

 SOLID! 



. . . Stern, stern I tell ye (loudly) — stern all, stern like the devil 

 — stern, and get clear of the whale — harpooner come aft — wet the 

 line there, you 2nd oarsman, we are fast — there she's up, there she 

 spouts, now haul me on — stern, stern I tell ye — lay to leeward of 

 the whale — that's a good one (straightens his lance) — lay the head 



