114 OFF CAPE COD. 



guests of the Gifford House, the hotel 

 where I am stopping, had been out whal- 

 ing, and reported rare sport. The unvary- 

 ing verdict has been that there was noth- 

 ing to be compared with it for a moment. 

 So your correspondent, thinking that 

 such an opportunity ought not to be 

 missed, turned out at 4.30 yesterday morn- 

 ing, and walking down to Union wharf, 

 found there the stanch little steamer, 

 " A. B. Nickerson," J. S. Nickerson com- 

 mander, all ready to set out for the day's 

 whaling. The morning was somewhat 

 cloudy, but the wind was southwest, and 

 everything promised a pleasant day. Be- 

 sides the captain and crew, there were on 

 board a Marlboro editor and his son, a 

 Boston provision merchant, and myself. 

 The Boston man had been out the day 

 before and had been so infatuated with 

 the sport that he could not forego its 

 repetition. The editor, perched upon the 

 hurricane-deck, spent most of the time 

 taking voluminous notes, and I trust his 

 Marlboro paper may escape the notice 



