FOREWORD. XXV11 



mate reluctantly hoisted his boat and joined the captain 

 at the masthead, where his young eyes easily "raised" the 

 boats, all fast to whales. 



Just then a shout from below warned Captain Jenkins 

 that the whale "hadn't done a thing" to the bark. The 

 forecastle was filling with water. "Quite a hole in her", 

 he says there was. He instantly set signals for all boats 

 to come on board. But a whaleman fast to a whale 

 doesn't lightly let go. The boats paid no attention. 



The Kathleen's case was beyond help. There was noth- 

 ing to do but stow water and bread into the boat, collect 

 Mrs. Jenkins and the parrot she declined to abandon, and 

 take to the sea. Five minutes after the boat was lowered, 

 the Kathleen rolled over to windward. They had no more 

 than time to get clear. 



Twenty-one souls, with supplies, sunk the small boat 

 so deep in the water that the waves came over the centre- 

 board and all hands were kept busy bailing. It was a 

 beautiful moonlight night and the sea was considerately 

 smooth. Yet, as I said, they were just about a thousand 

 miles from anywhere in an open boat, with a modest supply 

 of bread and water. The situation was not cheering. 



First of all they set their sails and steered in the direc- 

 tion where they supposed the other boats to lie. It seemed 

 a thoughtful attention to tell them they needn't waste 

 any time on those whales or on looking for the poor old 

 barky, and to give them some bread and water. 



By good luck they raised the boats about nine that 

 night. In his moderate whaleman's way, Captain Jenkins 

 says, "They were very much surprised to hear that the 

 Kathleen was gone!" The four boats immediately put 

 about and steered for the island of Barbados, 1060 miles 

 away. Three of them were picked up by a steamer after 



