56 BEACH COMBERS. 



stuck in each, and it then became the duty of the 

 officer on board to take the whales alongside, 

 while we went in pursuit of others. It was not 

 long before two boats, the captain's and the 

 mate's, struck again, and soon had the old flukers 

 spouting blood. The first and second mates were 

 left with these two, while the captain went on 

 board ship. There he asked the third mate, who 

 was on board as ship-keeper, in what direction 

 the three whales were which we had waifed. 

 The poor fool could not tell. All he could say 

 was they were to windward, and he had passed 

 them. The old man was enraged at this reply, 

 for there were three fine whales, which, if the 

 third mate had done his duty, ought to have been 

 taken alongside and made fast with fluke-chains 

 and towed after the boats in chase. As it was, 

 we found only one of the waifed whales, for it 

 was near dark when we began to search for them. 

 Three whales, however, were already ours, and 

 together they made seventy-five barrels of oil. 



After stowing down the oil in the hold, we 

 stood in for the island and went on shore to 

 trade. And now we feared the consequence of 

 passing that canoe without allowing her to come 

 alongside, for we had none of us forgotten the 

 threats and curses that promised us trouble if we 



