INTRODUCTION. 



A father once said to his son, respecting 

 books, " Read first the introduction ; if that be 

 good, try a few pages of the volume ; if they are 

 excellent, then, but not else, read on." But I do 

 not wish this criterion to be applied in the pres- 

 ent instance. For if the reader find the introduc- 

 tion uninteresting, he will be compensated by a 

 careful perusal of the narrative itself. It may 

 be relied on as stating matters of fact. The in- 

 formation it contains respecting the adventurous 

 and exciting business of the whale fishery is de- 

 rived from authentic sources. The volume pre- 

 sents matters of deep and general interest to every 

 reader. It will remind him of some of the scenes 

 so vividly portrayed by the late Dr. Kane in his 

 arctic explorations. 



Many " that go down to the sea in ships, and 

 do business in the great waters," come from re- 

 mote parts of the country. Here is the informa- 

 2 (17) 



