NINE MONTHS IN THE ARCTIC. 39 



was termed in sailor parlance. He seemed to 

 possess the spirit of a demon, and looked as 



g 



savage as a hungry hyena. Our readers may 

 imagine the effect such an encounter would have 

 upon a crew of ' green hands.' During the 

 frightful chase of the boat by the whale, their 

 faces were of a livid whiteness, and their hair 

 stood erect. On their arrival at the first port, 

 they all took to the mountains, and few, if any 

 of them, have ever been seen since." 



The Citizen was put on her course again, with 

 strong breezes and fair wind. About five days 

 after, we spoke with the Benjamin Tucker, but 

 Captain Sands had taken no oil. In lat. 47° S. 

 another whale was raised ; three boats were low- 

 ered in pursuit, but before he could be reached 

 by the irons, he turned flukes, and was seen no 

 more. Lost sight of the Benjamin Tucker. We 

 shaped our course for Statan Land. In lat. 48° 

 S. we experienced a very heavy gale from the 

 south-west, which continued with great severity 

 for twenty-four hours. We spoke with the bark 

 Oscar, Captain Dexter, bound round the cape. 



Statan Land in sight, passed seventeen ships, 

 all bound for the cape. The Citizen was eleven 

 days in doubling the cape, and experienced very 

 heavy weather. In lat. 54° S. we raised the first 

 right whale, but, blowing hard, could not lower. 



