132 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



gains a rescuing sliip or port only after intense suffering on the part of 

 the crew. One of the most notable instances of this kind is recounted 

 in "The Whale and his Captors"* of Captain Hosmer and his boat's 

 crew from the bark Janet of Westport. 



While off the coast of Peru, on the 23d of June, 1849, three boats 

 were lowered for a school of sperm whales. Each boat made fast, and 

 Captain Hosmer soon " turned up" his. In putting about to tow him 

 to the ship the boat was capsized, and boat-keg, lantern-keg, boat- 

 bucket, compass, paddles, &c., were lost. She was righted and the 

 oars lashed across her to prevent another overturn, as she was full of 

 water, and the sea continually breaking over her. Signals of distress 

 were set, the other boats being about a mile and a half oft". Captain 

 Hosmer saw the other boats take their whales alongside the bark, which 

 was still heading toward his own, but to his amazement, when within 

 about a mile, she stood off on another course and continued so until the 

 coming on of night hid her from the anxious eyes of the horror-stricken 

 crew. They now got up alongside the whale and tried unsuccessfully 

 to free their boat of water. Kelinquishing this hope they cut from the 

 whale, and, rigging some pieces of the boat-sail, they steered toward 

 the vessel's light, which at intervals became visible, but in the morning 

 the distance had apparently not lessened. They could behold their 

 shipmates cutting in their whales, but all efforts to attract their atten- 

 tion were unavailing. Again they made a futile attempt to bail the 

 water from their boat. Finding it impossible to make their situation 

 known to their comrades and the distance between them constantly in- 

 creasing, they put about before the wind. On the second morning the 

 wind, which from the time they lowered had blown freshly, being less 

 strong, they threw overboard their whaling craft and a third time tried 

 to bail their boat, but they lost one of their companions without accom- 

 plishing their purpose. Again in the afternoon they essayed, and this 

 time they were successful, but another man was sacrificed in the 

 attempt. For forty-eight hours they had been up to their arms in water, 

 without a morsel of food or a drop of drink, and they were suffering 

 painfully from thirst. Two of the survivors already were delirious. 

 The nearest known land was Cocus Island, on the coast of Peru, a thou- 

 sand miles away ; not a man on board was capable of handling an oar, 

 and their only means of propulsion was a small fragment of sail. 



For Cocus Island then it was determined to head, and tearing up the 

 ceiling of the boat they fashioned from it a sort of wooden sail. 



Nothing out of the ordinary course of starvation, thirst, and a rapid 

 decline of their energies, occurred until seven days had elapsed, during 

 which time not a morsel of food nor a drop of water had lent them 

 strength, nor a reviving shower fallen to aid in prolonging their exist- 

 ence. It was now agreed to cast the terrible lot to see which of their 

 number should die that the rest might live, and the unfortunate man 



*Pa}ie 311. 



