THE AMERICAN WHALE -FISHERY. 255 
which did not experience many changes ; men were lost through casualties, died of 
disease, deserted, or were exchanged, sometimes discharged, and frequently a smart 
youth would be promoted to an advanced position before his first voyage termi- 
nated. Anyone who gave promise of the requisites for a good whaleman had but 
little difficulty in shipping as a boat-steerer on the second voyage. At first, as 
has been previously stated, the colonial whaling- craft were manned almost exclu- 
sively by the colonists and Indians ; but at length the fleet became so numerous, 
that, in a majority of cases, it was only practicable to obtain Americans for the 
principal officers, the rest of the ship's company being made up. as one might say, 
of all nations ; and not unfrequently, in the forecastle, would be found runaway 
American youths of the best blood, ambitious farmers' sons from the interior, who 
were intent on becoming sea-captains, together with criminals in disguise, and 
lniplcss emigrants from the old country — Portuguese from the Azores, and negroes 
from the Cape de Yerdes* — altogether making up a motley crew, which could only 
be controlled by strict discipline. Much has been written about the duplicity and 
sharp dealing of the owners of whaling - vessels, and the heartless severity of 
whaling - captains ; but it is found that the authors of these glaring complaints 
were usually impracticable or discontented characters, who went drifting about 
the world with no fixed purpose of action, being generally dissatisfied with them- 
selves and everyone with whom they came in contact — more especially if subjected 
to their control ; or they were of that class who imagined they could make a con- 
venience of the vessel to sail around the world — their chief object being to gratify 
their curiosity in sight- seeing, regardless of the faithful discharge of their duties — 
or, to say the least, they took no interest in the success of the voyage ; hence 
their view of everything pertaining to whaling presented no pleasing features. 
Unfeeling and unprincipled men are sometimes found holding the responsible posi- 
tions of mates and masters of whaling-vessels, as may be found in all other 
branches of the marine service; but that the majority of whaling- masters are 
unjust and tyrannical to those under their command, is a libel on their humane 
characters. It is not surprising that the discontented adventurer regards the prac- 
tical discipline on shipboard as severe, and the commanding bearing of the officers 
as unnecessary. On the other hand, the officers, who have learned by their pro- 
tracted schooling in a hardy and perilous profession that the success of the voyage 
*It has been a general custom for outward- of vegetables and fresh provisions; and at such 
bound whalers to call at the Azores, or at the times they made up their complement of men, 
Cape de Verdes, if the season of the year was if full crews had not been shipped at home 
favorable, for the purpose of obtaining supplies ports. 
