FOUR YEARS 



ABOARD THE 



W H A L E S H I P. 



CHAPTER I. 



In June, 1855, having decided upon embarking 

 on a whaling voyage, I took the steamboat from 

 Philadelphia to Tacony, thence by railway to 'New 

 York, where, after a delay of a few hours, I boarded 

 the steamer Metropolis, and after a fine run of twelve 

 hours, landed in Fall Piver ; there I entered the cars, 

 and at five o'clock of the morning of June 20, 1 took 

 up my quarters in the city of New Bedford. 



I immediately instituted inquiries as to the pre- 

 liminaries attendant on the preparation for such a 

 voyage. I soon acquired this information, and was 

 consigned to the tender mercies of one of that class 

 known by seafaring men as Land-sharks, a descrip- 

 tion of whom I shall attempt hereafter. 



This person treated me with much urbanity, desiring 

 me to leave my hotel to reside at a boarding-house 

 of his selection, stating to me at the same time that 

 numbers of whalemen, outward and homeward bound, 

 were located there. My suspicions were slightly 

 2 (13) 



