HER OUTFIT. 25 



for years she maintained her reputation as a swift 

 sailer, until clippers were introduced to compete with 

 her, when, of course, she was obliged to succumb. 

 From this port she made many successful voyages, 

 enriching her owners and increasing her good name, 

 until 1855, at which time she was fifty-three years 

 old, and w^ith the exception of being new topped and 

 coppered, the latter at the completion of each voyage, 

 she had undergone no repairs. Her great age attests 

 to her staunchness and seaworthiness, and by all 

 who had sailed in her the greatest confidence was 

 ever expressed. 



On board of her was every article for the mainte- 

 nance of men whose principal resources for forty 

 months lay in her cargo. There was, in the iron imple- 

 ment line, everything that is used at sea, from a 

 needle to an anchor ; clothing of all kinds and sizes ; 

 provisions, muskets, ammunition ; tawdry articles to 

 trade with the semi-civilized natives of the East 

 India and Madagascar Isles ; tin ware, soap, shoes, 

 tobacco, and saddles for the inhabitants of Australia ; 

 also sails, rigging, spare boats, and all other neces- 

 saries to equip and enable her to sustain herself for 

 three years. Whalers, unless some serious accident 

 befalls, do not usually enter ports where their neces- 

 sities can be supplied at other than exorbitant prices, 

 except the last one, where they always calculate to 

 dispose of surplus provisions, boats, and rigging: 

 being in a hurry to get home, they make some port 

 of note so as to be detained as short a time as possi- 

 ble in getting rid of them. The reason for touching 

 at obscure places, is the great danger of losing men by 

 desertion, which always occurs in commercial ports. 

 3 



