THE CHASE. 55 



mate, who had remahied fast to a whale until drawn 

 into the breakers, which left not a vestige of the boat 

 or crew in their pitiless destruction. 



On this ground, after numerous lowerings away 

 and coming aboard — after seeing whales almost 

 dailj', although we found it impossible to get wdthin 

 gun-shot of them, they appearing shy and not 

 at home — one Sunday afternoon the mate and 

 fourth mate low^ered away, the other boats being 

 retained aboard the ship. No sooner were we down 

 than, encouraged by the regular movements of the 

 fish, w^e were convinced we should make a capture, 

 and therefore the chase was conducted with an eager- 

 ness not displayed in our former lowerings away. 

 'No sooner had we touched the water in the larboard 

 boat, than the mate, after glancing at the spout, gave 

 us orders to shove the boat clear of the ship ; then 

 " Out with your oars, my hearties ;" and to make us 

 the more eager, he offered us a dollar apiece should 

 we make a capture. As we neared the whale, sink- 

 ing his voice to a whisper, he urged us to greater 

 exertions, by continually speaking of the whale. 

 " There she lays, my boys ; an old soaker, with a 

 back as broad as the deck of our ship. Pull, lads, 

 pull with a will ! Give way ! every man, fore and 

 aft. Do pull ! The boat scarcely moves. Now one 

 more try. She is only two seas off. "What do you 

 say now. Put the boat right on top of her. Pull 

 hard, do pull !" Now we draw nearer and nearer, 

 and his enthusiasm is at a boiling heat for fear that 

 we wall 3'et lose the whale ; and determined to give 

 vent to his excitement, he offers all his clothes, all 

 his tobacco, and all his money, if we will only get 



