92 ANOTHER CAPTURE. 



CHAPTER IV. 



And now we will return to our old barque, that we 

 left beating out of Geograpbe bay, having distanced 

 both her competitors, and established her reputation 

 as a fast ship. At night we shortened sail and stood 

 quarter watches, and from this time until the middle 

 of the succeeding month, little occurred to vary the 

 sameness of our life. We were aroused from inaction 

 by the appearance of sperm whales. The boats were 

 lowered, and the waist boat fastening, both irons drew. 

 A few minutes after, the starboard boat fastened to 

 another. These irons holding, after a two hours' con- 

 flict we had a fine sperm whale alongside the ship 

 without accident, except the voluntarj' discharge of 

 the bomb-lance gun, which, fortunately, was pro- 

 ductive of no injury. We had good weather, and 

 soon he was disposed of in our lower hold. The 

 following morning after his capture, we saw three 

 other New Bedford ships employed in cutting in 

 whales, making four of us successful in the war of 

 extermination against the old squarehead ers. The 

 sperm whale, swimming in immense schools, and 

 always pursuing a direct route, all ships that lay in 

 their course have a chance at them. I have heard it 

 asserted that at night these whales heave to, resuming 

 their course at daybreak ; but, although my inform- 

 ants were men who had been in the service for years, 



