ARRIVAL OF THE SHIP ALEXANDER. 127 



of the flying jib-boom, and the other to occupy a 

 similar position on the spanker-boom. The other 

 ships' officers said, merrily, that old Sherman was 

 trimming ship to beat them. 



On the same day, by the ship Alexander, belonging 

 to the same owners as our own barque, I received 

 letters from home ; and although nine months old, 

 they were heartily welcome. None but the wanderer 

 from home and friends knows, or can imagine, the 

 joy and comfort imparted by good news from home. 

 Such events are the oases in our desert. Newspapers 

 were also sent to me ; and I read them completely 

 through, advertisements and all, with a degree of 

 attention I had never before bestowed on a printed 

 sheet. Others were not so fortunate as myself, and 

 gave vent to their disappointment in bitter terms. 



The Alexander had been whalino; in hio-her lati- 

 tudes than we were — she having visited Desolation 

 and ISTew Zealand. Her present captain came out as 

 first officer; for, the original captain being taken 

 sick, had returned to the United States from one of 

 the Cape De Verde Islands, and his mate succeeded 

 him in command. Her crew described their first 

 captain as having been a trump; relating, with great 

 glee, that on the cook's serving them up beans badly 

 cooked, they complained to him ; and, discovering 

 their complaint to be well founded, he forced the cook 

 to eat the whole mess — giving him nothing else 

 to eat until he had completed the task. Ever after- 

 wards, they said, their victuals were nicely prepared. 

 Off the western coast of New Zealand they liad seen 

 Bperm whales more than sixty times ; but, for some 

 reason or other, they had not been very successful 



