182 THE SHIP GCETHE AND HER CARGO. 



barque Isabella, who placed tliem aboard their own 

 vessel. Their shipmates — as did all the members of 

 the fleet — expressed the greatest joy and satisfaction 

 at the recovery of these poor fellows; for we could 

 all sympathize with them in their forlorn situation, 

 inasmuch as we wore at any time liable to meet 

 with a like accident whilst engaged in our present 

 pursuit. 



Among the vessels that ran down to us was the 

 ship Gccthe, of Bremen, Captain Austin. This w^as 

 the first German whaler that we had seen during our 

 voyage. She had been cruising for right whalefe off 

 the islandsof St. Paul and Desolation, and had taken 

 nine hundred barrels of oil — two hundred of which 

 she disposed of in liobartown. In that port, which 

 she had recently left, she lost a number of her men 

 by desertion. Her captain, officers, and three-fourths 

 of her boatsteerers, were Americans ; and, altbough 

 most of her foremastmen were Germans, all duty 

 Avas carried on in English. She is a Bremen-built 

 ship, of about six hundred tons, and well-looking — 

 originally a packet between Bremen and New York, 

 from which line of trade she was not removed any 

 too soon, for she is the dullest sailer I ever saw. She 

 carried (independent of her whaling-tackle, which 

 ■was American,) an assorted cargo of German fancy- 

 goods — accordeons, flutinas, drums, violins, flutes, 

 &c. — also tobacco and schnapps; which she disposed 

 of, either in the various ports she touched at, or to 

 the ships she met with in want of such articles ; and 

 as there is no duty on the high seas upon tliese goods, 

 I have no doubt that a considerable amount will be 

 realized by her owners. 



