PURSUIT AND CAPTURE OF WHALES. 239 



divided into so manj shares, that those who undergo 

 the peril and discomforts of making the capture come 

 in for the smallest portion of the gain. The ship- 

 owners, sitting at ease in New Bedford, grasp thou- 

 sands, whilst Jack and his coadjutors can reckon 

 their proportion without very largely intruding on 

 the scores. Thus it is throughout the Avorld : he 

 who does least, is paid best. Intellect overbalances 

 mere physical exertion; and thus it ever will, and 

 ever should do in the promotion of great enterprises. 

 On the 14th we again met whales, which were not 

 seen until within the ship's length of us. Our boats 

 were lowered away in haste. A moment afterwards, 

 those of the Pamelia, who was not more than a mile 

 distant from us, were also in the water. Our bow- 

 boat fastened ten minutes after striking the water, 

 and in an incredibly short time the whale was dead, 

 and ours. The remaining boats continued in pur- 

 suit of the school, and got near enough to enable the 

 boatsteerers to dart, though at long distances, and 

 without producing any other effect than a pricking 

 of the prey, at which they raised up their huge bodies, 

 and with their flukes thrashed the sea all around 

 them into a boisterous foam. Finding it useless to 

 continue the pursuit, the boats came aboard, and 

 the ship's head was put in the direction of the whales. 

 "We then proceeded to cut in. The Pamelia, mean- 

 time, ran down to us; when, with a disinterestedness 

 uncommon to rival whalemen, our captain informed 

 hers of the direction in which the w^hales had gone. 

 Not being encumbered, as we were, with a whale 

 in tow, she soon passed us. An hour afterwards we 

 saw her lower away and capture a whale, which, as 



