ANOTHER STOPPAGE AND DISAPPOINTMENT. 363 



wishes. They said that they did not care, when it 

 came to the question of getting home, whether they 

 had anything coming to them, or not. Neither did 

 the prospect of cold weather appal them ; for one 

 enthusiastic fellow assured me, that he was willing 

 to be Landed on a snow-bank, in a costume but little 

 preferable to a straw-hat without trimming, for the 

 sake of being delivered from the monotonous life he 

 was now leading. 



After leaving these vessels, we squared our yards, 

 and rolled before the delightful southeast trades (the 

 elysium of the seafaring-mau) towards St. Helena, 

 taking it very easy — only sending aloft the studding- 

 sails on the foremast and foretopmasts, and at night 

 jogging along under easy sail in that direction : it 

 being our intention to make a short stay at that 

 rock-bound isle for letters, and then to crack on 

 everything for home. 



On arriving within a few degrees of the world- 

 renowned prison-rock of the great Conqueror, sail 

 was reduced, and the ship luffed to the wind. The 

 moon being on the change, our captain, anxious to 

 get one more sperm whale, determined to let no 

 means within his power remain unemployed for that 

 purpose. 



This halt in our homeward course was not received 

 with a very good grace. Except the captain, every- 

 body else aboard our vessel had calculated upon a 

 direct passage homeward. But this was in perfect 

 keeping with his conduct throughout the voyage : 

 at one time assuring us that we would be bound 

 liomeward on a certain date, and inducing us to 

 write to that effect by his representations, in which 



