168 THE WHALEMAN'S ADVENTURES. 



between fifty and sixty feet round the largest 

 part of the body ; her jaw was seventeen and 

 a half feet long, and her flukes seventeen feet 

 broad. She stowed us down one hundred and 

 twenty-five barrels of sperm oil. 



In the vicissitudes of whaling fortune, a prize 

 like this now and then offers itself to a ship, in 

 the form of a dead whale afloat. Such a for- 

 tunate wind-fall once came to the Cremona of 

 New Bedford, in 1839, while cruising on the 

 coast of Peru, in the latitude of three degrees 

 south. Her master there fell in with two whal- 

 ing ships belonging to the same port. Being 

 old acquaintances, they were happy to see each 

 other compared notes talked of old times ; 

 and whales being in sight all around, although 

 rather shy, they agreed to keep company for 

 the night, hoping for good luck on the morrow. 



At early dawn the mast heads were manned, 

 and the horizon carefully scanned in every di- 

 rection ; and the survey increased in interest 

 and care as the hour of sunrise drew nigh. But 

 no whales were in sight. 



The wind was light, and they packed on all 



