226 THE WHALEMAN'S ADVENTURES. 



is they whom we charge with being at the 

 bottom of a systematic and most gross violation 

 of one of the plainest commands of the Deca- 

 logue, and with wilfully involving a great many 

 others, willingly or not, in the same sin. 



The only pretexts of reason we have ever 

 heard urged to defend it are " This is the busi- 

 ness by which I get a livelihood for myself and 

 family. If I neglect to take whales when God 

 offers them, my family and employers will be 

 likely to suffer for it. I am necessarily absent 

 a long time from home, and I ought to use 

 every means in my power to shorten that time, 

 and secure a voyage for myself and owners. 

 If I do not lower for whales when they are in 

 sight, the Sabbath will be more desecrated by 

 the men's grumbling than it would be by 

 cheerful labour in taking whales. The busi- 

 ness of whaling is of such a precarious nature, 

 that, unless all chances are seized, successful 

 voyages will not be made ; therefore it is neces- 

 sary also to use the Sabbath in this work when 

 Providence presents the game. No one regards 

 the Sabbath more than I do when ashore, but 



