Dutch Harbor 225 



like ours, but I like rough water. He tried to get 

 far enough out to tack and use his old sail, but had 

 to give it up and pull away. The end of the big 

 mountain is cut squarely off, and I tried to interest 

 myself in the tremendous cliff. I told him to go 

 nearer shore so that I could see it better. He said 

 the surf would swamp us. At last we were near the 

 bay. Then I asked what the fishermen meant by 

 telling him to be careful about the whales. "Why, 

 they will smash our boat if they see us. " Here was 

 a pretty pickle ! Surf, sea, and whales: take your 

 choice; no extra charge. "But," he continued, "if 

 you come near a whale you must lay down your oars 

 and remain as still as a log. He thinks your paddle 

 is a whale's arm raised to strike him, and that makes 

 him want to fight. If he rises close to you, reach 

 out your hand and lay it upon him gently. He 

 likes that, and he will blow water all over you and 

 then sink. It is a shame! it is a shame!" he con- 

 cluded, in a loud voice. "What is a shame?" 

 "Look there! thousands of them! Damn the 

 whales!" 



I began to feel a little chilly. The sea breeze 

 was pretty strong and cool. There was a long reef 

 ahead with a gap in it, and I asked him if we had 

 not better try to go through it. "Ah, ha!" he 

 yelled; "there is a fight!" and the boatman's eyes 

 sparkled. "That's good! Hit him again!" he 

 shouted. I had noticed that the boatman's favor- 

 ite expression of disapproval or dislike was, "It is 



