23 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OR, 



leaped our low bulwarks, and the growling oaths of moist 

 humanity grew worse and louder, until I thought we were 

 in for a terrible gale, and would have so described it, had 

 I not overheard an old salt remark that it " blowed a stiff- 

 ish breeze." Then I took courage and thanked God, though 

 I should have preferred, with Paul, " to land at the Three 

 Taverns " to do it. Such was the opening of the young 

 landsman's journal of a voyage round Cape Horn in a three 



years' cruise for sperm-whales, Captain B commanding. 



In passing, let me state that, as the names of our officers are 

 not material, I omit them for reasons which will appear here- 

 after. 



If you follow me through the rest of my wanderings, it 

 is proper that you should know and love the good ship 

 which bore us. She was beautiful and good beautiful in 

 the calm, swift in the breeze, and staunch in the storm ; 

 sharp as a clipper ; graceful in every line as the frigate-bird ; 

 wide -spread in wing as the albatross; and, in riding the 

 waves, like a Mother Gary's chicken. She was sharp in the 

 bow, broad in her beam, and clean in her run ; small in her 

 hold, with broad and roomy decks. A woman's head graced 

 her cut-water, and half the gods of heathendom, in alto-re- 

 lievo and high colors, decorated her stern. In fact, in rig 

 and hull she was a prince's pleasure yacht, rather than a 

 blubber-hunter, although she was built expressly for such 

 service. " Give her speed," was the major's order; for speed 

 in a whaleman is as wisdom was to Solomon it includes all 

 things. She had the proud habit of the blood-horse in toss- 

 ing her beautiful head in the face of a gale, and if the mar- 

 tingale was not of the truest and strongest she would toss 

 her jib-boom over the top-sail yard. Then she would nes- 

 tle her woman's head so deep in the bosom of the leaping 

 waves, that the foam of their crests would kiss the feet of 

 her master on his quarter-deck. Gay and lively, brave and 



