NIMROD OF THE SEA; OR, 



the captain was to do all the fightii% and swearing on board 

 the Chelsea. Green as I was, the deprivation of these two 

 sea luxuries was of small account, but some of the old salts 

 took it greatly to heart. To stop the grog on board our 

 whale-ships is of slight moment, but " to clap a stopper on 

 honest swearing is a lubberly go," was the general verdict 

 when the men went forward. Very soon after leaving home 

 the mast-head lookout was established. This consisted of 

 an officer, or boat-steerer, at the main, and one of the crew 

 at the foremost top-gallant cross-trees or royal yard. The 

 mast-head was manned at daylight, and continued until sun- 

 set, and was relieved every two hours, the crew taking the 

 watch, as they did the helm, strictly in turn. 



We were assigned to our places in the boats. I was 

 placed at the bow-oar in the starboard, or captain's boat, 

 in which position service was likely to be seen, as Captain 



B was an ardent whaleman, skilled with the lance, and 



proud of helping his mates out of a tight place by pitching 

 his lance into the life of their whale. Our boat-steerer, 

 Elisha Chipman, was a fine specimen of manhood, as will 

 appear hereafter. 



At times, when the ship had moderate headway, the boats, 

 with their green crews, were lowered, and we manoeuvred 

 around a dummy whale a spare spar towed astern. Thus 

 we were continually drilled in lowering away, shipping oars 

 at the word, "pulling in chase," "going on," "starning," 

 " pulling two oars starn three," until our hands were sore- 

 ly blistered, and something like discipline was established 

 among the crews. Now we were fairly launched on our 

 cruise, and -the captain was ready for whale. The injunc- 

 tion was given to keep our " eyes skinned at the mast-head, 

 and sing out for every thing you see." And thus we ran 

 through the tedious calms and sudden squalls of the "line" 

 into the south-east "trades," which blew us to the Banks 



