56 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OB, 



Approaching the cape, the inexperienced were somewhat 

 daunted by the preparations our prudent captain made to 

 meet the boisterous nature of this passage from the east- 

 ward. All the spars above the topmasts were sent down, 

 the anchors taken from the bows, the stocks removed, and 

 the ponderous iron securely lashed to the deck ring-bolts 

 forward. Our boats were taken from the cranes and secured 

 on the over-deck spars, spare topmast, and yards; scuttle- 

 butts were double-lashed ; and the cook's house was strength- 

 ened by the proper disposition of the lighter spars. Mer- 

 chantmen and hide-droghers may smile at such precautions 

 on the part of whaling captains, especially considering the 

 strength of their crews; but it must be kept in mind that 

 we came to get oil, not to risk the ship. in boastful display 

 of fancy sailing. We frequent seas where repair of damage 

 is difficult or impossible. Our resources are within our- 

 selves, and we husband our strength until we arrive on the 

 actual field of operations. 



A man-of-war's-man may anchor in the rollers in the bars 

 of well-known harbors, and be held to her surging cables, 

 with imminent risk to the ship and death to part of her crew, 

 although, confessedly, to retrieve the error, they have but to 

 slip their cables and drift into the calm harbor in full sight. 

 Such was the case of the Vincennes on the bar of San 

 Francisco; and another such lubberly feat sent the gallant 

 Peacock to the bottom on the bar of Columbia River. No 

 captain of a whale-ship would again sail in command who 

 was guilty of such manifest ignorance of seamanship. The 

 officers in this. service are held to such strict accountability 

 for the safe return of the ship, after the longest voyages, and 

 the greatest actual sea-service, that their vigilance is inces- 

 sant and unexampled. Loss by fire, or the powerful drift 

 of currents during calm, or by the crushing of floating ice, 

 may be shown to be unavoidable cause of wreck; but sel- 



