THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 131 



er and another fork, and in each was nestled a winking, 

 grinning face. No stones were to be found; and arming 

 myself with golden balls from a near orange-tree, I opened 

 fire on the nearest heads. The mischievous imps, finding 

 that they were discovered, came forth from their hiding- 

 places, and every tree revealed one or more distant relations. 

 Many had young ones on their backs, their necks being en- 

 circled by the baby arms, and the miniature winked, nodded, 

 and chattered in concert with the mother. From this time 

 out they took no pains to hide themselves, and came forth 

 from all parts of the forest. The scattered crew engaged in 

 gathering limes also found the forest suddenly alive with 

 monkeys, and our progress was marked by the scolding of 

 these audacious wood-sprites. 



The shore-folk brought off a great store of bananas, or- 

 anges, and cassava roots, which were paid for in heavy un- 

 bleached muslins, two fathoms of cloth being the price for 

 the largest bunch of bananas. When ready for sea, our 

 ship was a toothsome sight. The bunches of bananas were 

 suspended from the stays in every part of the ship, while 

 the spars astern were fairly golden with the fine pumpkins 

 of Peru. We were now in prime condition for a long 

 cruise. A good stock of terrapin remained ; water was fresh 

 and abundant ; wood filled every crevice in hold and 'tween- 

 decks ; and between the carlines, in nets, were oranges, on- 

 ions, sweet-potatoes, cassavas, and limes. Every man had 

 two or three quart-bottles filled with the little Chili or bird- 

 peppers, gathered from the woods ; and these, with vinegar, 

 made pepper-sauce to season our salt pork. I enter into the 

 details of good living on board to correct a common impres- 

 sion that a whaleman's fare is always poor : 



" Salt beef, salt beef, is our relief 

 * Salt beef, and a biscuit hard," 



as an old song wrongly has it. 



