THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 141 



CHAPTER XII. 



Leave Payta, and Long Tom's first Whale. Bridled "Whale. Bow-oar 

 hauling on. Bill on Cephalopods. Ben on the Squid. Ben on Whale's 

 Feeding. Long Tom and Reef Squid. Sandwich Islander on Polypus. 

 Troublesome Tenant. First Mate's Story of Squid, and Drowning of 

 Captain. 







Aug. 10. We weighed anchor and stood out to sea, slant- 

 ing to the southward, and intending to cruise on the off- 

 shore ground as long as our water would allow. Within 

 five hours from the time we broke our anchor from ground, 

 we were in the boats, Long Tom steering ours. He had a 

 chirpy way of keeping us to our work in a close chase, and 

 some of his raillery, jerked out between the quick springing 

 strokes, amused me much : " Now, Bill, it's for you and me 

 to put the boat on that whale, but we won't do it if the 

 starn keeps a-gaining on us. We must pull like thunder, I 

 tell you, or the old man' will carry the starn right over our 

 heads. 'Pull, Bill, for good life; the boat's getting shorter 

 every minute. He's shovin' the starn ahead like a spy-glass 

 shutting up, and he'll spit that whale with the steerin'-oar." 

 And he accompanied the aim of his two harpoons ' with, 

 " Take that, and that, and may God have mercy on all our 

 souls !" Cool as he was on the main-hatch, the old experi- 

 enced harpooner meant every word in prayerful earnest. He 

 recited adventures that would lead any thoughtful man to 

 cry out, " God be merciful to me a sinner !" But we had 

 little time for moralizing with our whale in tow. The crea- 

 ture gave his tail a quick upward fling, knocking the bow 

 and tub oars out of our hands aloft. The next moment he 



