THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 197 



of youth. There is not much change, considering the ter- 

 rible wear and tear on as splendid a physique as ever trod 

 deck on whaleboat. Chapters of story or song could not 

 enlarge on the history recorded in the snowy hair and aged 

 face of the second portrait. 



" On another occasion," Posey resumed, " a sperm-whale 

 stove one of the boats of his ship, and two men were lost. 

 After the whale was killed, the men on the ship proceeded to 

 haul in the line of the broken boat, when the two missing 

 men were found entangled in several turns, and mangled al- 

 most out of the form of humanity by the action of the line 

 and the swift towing through the water. Judge ye of the 

 effect on the surviving crew, as one after the other of these 

 poor wrecks were towed up from the grave in which they 

 had been so suddenly and deeply buried." 



" This is growing too serious, boys," cried Hinton ; and he 

 piped up : 



" ' What argufies pride and ambition ? 



Soon or late death will take us in tow ; 

 Each bullet has got its commission, 

 And when our time's come we must go.' 



" Now strike ' eight bells, call the larboard watch, turn in, 

 and dream of spermaceti." 



Sept. 14. With the lofty land of Albemarle, Galapagos, in 

 sight, we were spoken by the Science, of Portland, Captain 

 Whippie, eighteen months out, four hundred barrels. We 

 hailed ten months, and four hundred and fifty barrels. Such 

 are the items of interest to two whalers as they cross each 

 other's path on the fishing-ground. An "All well" ends the 

 interview, and with a sweep of the trumpet the order is giv- 

 en, ""Brace forward mainyard." So we part strangers, as 

 we met. 



