THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 247 



extreme. Several of the wounded savages were thrown into 

 a canoe and set adrift to be recovered by their countrymen. 



On the passage to Honolulu, the wounded men suffered 

 greatly from the effect, on such broad and deep flesh-wounds, 

 of the hot climate. They burned the w^ounds with a hot 

 iron, as the best thing they could do. After a tedious voy- 

 age, they arrived at Honolulu late in December, 'expecting 

 to go directly home. 



Such is the fearful story of the Washonk, as recounted to 

 us by one of the actors in the tragedy, adding another to the 

 list of perils which beset the path of the whaleman. It is 

 finely characteristic of the courage and self-reliance in emer- 

 gencies of the men who make up the whaling service. 



The captain returned from the town silent and morose, 

 and we pulled him on board the ship without taking with us 

 fruit or refreshments, save certain fluids contained in bladders 

 partly filled, so as to stow conveniently and secretly about the 

 person. These pigs' bladders are in great demand in ports fre- 

 quented by whale-ships, as by them liquor may be smuggled 

 on board in spite of the vigilance of the officer. No evidence 

 of its presence is manifest while it remains outside the man, 

 and when it is inside, a good stomach-pump, vigorously ap- 

 plied, can only cheat Jack out of his stolen gratification. I 

 think such an instrument is a needful part of a whaler's outfit. 



Jan. 8. To-day the powers that be again perversely ran 

 counter to our fortune, and added to the hardships of our 

 life. Early in the morning the captain's boat was ordered 

 away with a selected crew. These were the men shipped in 

 Payta, excepting the boat-steerer. Hans and poor little Sam 

 were brought from confinement, both pale and sick, and placed 

 in the boat. The regular crew of the boat wondered some- 

 what at their being left on board the ship, but no one sus- 

 pected the scheme of the captain ; and so the poor fellows 

 pulled away from us to a prison without even a farewell 

 from their comrades. 



