THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 



tie wind died away, and the ship lay becalmed. A party of 

 swimmers went overboard for practice, and the result was 

 that my poor name was nearly stricken from the roll of the 

 Chelsea. Our Kanakas were paddling, duck and porpoise 

 like, about the ship, but I, foolishly, to show off my skill, 

 went well outside the crowd, rolling, diving, and sporting in 

 the calm sea. To my astonishment I saw the lookout at the 

 mast-head motioning violently to attract my attention, and 

 to come on board. Thinking he saw a whale or a breeze 

 coming, I struck out leisurely for the ship, observing that 

 the men were scrambling up the sides in an unusually lively 

 manner. At the same time it struck my imagination that I 

 heard the word " shark " from the mast-head, and I cast a 

 furtive glance backward to see whether such an enemy was 

 in my rear. But meeting no sign, I thought they were play- 

 ing a cruel hoax on me, and felt mad rather than frightened. 

 I struck out strongly, making my length a full fathom, and 

 an inch added at a stroke, and it was not until nearing the 

 ship that I saw the captain take a lance in the quarter-boat, 

 and beckon me to that point. Then my heart misgave me. 

 Again I glanced over my shoulder, and still faile'd to see 

 a dark fin furrowing the smooth surface. I was now so 

 near the ship that I could notice the captain's eye fixed on 

 a point slightly beyond me. Not a word was spoken ; the 

 officers and my shipmates were standing watching the rapid 

 approach of the lone swimmer, stroke by stroke, the best art 

 of swimming in full play. My eye was on the captain's, as 

 he stood, lance in hand, to cover my approach. I could now 

 trace the motion of the pursuer by the slow turning of the 

 watchers' heads. I came in a direct line between the old 

 man's eye and the object it was directed to ; yet I felt that 

 it did not see me. I held my breath at that moment, as I 

 awaited the flashing break of the water beside me, and the 

 appearance of a wide, ravenous mouth. Gathering courage, 



