THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 287 



have secured the services of Antonio, the Portuguese, to 

 keep me clean. 



Antonio recently took advantage of his importance, how- 

 ever, and became somewhat extortionate in his demands. 

 He raised his price two " nigger-heads " of tobacco a week, 

 and I decided to show him the superiority of mind over 

 brute force, with the aid of Posey, and Ichabod, our mon- 

 key. Antonio comes from Cape Verd, and is a zealous 

 Catholic and a firm believer in the devil. In reply to 

 some of his pious twittings, about a " heritico," I suggested 

 that we should raise the old boy, and see who could best 

 stand his assaults. He assented, and I went to work. My 

 materials were calculated to produce something like the 

 witch scene in "Macbeth," although they consisted simply 

 of a bottle of phosphoresced sweet-oil and the monkey. The 

 words of the incantation were to be recited from the tragedy. 

 I counted largely, however, on the effect of the latter gentle- 

 man's illuminated tail. The Kanakas and Antonio were in- 

 terested spectators, when all preparations were complete, al- 

 though they lost much of the beauty of Shakspeare through 

 ignorance of his language. The night was a little rough, 

 and the darkness of the forecastle, with the creaking of 

 timbers, the gurgling of the well water, and the deep-drawn 

 sighs of my hidden confederates the two cats tied tail to 

 tail in the hold produced a very theatrical effect. In the 

 weirdest voice I could control, I mumbled, 



"Double, double, toil and trouble, 

 Fire burn and caldron bubble. 

 Weary seven nights, nine times nine, 

 Shall Antonio peak and pine; 

 Though this bark can not be lost, 

 Yet it shall be tempest-tossed." 



Now the wizard's face glowed with a pale flickering flame, 

 and the mysterious monkey was thrust forward, with his lit- 



