328 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OR, 



settling around us. The boat got fast to a running whale, 

 from which it had to cut, and we went on board, leaving 

 two boats slowly towing the dead whale to windward. 



It was a remarkable sight, seen only in the earlier days 

 of whaling. The great beasts were lying* thick about us, 



taking no notice of the boats. Captain B restrained 



his hand several'times from sending the lance into the great 

 hulks, as they rolled and spouted around us, because it was 

 so late in the day, and, as he said, we were so distant from 

 the ship that we could not have been benefited had we 

 slain. Furthermore, he observed, " It would be a waste of 

 precious gifts to do so under the circumstances." I prayed 

 for a chance, but he put me off, saying, '" Be patient, and re- 

 solve to make sure work when I ask you to stand up to it." 



June 13. The "two boats we left with the dead whale 

 came on board at midnight. The wind had increased to a 

 gale, and the seas ran high. We double-wafted the whale, 

 but the carcass strained alongside so violently that it snapped 

 the heavy fluke-chain, and we should have lost it but for the 

 activity of the officer of the deck, who bent a line on to an 

 iron in the starboard boat, and planted it in the body as it 

 slowly drifted past the weather quarter. The entire line 

 was paid out, and the sag and spring of the long line kept 

 it in tow until daylight. With much difficulty, we then suc- 

 ceeded in getting a fluke-rope about the dead whale's small, 

 only to see it parted by the heave and roll of the tipsy ship. 

 Two large hawsers still served to keep our prize alongside. 



The sharks collected in great numbers about the dead 

 whale, and soon the white, bowl-shaped excavations about 

 the small of the body revealed to us the perfection of the 

 surgical instruments .they are provided with. At each 

 mouthful a quart of sperm-oil was lost to us, and we went 

 to work with lances and spades to stop the leak. My arm 

 became weary of the slaughter. Standing in the chains, 



