330 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OR, 



strous to behold. A great portion of the blubber, and much 

 of the muscular flesh from the hump to the tail had been 

 eaten away by the sharks during the night. Bitter fortune 

 of whalemen ! Such columns of figures as the following, you 

 may see in almost every whaleman's journal: 



No 1. Whales killed and saved. 



No 2. Killed and lost. 



No 3. Struck and escaped. 



No 4. Boats lowered for whale without getting on. 



We succeeded in cutting-in during the day; and when 

 the stripped carcass floated away, the sharks held high car- 

 nival. A flock of mollernokes also attended at the feast. 



June 21. Since taking the last whale, we have been sur- 

 rounded by many albicore, and occasionally the beautiful dol- 

 phin has been seen. Flying-fish in thousands have glittered 

 in the bright sunlight, and flocks of various birds have hov- 

 ered over their flight to pick them out of the very mouths 

 of their other pursuers. At the mast-head I had an oppor- 

 tunity of observing the motions of -the sword-fish in pursuit 

 of the albicores. The sea was smooth, there being only wind 

 enough to give a gentle headway to the ship. I had ob- 

 served that the vast school of the albicores had collected 

 close about the hull, swimming in dense ranks, now on one 

 side, now on the other; sometimes about the bow, and then 

 again around the stern, all evidently alarmed and seeking 

 protection. After a time I saw the cause in a sword-fish 

 swimming deeply beneath the affrighted multitude. It was 

 apparent that he feared to make his upward dart against the 

 bright copper bottom of the strange monster floating above. 

 The manosuvres continued for some time, the sword-fish grad- 

 ually coming into plainer sight as he rose from the depths. 

 At length he disappeared from my view directly under the 

 ship ; that he was still rising was apparent from the increas- 



