THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 383 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



Try-works overboard. Dreaming. Adventure of Captain I H 



with a fighting Right Whale. Two Men lost, and fearful Peril of the 

 Captain. A Fight of Three-quarters of an Hour. Ship fails to part 

 the Combatants; Captain saved by Mate's Boat. Why Right Whales 

 sink. Greenland Whales, or Bow-head. First Bow-head taken by Cap- 

 tain Covill. Entrance of Whalemen to Behring Strait. Edible parts 

 of the Whale. Sad Picture of the Ship and Crew. In Talcahuana. 

 Weigh Anchor for Home. Doubling Cape Horn. Touch at Pernatn- 

 buco, and meet Gale off Bermuda. Cold and Fog off Long Island. 

 Land in New London. Hospitality. Profit and Loss Account. Ar- 

 rive in Philadelphia, and Finis. 



OUR experience with the right whale was so limited that 

 I can not venture to dwell at length on it ; but after recount- 

 ing somewhat at length interesting incidents in the experi- 

 ences of others, I will proceed on the homeward voyage. 

 We remained on the ground about two months, and took 

 eleven whales, which made six hundred and fifty barrels. 

 The bone was cleaned from the gum, and tied into bundles. 

 Now the ship was declared full, having about eighteen hun- 

 dred of sperm, and six hundred and fifty barrels of whale 

 oil on board. We joyfully received the order to tear down 

 the try-works. All hands went tP work with a will, and the 

 oily, sooty bricks were passed overboard. The pots were 

 secured below; the old chopped sheathing amidships was 

 torn from the decks, and the sheathing outside the gangway 

 removed. Every thing was cleaned up, and our deck-room 

 seemed boundless, now the cumbersome try-works were re- 

 moved. All the dangers of the voyage seemed ended, and 

 we had only some ten or twelve thousand miles of sea to 



