18 WHALING AND PISHINtt. 



He explained to me how and on what terms th 

 greenhands, or landsmen, as with a proper respect 

 for the income they produced him he preferred to 

 call them, were engaged, as well as many par- 

 ticulars then heard by me for the first time, in 

 regard to the manner in which " the hands " are 

 fitted out for a whaling cruise. 



There are shipping-offices in all the piincipal 

 American seaports, as well as in some of the cities 

 bordering on the lakes. Each of these offices has 

 its headquarters at New Bedford or some other of 

 the whaling ports, and thither such men as they 

 can pick up, are sent, at the risk and expense of 

 the shipper. On their arrival, they are taken in 

 charge by the resident agent, who provides them 

 with boarding houses, and next proceeds to pro- 

 cure for them places on board some outward bound 

 vessel. The shipper charges ten dollars per man 

 for his services, besides having his outlays refunded 

 him. These expenses, as well as board bill for the 

 time the prospective whaleman is obliged to re- 

 main in port, are included in the seventy -five 

 dollars outfit which figures so conspicuously on 

 ciie posters before mentioned. 



As neither shippers nor outfitters receive a cent 

 from the owners till the vessel is fairly at sea, it 

 behooves them to pick out the steadiest looking 

 men. Frequent loss has taught them to regard 

 the fickle-minded sailor with a large degree of 

 aversion, and to cherish a corresponding degree 

 of good feeling toward every degree and kin<* 



