26 WHALING AND FISHING. 



there remarking in what the general arrangements 

 of the decks and rigging of a " blubber-hunter" 

 differ from those of a merchant clipper. By the 

 time I got my breakfast on the following morn- 

 ing, I had fully determined to ship here for a 

 whale cruise. My first object, therefore, was to 

 make the acquaintance of some one of the ship- 

 pers, and induce him to use his influence in procur- 

 ing me a berth. Having obtained directions 

 to the most extensive shipping establishments 

 in town, I called in, in the course of the forenoon, 

 to settle the preliminaries, and inquire as to the 

 terms on which men were engaged. 



Turning down one of the little by -streets which 

 lead from the main street to the water side, I 

 came upon a large building, evidently once used 

 as a factory, which I saw by a conspicuous sign 

 over the principal entrance, was a " Shipping 

 Office." Entering, I saw before me, in a very long 

 room, about sixty young men, some lying down 

 upon the bare floor, some lounging upon boxes, 

 and a few, sitting in a corner apart, having a 

 stealthy game at cards. A few were reading, but 

 the greater number were whittling pine sticks, 

 nud keeping up a running fire of low ribaldry, 

 wherein the most vulgar was evidently the best 

 liked. These were embryo whalemen, the pros- 

 pective slayers of countless leviathans, the humble 

 instruments of shedding no inconsiderable quan- 

 tity of light upon their country. 



Some I noticed, had already donned portioni 



