THE LAY. 41 



I answered that such was not my intention at 

 that time. 



"Well," said he, finally, "I think I'll ship you; 

 I can give you the one hundred and twenty- fifth 

 lay, whi(w is a better lay than we generally give 

 men, and if you behave yourself I'll take care 

 that you are advanced as fast as you yourself car. 

 desire." 



Having declared my readiness to "sign the 

 articles" there and then, we stepped into the cabin, 

 where the contract was ratified, and I engaged to 

 go upon a voyage "to the Indian Ocean, and such 

 other seas and oceans as the captain might see fit 

 to visit, in pursuit of his business of taking whales," 

 etc., etc.; the voyage to be not completed until 

 the return of the ship to a regular port of dis- 

 charge in the United States. 



Whalemen do not work for wages but for a 

 proportionate share in the proceeds of the com- 

 mon voyage. This share is called each man's lay, 

 and varies greatly, according as a hand is more 

 or less active and experienced. Thus, while my 

 lay was the one hundred and twenty-fifth, (mean- 

 ing that my share in the gross proceeds of the 

 voyage was at the rate of one barrel in every one 

 hundred and twenty -five), the lay of the green 

 hands ranged from the one hundred and eighty- 

 fifth to the two hundredth, giving them only at 

 the rate of one barrel for every one hundred and 

 eighty-five or two hundred. Boatsteerers, mates, 

 and even captains, sail "on a lay;" receiving, as a 



