42 WHALING AND PISHING. 



matter of course, shares proportionate to their 

 experience and the importance of their duties. 



Having signed the articles, I received a note 

 from the captain to the shipper, to that effect, j*od 

 svas informed that the ship would sail 041 the next 

 day but one, and that it was desirable I should 

 render myself and luggage on board on the even- 

 ing previous. 



The first matter which claimed my attentior 

 after returning to the shore, was the procuring 

 of an outfit of clothing and other necessaries for 

 the voyage. As before mentioned, on shipping in 

 a whaler each man receives credit from the 

 owners, for an amount sufficient to provide him 

 with a certain necessary quantity of clothing, and 

 to pay the bills for board and shipper's charges, 

 which he has contracted while waiting for the 

 vessel. Of clothing I needed but little, as my 

 chest was well supplied. I took, however, a plen- 

 tiful supply of blue dungaree (cotton drilling) of 

 which I designed to make up my own clothes for 

 warm weather, when we should have gotten to 

 sea. A number of pounds of chewing tobacco 

 and half a bolt of coarse calico, to trade among 

 the natives, completed the items on my outfitter's 

 I 11. 



This and other bills rendered, and signed by 

 me, I betook myself on board, with chest and 

 hammock, determined, as our voyage was to be a 

 long one, to secure as good a berth as possible in 

 the forecastle. This I succe3ded in doing, being, 



