14 WHALING AND PISH3NQ. 



lazy looking wretches they were, withal, whose 

 begrimed faces, and filthy shirts betokened a most 

 inconsistent aversion to the element upon which 

 they were about to seek their fortunes. One of 

 them I noticed had already taken the initiatory 

 gtep in sailorship his mouth was filled with to- 

 bacco, and the saliva was trickling from the lower 

 corner, to the floor beneath. 



" Industrious young men, with good recom- 

 mendations," muttered my companion, in a very 

 audible whisper. 



The shipper evidently looked upon us as rather 

 unwelcome intruders, and did not hesitate to tell 

 us. that there were no chances to ship. 



" Don't you want to ship a good Boatsteerer ? " 

 askad my friend, in reply to this hint. 



"Do you mean to say that you were ever 

 whaling? " was the Yankee answer to this. The 

 accustomed eye of the shipper had seen at first 

 glnnce that neither of us were whalemen; and had 

 we disguised ourselves with all possible care, he 

 would still have been as sure as before, of this. It 

 is a singular fact, that seamen, as also those who 

 bave much dealings with them, can tell, almost at 

 a single glance at a sailor, and with the most un- 

 erring certainty, what special department of his 

 business he has most generally followed. What 

 may be the actual distinguishing marks, it would 

 be difficult to say. But they are there, plainly 

 visible to the initiated, and unconcealable by any 

 but the most experienced old seadogs, who, havicg 



