58 WHALING AND FISHING. 



rive at the conclusion thai the individual standing 

 beside you is a first rate fellow all previous pre- 

 judices to the contrary notwithstanding. 



Of course, our crew hoped to have a run on 

 shore. I never sailed into a port in my life, that 

 the crew, or a portion of them, at any rate, had 

 not prepared their minds for a day's liberty. How 

 often and bitterly have I myself been deceived and 

 disappointed ! This time, however, I knew better 

 than to expect " liberty " for any one. We had no 

 oil to land, nor, in fact, any business in port, ex- 

 cept to procure some ten or fifteen thousand oran- 

 ges, and a quantity of other fruit, with a few sweet 

 potatoes. We should not have anchored at all, had 

 it not been that the captain had a relative on 

 shore, with whom he desired to spend an evening 

 in quiet, and without anxiety. 



Bitter lamentations at their hard fate succeeded 

 the announcement to the green hands, of the im- 

 possibility of their getting on shore ; they could 

 scarcely believe that the captain could refuse them 

 such a favor; and that night sundry schemes were 

 laid for running off from the vessel, and thus grat- 

 ifying their wishes without the consent of the 

 captain, whom they regarded as a cruel monster. 

 These were, however, the veriest air castles, which 

 crumbled from view at the slightest touch of 

 practical common sense. 



" Suppose you greenhorns run away what will 

 you do when you get ashore you are no sailors 

 no captain would ship you. You can't get work 



