66 WHALING AND PISHING. 



tnent giving an unexpected lurch one of our awk- 

 ward squad dropped into the water, coming up 

 puffing and blowing, some distance astern, to tne 

 intense amusement of all lookers on. 



But this was only the beginning of the day's 

 sport. Although the sea wore a smooth surface, 

 there was sufficient of a ground swell to make the 

 use of oars, a matter of some difficulty to tliost 

 who for the first time held them in their hands. 

 Having gotten the four boats in a line, the mate 

 proposed a race; and at the word, we started. 

 Racing, however, was soon found to be out of the 

 question. The first thing to be taught the green- 

 hands, was to keep strol^ to place their oars in 

 the water all at the same time, and lift them out 

 again with one motion. 



The necessity for this being perfectly under- 

 stood, we tried again. But-now our fellows began 

 to " catch crabs." As the swell would lift the 

 boat, those not paying strict attention would fail 

 to reach the water with the blades of their oars ; 

 and not meeting with the resistance upon which 

 they had counted, would incontinently tumble over 

 on their backs, heels high in mid-air, heads under 

 the seats, and oars dangling about pretty much at 

 random. However, after a goodly number of mis 

 haps of this kind, all our own boat's crew 

 arrived at a proper understanding of the first 

 principles of pulling, or " rowing," a? landsmen 

 would say, and after two or perhaps, tnroe days 

 and practice,we could propel our boat at goof 1 



