72 WHALING AND FISHIffO. 



CHAPTER V 



SABBATH Our Captain's whaling experience Land ho! Tat 

 Scene of a battle Tristan d'Acunha The story of itfi 

 settlement Governor Glass The internal economy of the 

 settlement Intercourse with shipping General appeal anoe 

 of the island A wreck An exciting race Madagascar or 

 Malaga ? 



DESIRING to procure a large supply of potatoes 

 for our whaling cruise, the captain had determined 

 to make a day's stay at the Island of Tristan 

 d'Acunha, a place seldom visited except by whale- 

 ships in want of stores, and one which I had long 

 desired to see. 



Meantime we were still engaged in refitting 

 the vessel, and had now gotten so far along that 

 WQ could see the end of our labors. It is customary 

 in the merchant service, even in the worst of ships, 

 to allow the men who have had two watches on 

 deck the preceding night, to rest during the 

 watch from eight to twelve A. M. On board :tir 

 vessel however, it was an object to get all the 

 work finished up before we got upon whaling 

 ground, and therefore all hands were compelled 

 to work all day that is, from eight A. M. to six 

 P. M. in addition to keeping regular watches all 



