32 WHALING AND PISHING. 



to rear their young undisturbed, with no one "tc 

 molest them, or make them afraid." 



When their vessel arrived at New Bedford, the 

 captain was immediately transferred to another 

 ship, and taking with him all his officers, sailed 

 back to the scene of his. good fortune, and was 

 successful in filling his ship again in a very whorl 

 time. But by this time other ships had gotten on 

 his track, and when he returned thither on his third 

 voyage, he found the ground occupied by a fleet, 

 and whales scarce. 



All kinds of maneuvers are practiced by whale- 

 men to conceal their cruising ground, when they 

 have, as in the above instance, met with unusually 

 good " luck." When compelled to go into port for 

 water or "refreshments," (a whaling term, signify- 

 ing fruits and fresh provisions generally) they will 

 make it a point to visit some place at a distance 

 from the newly discovered ground. If while in 

 port they are boarded by other whalemer both 

 officers and crew preserve the most stubborn 

 silence as to the location of their "ground, "or else 

 give the inquirers false directions. And if, as is 

 not unlikely, they find themselves followed wheo 

 starting on their return, they adopt the most 

 ingenious expedients to mislead the strangers. 



B*zt a secret of this kind can scarcely ever be 

 kept more than two voyages. It is in the posses- 

 sion of too many persons, and too many keen 

 eyed whalemen are striving to fathom it. 



Whales are so persistently chased and worried 



