DOLCE FAR NIENTE. 95 



with this the day's work is finished. After 

 breakfast each one busies himself about his own 

 affairs. Some mend their clothing, some read, 

 some play cards, while yet others return content- 

 edly to their berths and doze off the long hours 

 till dinner time. The afternoon is but a repetitiou 

 of the forenoon, and with the exception of ar 

 o< casional call of all hands to "tack ship;" and 

 the necessary shortening sail at sunset, no one is 

 called upon for labor of any kind. 



We had looked forward to this period with 

 anticipations of great pleasure over worked as 

 the crew was, on the entire outward passage. 

 But man tires of nothing so quickly as a state of 

 inactivity, and so we were not a week upon the 

 whaling ground, ere every one complained of the 

 weary monotony of such a life. Every one, that 

 is to say, except our Portuguese. These seemed 

 to be perfectly contented and happy. They had 

 brought with them upon this voyage most of the 

 clothing used by them on the voyage before, and 

 had consequently much more mending, patching 

 and quilting to do than the rest: more therefore, to 

 engage mind and hands. And then, they had each 

 undergone already one long voyage of ennui and 

 their spirits were broken to it. By the time we had 

 gotten a month's experience of the cruising ground, 

 I no longer wondered at the wandering, lack-luster 

 look, the shuffling walk, and awkward appearance 

 generally, of your regular old whaleman. His 

 mind has been gradually killed out by lack of use 



