98 WHALING AND PISHING. 



to see whales. It is quite usual with whalemen^ 

 at least to meet with whales on their outward 

 passage, and not at all uncommon to take some 

 valuable prizes before reaching the regulai 

 cruising grounds. Up to this time, however, we 

 Lad not yet seen a spout, except that of an occa- 

 sional black-fish or finback, and had not succeeded 

 in capturing even a porpoise. We were now 

 three months out and had not yet on board oil 

 enough to keep a lamp alight in the forecastle a 

 sad prospect for men to whom oil is the represen- 

 tative of dollars, and blubber, of the native ore. 



"Five dollars" said the captain, one morning 

 as the men repaired to the mastheads, " to the man 

 that raises a sperm whale spout." 



" I'll put three pounds of tobacco to that," spoke 

 up the mate. 



"And I a bunch of cigars," said the second mate. 



This set every one agog, and after breakfast the 

 rigging and mastheads were crowded with men, 

 eager to win the promised reward. 



But it was not on that day, nor the next, that 

 we were to fall in with the objects of our search. 

 Not till we had been two weeks upon the ground, 

 did we see a spout of any kind. v Then one 

 forenoon, a shrill, discordant scream, of " there ! 

 he! blows!*' from the fore-masthead, proclaimed 

 that somebody thought himself entitled to the 

 promised reward. 



All hands rushed upon deck, and the captain 

 and mate were half way to the royal masthead 



