"GAUMING." 133 



CHAPTER VIII. 



GAMMING " Sail ho ! The Betsy Ann Her Crew A " Mer- 

 chant Sailor" A Council A school of Whales A race 

 between two Whale boats The Offer to share the Chances 

 refused It is our Whale The Bazaroota Islands Procuring 

 Wood A strange Fish Harpooning Hippopotami We cause 

 one to " spout blood " Tow it Ashore Hippopotamus Steak 

 A Night Visit to the Shore for the Purpose of Killing a few 

 Hippopotami, with its Results. 



MEANTIME a sharp look-out was kept up for 

 whales although I believe the crew generally 

 were quite willing to have no more trying out to 

 do for some time even if dollars were not gath- 

 ered so fast in consequence. But we now daily 

 expected to fall in with some other whaling yessels, 

 which our captain supposed to be cruising in this 

 latitude. 



Next to a run on shore, a " gamm," as H is 

 called that is, a social reunion of the crews of 

 two ships, accidentally meeting on a cruise forms 

 the pleasantest incident in a whaling voyage. 

 Then are old times talked over, old friends inquired 

 after, past adventures related, and a mutual 

 interchange of the good things of whaling life 

 effected, all tending to make the few hours devoted 

 to this social intercourse as pleasant as possible. 



