1.82 WHALING AND 



favor us, making vain attempts upon whales, wnc 

 only spouted at us, as it were, in scorn, and finally 

 striking out for the outer bay, as with the strength- 

 ening sea-breeze the whales made off in that direc- 

 tion all these motions were repeated, but again 

 w'thout success. Not a boat had the good fortune 

 to get fast, and we returned on board, at four 

 o'clock, much dispirited, and wearied with fruit- 

 less toil. After going on shore, trying to kill a 

 monkey, of which animals however but few 

 showed themselves near the beach, and killing 

 two more snakes, one fourteen feet in length, 

 we ate sapper, and with every promise of a beau- 

 tiful day on the morrow, deposited our tired bodies 

 in the berths. 



These two days were fair samples of the duty 

 we performed during our stay here of over a 

 month. Every morning, without a single excep- 

 tion, it rained in torrents; and every morning, 

 without a single exception (" no Sundays in tec 

 fathom of water," say whalemen) precisely at 

 five o'clock we started out and chased whales until 

 the sea breeze became too strong, or the whales 

 had all disappeared to windward. 



"We took six whales during our stay, one of 

 which was completely eaten by ground sharks, 

 with which the bay seemed at times alive. 



It was on the fourth day after our arrival, that 

 our boat got upon the track of a whale who 

 seemed disinclined to get out of our way. He 

 had dodged us for half a dozen risings, coming up 



