206 WHALING AND FI6HINO. 



The ghost was the staple of conversation .ext 

 morning at breakfast, and prophesies were ft eely 

 made that before sundown that day, our boat 

 would be stove, and I would be severely injured, 

 if not killed. Fortunately for my credit, not an 

 accident occurred during the remainder of our 

 stay in the bay. Had I been in the slightest 

 degree injured, or even had our boat been stove, 

 as was prophesied, this would have formed a 

 well authenticated ghost story, and I should no 

 doubt have been held up to future generations of 

 whalemen as a melancholy example of stubborn 

 unbelief. 



Having now captured six whales, and the sea- 

 son not having proved nearly so propitious as had 

 been hoped, there being comparatively few cows 

 and calves in the bay, it was determined that we 

 should divide the oil and proceed on our cruise. 

 Our share of the proceeds amounted to one hun- 

 dred and twenty-seven barrels. We finished 

 stowing down and clearing up on a Saturday 

 night, and as we had kept no Sunday for the past 

 six weeks, the two captains determined that the 

 following day should be a holiday. 



And never was one more needed. Day aftej 

 day we had toiled at the oars, amid rain and wind 

 and cold, until we were completely exhausted m 

 body and spirit. It was given out on Saturday 

 night that there would be no cail of " all hands " 

 on the following morning. Accordingly, I arose 

 *t nine o'clock, a much more comfortable houi 



