224 WHALING AND FISHING. 



before the mate, who was at the main roya; 

 masthead, sang out lustily, " There she Whitewa- 

 ters," a cry which roused all hands from a pleas- 

 ant doze, and caused some of us to run up the 

 rigging to examine for ourselves the "whito- 

 ivater." 



" There blows," repeated the masthead's-man 



" One," said the captain. 



" There blows ! " from the masthead. 



{C Two," from the captain. 



u There blows!" 



" Three." 



" There blows ! " 



< Four." 



" There blows ! " 



" Sperm whales, by all that's good ami bad,' 

 now shouted the captain in ecstacy. "Get youi 

 boats ready, while I o .iloft and watch them." 



There was no necessity for backing the mam 

 yard, for there was scarce a breath of air, and the 

 ship had not steerage way on. The whales were 

 about two miles off, and it was determined to 

 lower as soon as they turned flukes, and try to 

 get fast the next rising. 



" You may as well cast loose the paddles, Char. 

 ley," said the boatsteerer, as I was making ready 

 some of the boat-gear, " we shall not use the oars 

 much to-day." 



" There goes flukes," was the signal for lower- 

 ing the boats, and we set out merrily for the spot 



