244 WHALING AND FISHING. 



fifteenth morning after our departure from the 

 ship. As we sailed in toward what seemed to be 

 a landing on one of the islands in the Bay, we 

 passed a long, rakish looking brig, the officers 

 of which hailed us, and after hearing our story 

 from Long Tom, asked us to come alongside. She 

 was a trader, bound to Goa, and had lost her hands 

 on the coast. After some hesitation, we agreed 

 with the captain to go in her as far as Goa, there 

 to be regularly discharged. The whaleboat we 

 sold to a rich old Portuguese, dividing the spoils, 

 which amounted to nearly one hundred dollars. 



" ' That's all you'll ever get for .your two years 

 hard work, boys, so make the most of it,' said 

 Long Tom, as we shared it equally among us. 

 We ail went to Goa, and thence Long Tom and I 

 sailed for Pondicherry. But that's altogether an- 

 other yarn, which I can't spin to-night." 



If the reatler will pardon this long digression, 

 we will now return to the subject which caused 

 it deserting from whaleships. The most desper- 

 ate expedients are sometimes adopted to get clear 

 of an unlucky or unpleasant vessel. Thus it is 

 on record that the greater part of a whaleship's 

 crew once drifted on shore on the cover of the try- 

 works, which they had launched overboard for 

 >hat purpose. This cover is large, square and flat, 

 with sides about one foot deep. 



While we were cruising in the Pacific, in the 

 United Spates service, a more desperate case than 

 even this occurred at Honolulu. A man who had 



