850 WHALING AND FISHING. 



assuring me that had I come on board sooner, I 

 would certainly have been caught. 



With a light heart I bounded to the masthead 

 to loose the topgallant and royal, and in a verj 

 short time we were out of the harbor and I was 

 once more a free man. For the state of subjec- 

 tion in which men are kept on a whaleship, when 

 conti med for such a length of time, becomes 

 nothi ig less than the most abject slavery. 



After the anchors were secured and all made 

 ready for sea, I wrapped myself up in my pea- 

 jacket, and stowing myself snugly away under 

 the weather - bulwark slept till daylight. On 

 waking up, I took the wheel, and steered from 

 that time till eight o'clock. During this time the 

 captain explained to me the internal economy of 

 the vessel, which was certainly new to me. The 

 crew, numbering fifteen, were of all shades of 

 black, from charcoal to dark brown. They were 

 natives of the Mauritius or the Seychelles, and 

 were not sailors, but simply rope-haulers and horse- 

 tenders. They received ten dollars per month, 

 and for this kept watch at night, made and took 

 in sail, steered the vessel, and tended the wants 

 of the cargo of horses which was now on board. 

 If the rigging required repairs, the mates were 

 obliged to do this themselves, and as for sail-mend- 

 ing, about that even they knew but little. 



The crew slept upon deck, each man having a 

 mat and a jacket, the mild air rendering other 



