Told of the Red Indian Whalers 19 



the headway that had been made theretofore was 

 soon lost, and a time came when the whole flotilla 

 was at the point of drifting away to sea. 



But at that moment, when thirty boat loads of 

 men were held in a balance that was wavering to 

 and fro between life and death, one of the Indians 

 employed shouted in a loud voice: 



"Pull ahead with courage; do not be dis- 

 heartened ; there are too many Englishmen to be 

 lost now I " 



It was a voice like that of old Cornstalk, as he 

 raged to and fro at the battle of Point Pleasant, 

 shouting to his men: " Be strong ! Be strong!" 

 It was even more than that, for the words were a 

 keen taunt to the white men who had shown dis- 

 couragement. And when those words were heard, 

 the weak, as well as the strong, bent to their oars 

 once more, and with an increase of energy that 

 carried the flotilla to safety. 



The historians who have from time to time 

 considered the whale fishery have all been much 

 interested in a discussion concerning the first 

 whalers known to the record. It is pretty well 

 agreed among them that the peculiar people 



