248 The Story of the New England Whalers 



In this way the "greenhorns" were tolled to the 

 ship. Like Frank Bullen in later years, Brown 

 signed for the voyage although he had no idea 

 of what he was to receive or where he was going. 



When the crew had been gathered they were 

 taken to the ship, and she was usually found at 

 anchor well out in the bay, lest some of the men 

 desert as soon as they learned her destination. 

 In the early days it was the custom among New 

 Bedford owners, at least, to go on board the de- 

 parting whalers with a company of friends and 

 give the ship "a send-off" by sailing down the bay 

 in her, and serve all hands with a fine dinner and 

 something to drink. But that would never do 

 in later days. The anchor was got up as soon 

 as possible after the crew came on board. No 

 one of the whaler writers speaks of singing a 

 "chanty" at the windlass, but Melville says in 

 Moby Dick that as the Pequod reached out to sea 

 "lank Bildad as pilot headed the first watch and 

 ever and anon as the old craft deep dived into the 

 green seas, and sent the shivering frost all over 

 her, and the winds howled and the cordage rang, 

 his steady notes were heard : 



