Sketches Afloat with the Whalers 251 



The crews were divided into two divisions called 

 watches, "starboard" and "larboard." "Star- 

 board" and "port" are the designations on ordi- 

 nary merchantmen. The mates also picked crews 

 for their boats, four men for each, each mate 

 picking a man in turn, beginning with the first 

 mate. 



As soon as the boats were ready and the weather 

 would serve, the ship was hove to, a part of 

 her sails were placed so that the wind would pre- 

 vent her going ahead, and then the boats were 

 lowered to teach the crews how to row. A log 

 was sometimes allowed to drift at the end of a 

 line, and the boats were rowed close to it in order 

 that the inexperienced might have a chance to 

 throw dummy harpoons at it. In these drills the 

 ambitious youngsters of the old days took part 

 with an eager zest that soon made them whale- 

 men; but the landsmen who had been "bam- 

 boozled" on board, and the merchant sailor who 

 had shipped through a misunderstanding, always 

 looked upon them with disgust. 



If lucky, additional drill was had when a school 

 of "blackfish" appeared. These small whales 



