Work of the Fighting Whales 287 



stones told of the fighting whales none is more 

 graphic than that related by J. T. Brown in 

 Stray Leaves from a Whaler s Log (as printed 

 in the Century Magazine for February, 1893), 

 about the death of a Portuguese-American boat 

 steerer known as Vera. 



"Vera had been ordered to rig up one of the 

 spare boats, and devoted most of his night to strap- 

 ping irons and getting his boat into shape for 

 lowering, whistling and humming snatches of 

 songs to himself as he worked industriously 

 about the windlass bitts. Early the next morn- 

 ing a lone sperm whale was descried on the 

 horizon, and the larboard and bow boats were 

 again ordered down. 



"I think you'd better play loose boats to-day, 

 and let Mr. Ashford get fast,' said the captain 

 to Mr. Braxton [the mate in charge of the lar- 

 board boat, Mr. Ashford, the third mate, having 

 command of the bow boat] as the boats pulled 

 away from the ship. 



"'All right, sir,' replied the mate, and away 

 sped the boats through the silent water under 

 double motive power of sail and oar. 



