INDIAN OCEAN. 195 



the small ones being sold out of the fleet, as the whalemen call 

 their ships, or broken up from decay and age. The length of 

 their voyage is naturally increasing, from the fact that our whale- 

 men are traversing new seas for the whale, sometimes doubling 

 the Cape of Goo,d Hope, and taking an eastern direction, meeting 

 their brethren of the same pursuits who have doubled Cape Horn, 

 while the latter sail over the ground in an opposite direction which 

 the former had just traversed. 



The crews of these ships, I found from general inquiry and a 

 close inspection of their log-books and journals, are remarkably 

 healthy. What sickness they have is from the scurvy, a disease 

 incident to long voyages, and which is avoided only by the utmost 

 care and the frequent use of fresh provisions. The whaling-ships 

 are provisioned with beef, pork, and bread, for three years ; but 

 they never exceed three months on their whaling ground without 

 recruiting themselves with fresh provisions from some neigh, 

 bouring island. The utmost care is taken in fitting out these 

 ships with many delicacies ; and it is a general remark among 

 whalers, that they live better at sea than on shore. Tea, coffee, 

 and chocolate, are freely used as anti-scorbutics. These vessels 

 are navigated with the utmost caution. Two men are constantly 

 placed at mast-head, as sentinels ; for many of the islands, rocks, 

 and reefs, are not laid down in any chart ; and those laid down or 

 not are many of them so low that this precaution is indispensably 

 necessary for their safety. From this precaution, many rocks, 

 reefs, and islands have been discovered by them, and pretty 

 accurately noted. The whalemen are much advanced in mathe- 

 matics and practical navigation beyond other navigators : for, on 

 their long voyages out and home, the most intelligent officers 

 assist the yoiinger in their mathematical and nautical studies; 

 and thus schooled, all come home improved in their branches, 

 distinction in them being the direct road to preferment. The 

 scarcity of the whale on the common whaling ground may be 



