28 The Story of the New England Whalers 



went hunting these animals they gathered around 

 their victim in numbers, and thrust in so many 

 of their harpoons that only the stronger of the 

 whales were able to escape from them. Many 

 an Indian canoe was smashed by the fighting 

 whales, and many an Indian thus lost his life; 

 but with the red as with the white whalers the 

 dangers did but add to the joys of the chase. 



The white settlers on the Atlantic coast promptly 

 made friends with the red whalers. This is not 

 to say that the white whalers always gave the 

 Indians fair treatment; but, as already noted, the 

 red men were employed, not exterminated with 

 swords and guns, nor even driven away. It is not 

 unlikely that the first whale boat that was set 

 afloat by the white settlers was manned in part 

 by Indians, and in all times until the present 

 day red men and white have been found pulling 

 together to the tune of "a dead whale or a stove 

 boat." The records say that they have always 

 been good oarsmen and the very best of harpoon 

 throwers. More than one American whale ship 

 has had red men for mates, but no record of one 

 serving as a captain is known to the writer. 



