Adventures of the Explorers 149 



for a two-years' voyage has returned in the short space 

 of nine months and a half with a full cargo having on 

 board 2020 barrels of whale oil, 180 br. sperm oil and 

 16,000 Ibs. whale bone. On Sunday evening she arrived 

 at this place and safely moored at the company's dock 

 amidst the loud huzzas of the citizens, and the firing 

 of cannon. . . . The Mansfield will be immediately 

 refitted for a second voyage. . . . We have also at the 

 company's docks a beautiful, substantial vessel of about 

 1800 barrels burthen, called the Washington, which is 

 fitted for a whaling voyage. Such is the spirit of the 

 young men in this vicinity that there are already more 

 applications for berths than will be wanted to man her." 



In the early days the American whalemen were 

 made up from among the boys who were spurred 

 on to the sea by a love of adventure, and of honor, 

 and of wealth, all in the order named. It was 

 because the whalemen were of the boldest and 

 most enterprising men of the nation that the 

 fishery was spread over unknown seas and to the 

 uttermost parts of the earth within a period of 

 time that was astonishingly brief; and when and 

 how the whalers did this work shall now be told. 



In 1775 to have made a voyage to the Falk- 

 lands was so great a distinction that England's 



