256 The Story of the New England Whalers 



cans went on and killed the whale. The writer 

 has been unable to find an account of any race in 

 which Americans were beaten; apparently beaten 

 Yankees were too much ashamed of themselves 

 to record their experiences. 



To the "greenhorn" the row to the whale was 

 often a period of painful terror. 



"Y'r a smart youngster, an' I've kinder took 

 to yer," said the mate to Frank Bullen as he pulled 

 toward his first whale; "but don't ye look ahead 

 and get gallied, 'r I'll knock ye stiff wi' th' tiller; 

 ye hear me ? An' don't ye dare to make thet 

 sheet fast, 'r ye'll die so sudden y' won't know 

 where y'r hurted." 



It was a necessary warning, for green hands 

 have been known to jump overboard in a panic 

 on finding themselves alongside a whale. By 

 sailing as well as rowing, Bullen's boat reached 

 the whale. 



" ' Stand up, Louey ! ' said the mate softly. . . . 

 Suddenly there was a bump; at the same moment 

 the mate yelled, ' Give 't to him ! Give 't to him ! ' 

 and to me, 'Haul that main sheet, naow haul, 

 why don't ye ? ' I hauled it flat aft and the boat 



