288 The Story of the New England Whalers 



" The bow boat, according to orders, got in first, 

 but the whale turned flukes and sounded. Both 

 boats lay off for the rising, and for further develop- 

 ments. The boat steerer of the bow boat had 

 been reported ill before leaving the vessel, and 

 Vera had taken his place. . . . The stroke 

 oarsman [of the larboard boat it was Brown, 

 the writer] was retained at his own oar, and at 

 the time we now speak of was in excellent position 

 to witness the magnificent spectacle of harpoon- 

 ing a large sperm whale, provided Mr. Ashford's 

 boat should strike it first. 



"Vera was standing in the bow of his boat 

 with his harpoon well in hand, his head swathed 

 in a party-colored handkerchief, his shirt collar 

 turned well back, exposing the bronze of his pow- 

 erful neck, and his nervous, restless eye covering 

 the sea about him. There was a deathlike still- 

 ness about the scene, broken only by the swashing 

 of the restless waves as they beat against the 

 sides of the boats, and by the gurgling noise of 

 the tide-rips as they played mischievously with 

 the steering oars which trailed astern. 



"Suddenly there seemed to be a commotion in 



