His CAPTORS. 167 



Boats out of Sight. An ugly Night. 



the deck. The officer ran aloft, and by the aid 

 of a telescope could just discern from the mast- 

 head the three objects, like specks upon the 

 surface of the ocean. At an alarming distance, 

 he could just observe the two boats, with the 

 whale's head occasionally darting out before 

 them, with a good deal of "white water" or 

 foam, which convinced him that the whale was 

 still running. He watched with the glass un- 

 til he could no longer trace them, even in the 

 most indistinct manner, and then called to those 

 on deck that they might take the bearing, by 

 the compass, of the direction in which he had 

 lost sight of them, so that they might continue 

 to " beat" the ship up to that quarter. 



It was now, says the story, within half an 

 hour of sunset, and there was every appearance 

 of the coming on of an " ugly night ;" indeed, 

 the wind began to freshen every moment, and 

 an " awkward bubble" of a sea soon to make. 

 I remained aloft until I saw the sun dip, an- 

 gry and red, below the troubled horizon, and 

 was just about to descend, when I was dread- 

 fully shocked at hearing the loud cry of " a 

 man overboard !" from all upon deck. I looked 

 astern, and saw with horror one of our men, by 



