206 THE WHALE AND 



A Treatise on Gamming. Sequel of a Gam. 



captain of the Niantic spent with us, the next 

 our captain spent on board the Niantic, the 

 boats' crews gamming 1 together at the same 

 time in the forecastle, and the mates of the 

 ships meeting and having a gam in the ship 

 that was left of her captain. 



These gams are very pleasant interludes in 

 a whaleman's life, when abroad upon the desert 

 ocean, without change of society or scene, a 

 thousand miles from land. It is peculiarly 

 grateful for a rusty and barnacled old ship, that 

 has been absent thirty or more months, to have 

 a gam of a day with a fresh competitor just 

 arrived out with all the news from home. Such 

 a gam gives matter of talk and old newspaper 

 reading for a month, and nobody can tell how 

 pleasant it is but one that has experienced it. 

 A shipmaster has a chance to exchange coun- 

 sel, and tell stories, and let himself be familiar 

 with somebody that's new, and he is always 

 the milder, and better pleased with himself and 

 all about him, for some days after such a gam. 



The use of these words is not a little amus- 

 ing at first to a stranger ; but I have come to 

 believe them as good and veritable English, 

 and to have as fair a claim to be placed in our 



