His CAPTORS. 239 



Pitiable Story of a New Bedford Captain and Church Member. 



it was wrong to whale on the Sabbath, and 

 when he last went from the Sandwich Islands 

 to the Northwest Coast, he proposed in his mind 

 not to. For two Sabbaths he held out, and on 

 one of them saw whales. By the time the next 

 Sabbath came round they had done but little ; 

 he felt uneasy, could not stay below or on deck 

 with any comfort, his mind running upon 

 whales. 



At length, to get relief, instead of betaking 

 himself more earnestly to prayer and the Word 

 of God, he ordered his mate to send a couple 

 of men aloft, and when they sang out for whales, 

 he lowered his boats and his purpose to keep 

 the Sabbath at the same time. Blubber came 

 in in abundance, and with it came occupation 

 and content, purchased, I need not say, how 

 poorly. He soon filled up and went home, even 

 throwing overboard some provisions to give place 

 to oil. 



This story of his experience he told himself, 

 while all the time acknowledging it was not 

 right, his principle and conscience not being 

 strong enough to carry out his convictions of 

 duty, and keep him from acknowledged sin. 

 On the other hand, a pious sailor, recently re- 



