246 THE WHALE AND 



Religious Owners of irreligious Ships. A Yankee's Guess. 



tains, that their owners absolutely require whal- 

 ing on the Sabbath, as one of the conditions on 

 which they give them command of their ships. 

 It is also said that many of these ship-owners 

 are members of evangelical churches in Nan- 

 tucket, New Bedford, Fair Haven, Sag Harbor, 

 New London, Warren, Newport, Stonington, 

 and other places. Some owners say nothing to 

 their captains on the subject ; but if their ships 

 do but return full, no inquiries are made how 

 or on what days the oil was obtained. 



Now and then a shrewd Yankee captain 

 guesses that his pious owners have no objec- 

 tions to his taking* oil when he can get it. A 

 full ship fills the heart with joy, and lights up the 

 countenance with an approving and benignant 

 smile ; while a half-filled ship often clouds the 

 brow, deranges the spleen, obstructs the biliary 

 ducts, and stops the joyful and generous action 

 of the heart. Especially would this be so had 

 the crew of the half-filled ship been permitted to 

 rest one day in the seven, according to the com- 

 mandment. 



Occasionally a master, an officer, or a sailoi 

 hints that he would be glad to rest on the Sab- 

 bath, according to the dictates of his conscience ; 



