256 THE WHALE AND 



Scoresby's Experience of Sabbath Keeping in a Whale Ship 



Up, and rescue it from profanation, or your pre- 

 cious patrimony of liberty is gone ! 



The veteran Captain Scoresby, who, by age, 

 and experience, and judgment, is entitled to 

 speak on this subject with authority (having 

 gone through twenty-eight of those perilous 

 voyages successfully, and killed four hundred 

 and ninety-eight whales), says that, in the 

 Greenland whale fishery, much more perplex- 

 ing, and more subject to sudden embarrass- 

 ments and dangers than the voyages com- 

 monly pursued, " I have known public worship 

 to be carried on so regularly that never a Sab- 

 bath passed over, for several years together, 

 without one or more full services being per- 

 formed. During these voyages severe gales 

 have commenced on the Sunday ; dangers from 

 rocks, ice, and lee shores have threatened ; fre- 

 quent embarrassments from thick weather have 

 occurred ; yet time and opportunity were al- 

 ways found for the worship of God. The suc- 

 cess of the voyage often seemed to be in the 

 way, duty to the owners of the ship seemed to 

 forbid, yet we persevered in waiting upon God, 

 and certain I am that we found his blessing. 



" At three bells (half past nine A.M.) every 



