160 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



pear and are plenty, and this season will be followed by a period in 

 which none will be in sight. 



In 18G8 there appeared in the Flag of our Union a series of sketches 

 entitled " Leaves from the Arethusa's Log," by William H. Macy, esq., 

 a veteran whaleman. Among them was one detailing the " raising," 

 pursuit, and capture of a sperm-whale.* Being a life-like description of 

 this event as it ordinarily occurs, it is, with the author's permission, 

 transferred to this work : 



" The next morning, having the first mast-head, I was in the foretop- 

 gallaut cross-trees at sunrise, thinking, of course, of the five-dollars' 

 bounty all the way up the rigging.t The him outline of the peak was 

 still visible, and the topsails of the Pandora just in sight, astern, the 

 wind still continuing moderate at west-northwest, both ships steering 

 south by west. As I looked astern, when I first got my footing aloft I 

 caught sight of something like a small puff of steam or white smoke, 

 rising a little and blowing off on the water. Looking intently at the 

 same spot, after a short interval another puff rose like the former, satis- 

 fying me, from the descriptions I had heard, that some sort of whale 

 was there, and I instinctively shouted, 'There she blows! 7 



" Where away V ' hailed Mr. Johnson, who was just climbing the main- 

 topmast rigging; " O, yes, I see him! sperm whale, I believe — hold on 

 a bit till he blows again — yes — thar 'sh' blo-o-ows ! large sperm whale ! 

 two points off the larboard ! Blo-o-ows ! headed to windward !" 



" How far off?" shouted Mr. Grafton from the deck. 



'* Three miles ! 'ere sh' blows !" 



By this time the old inanf was on deck and ready for action. "Call 

 all hands out, Mr. Grafton ! Hard a starboard there ! Stand by to 

 brace round the yards. Cook ! get your breakfast down as fast as you 

 can. Keep the run of him, there, aloft ! Maintop bowline, boat-steerers ! 

 Sure it's a sperm whale, eh, Mr. Johnson ? Steward ! give me up the 

 glass — I must make a cleet in the gangway for that glass soon. Muster 

 'em all up, Mr. Grafton, and get the lines in as fast as you can (mount- 

 ing the shearpole). Sing out when we head right, Mr. Johnson ! Mr. 

 Grafton, you'll have to brace sharp up, I guess (just going over the 

 maintop). See the Pandora, there ? O, yes, I see her (half-way up the 

 topmast-rigging). Confound him! he's heading just right to see the 

 whale, too ! ("There goes flukes!" shouted the mulatto.) Yes! yes! 

 I see him — just in time to see him (swinging his leg over the topmast 

 cross-trees), a noble fan, too! a buster! Haul aboard that maintack! 

 We must have that fellow, Mr. Johnson. Steady-y! Keep her along 

 just full and by. We mustn't let the Pandora get him, either!" 



The Arethusa bent gracefully to the breeze, as, braced sharp on the 

 port tack, she darted through the water as though instinctively snuffing 



* "The First Whale." The series is soon to he published in book-form. 

 t It is sometimes the custom on whalemen for the captain to offer some reward to the 

 man who first " raised " or discovered whales. 

 {The term applied by the sailors to the captain. 



