ACTUAL WARFARE. OUR FIRST WHALE. 35 



a whale act, what were the first steps taken, what 

 chance was there of being saved if your boat got 

 smashed, and so on unto infinity. At last, getting very 

 tired of this " Portugee Parliament " of all talkers and 

 no listeners, I went aft to get a drink of water before 

 turning in. The harpooners and other petty ofiicers 

 were grouped in the waist, earnestly discussing the pros 

 and cons of attack upon whales. As I passed I heard 

 the mate's harpooner say, " Feels like whale about. I 

 beta plug (of tobacco) we raise sj^erm whale to-morrow." 

 Nobody took his bet, for it appeared that they were 

 mostly of the same mind, and while I was drinking I 

 heard the officers in dignified conclave talking over the 

 same thing. It was Saturday evening, and while at 

 home people were looking forward to a day's respite from 

 work and care, I felt that the coming day, though never 

 taken much notice of on board, was big with the proba- 

 bilities of strife such as I at least had at present no idea 

 of. So firmly was I possessed by the prevailing feeling. 

 The night was very quiet. A gentle breeze was 

 blowing, and the sky was of the usual " Trade " 

 character, that is, a dome of dark blue fringed at the 

 horizon with peaceful cumulus clouds, almost motion- 

 less. I turned in at four a.m. from the middle watch 

 and, as usual, slept like a babe. Suddenly I started wide 

 awake, a long mournful sound sending a thrill to my 

 very heart. As I listened breathlessly otber sounds of 

 the same character but in different tones joined in, 

 human voices monotonously intoning in long drawn-out 

 expirations the single word " bl-o-o-o-o-w." Then came 

 a hurricane of noise overhead, and adjurations in no 

 gentle language to the sleepers to "tumble up lively 

 there, no skulking, sperm whales." At last, then, 



