A VISIT TO SOME STRANGE PLACES. 107 



while we harpooned them with the greatest ease and 

 impunity. Even the "old man" himself lowered the 

 filth boat, leaving the ship to the carpenter, cooper, 

 cook, and steward, and coming on the scene as if 

 determined to make a field-day of the occasion. He 

 was no " slouch " at the business either. Not that 

 there was much occasion or opportunity to exhibit 

 any prowess. The record of the day's proceedings 

 would be as tame as to read of a day's work in a 

 slaughter-house. Suffice it to say, that we actually 

 killed six whales, none of whom were less than fifty 

 barrels, no boat ran out more than one hundred fathoms 

 of line, neither was a bomb-lance used. Not the slightest 

 casualty occurred to any of the boats, and the whole 

 work of destruction was over in less than four hours. 



Then came the trouble. The fish were, of course, 

 somewhat widely separated when they died, and the 

 task of collecting all those immense carcasses was one 

 of no ordinary magnitude. Had it not been for the 

 wonderfully skilful handling of the ship, the task would, 

 I should think, have been impossible, but the way in 

 which she was worked compelled the admiration of 

 anybody who knew what handling a ship meant. Still, 

 with all the ability manifested, it was five hours after 

 the last whale died before we had gathered them all 

 alongside, bringing us to four o'clock in the afternoon. 



A complete day under that fierce blaze of the tropical 

 Bun, without other refreshment than an occasional 

 furtive drink of tepid water, had reduced us to a 

 pitiable condition of weakness, so much so that the 

 skipper judged it prudent, as soon as the fluke-chains 

 were passed, to give us a couple of hours' rest. As soon 

 as the sun had set we were all turned to again, three 



