( 149 ) 



CHAPTER XIII. 



OFF TO THE JAPAN GROUNDS. 



Very tedious and trying was our passage northward, 

 although every effort was made by the skipper to expedite 

 it. Nothing of advantage to our cargo was seen for a 

 long time, which, although apparently what was to be 

 expected, did not improve Captain Slocum's temper. 

 But, to the surprise of all, when we had arrived off the 

 beautiful island of Hong Kong, to which we approached 

 closely, we *' raised " a grand sperm whale. 



Many fishing-junks were in sight, busily plying their 

 trade, and at any other time we should have been much 

 interested in the quaint and cunning devices by which 

 the patient, wily Chinaman succeeds so admirably as a 

 fisherman. Our own fishing, for the time being, absorbed 

 all our attention — the more, perhaps, that we had for so 

 long been unable to do anything in that line. After the 

 usual preliminaries, we were successful in getting fast to 

 the great creature, who immediately showed fight. So 

 Bkilful and wary did he prove that Captain Slocum, 

 growing impatient at our manoeuvring with no result, 

 himself took the field, arriving on the scene with the air 

 of one who comes to see and conquer without more delay. 

 He brought with him a weapon which I have not hitherto 

 mentioned, because none of the harpooners could be 



