204 TEE CBUISE OF THE " CACHALOT." 



that what black oil we had got would be landed at 

 Hawaii, so that our visit to the Okhotsk Sea, with its 

 resultant store of oil, had not really brought our return 

 home any nearer, as we at first hoped it would. 



A great surprise was in store for me. I knew that 

 Captain Count was favourably inclined towards me, for 

 he had himself told me so, but nothing was further from 

 my thoughts than promotion. However, one Sunday 

 afternoon, when we were all peacefully enjoying the 

 unusual rest (we had no Sundays in Captain Slocum's 

 time), the captain sent for me. He informed me that, 

 after mature consideration, he had chosen me to fill 

 the vacancy made by the death of Mistah Jones. Mr. 

 Cruce was now mate ; the waspish little third had 

 become second ; Louis Silva, the captain's favourite 

 harpooner, was third ; and I was to be fourth. Not 

 feeling at all sure of how the other harpooners would 

 take my stepping over their heads, I respectfully 

 demurred to the compliment offered me, stating my 

 reasons. But the captain said he had fully made up 

 his mind, after consultation with the other officers, and 

 that I need have no apprehension on the score of the 

 harpooners' jealousy ; that they had been spoken to on 

 the subject, and they were all agreed that the captain's 

 choice was the best, especially as none of them knew 

 anything of navigation, or could write their own names. 



In consequence of there being none of the crew fit to 

 take a harpooner's place, I was now really harpooner of 

 the captain's boat, which he would continue to work, when 

 necessary, until we were able to ship a harpooner, 

 which he hoped to do at Hawaii. 



The news of my promotion was received in grim 

 silence by the Portuguese forward, but the white men all 



