PORT PEOASUS. 361 



and spermaceti, of which, according to bargain, we took 

 twelve, the captain buying the other twelve for £480, 

 as previously arranged. This latter portion, however, 

 was his private venture, and not on ship's account, as 

 he proposed selling it at the Bluff, when we should call 

 there on our way home. So that we were still two whales 

 short of our quantity. What a little space it did seem 

 to fill up ! Our patience was sorely tested, when, 

 during a whole week following our last haul, we were 

 unable to put to sea. In vain we tried all the old 

 amusements of fishing, rambling, bathing, etc. ; they 

 had lost their " bite ; " we wanted to get home. At 

 last the longed-for shift of wind came and set us free. 

 We had hardly got' well clear of the heads before we 

 saw a school of cachalots away on the horizon, some 

 twelve miles off the land to the southward. We made 

 all possible sail in chase, but found, to our dismay, 

 that they were " making a passage," going at such a 

 rate that unless the wind freshened we could hardly hope 

 to come up with them. Fortunately, we had all day 

 before us, having quitted our moorings soon after day- 

 light ; and unless some unforeseen occurrence prevented 

 us from keeping up our rate of speed, the chances were 

 that some time before dark they would ease up and allow 

 us to approach them. They were heading to the west- 

 ward, perhaps somewhat to the northward withal, to all 

 ajDpearance making for the Solander. Hour after hour 

 crawled by, while we still seemed to preserve our relative 

 distance, until we had skirted the southern shore of the 

 island and entered the area of our old fishing ground. 

 Two vessels were cruising thereon, well to the northward, 

 and we thought with glee of the excitement that would 

 seize them did they but gain an inkling of our chase. 

 To our great delight, what we had hoped, but hardly 



