My First Fast Fish. 179 



in, the captain suddenly hailed from the nest, saying 

 he saw a number of fish about ten miles ahead, 

 ordering all hands to be turned out, and get their 

 coffee in readiness for a start, which took place at 

 about half-past twelve. A boat-steerer being on 

 the sick list, Davy Deuchars, a loose harpooneer, re- 

 quested my services ; and away we all went. After 

 pulling for about six miles, a beautiful morning-, 

 with a bright sun, and the water as smooth as glass, 

 we came up to the fish, and before long heard a 

 shot fired and " A fall ! " cried, and Bob Gordon 

 was fast to an enormous whale. At about six 

 o'clock a fish was close to our boat, which after a 

 few starts we were fortunate enough to strike, and 

 in our turn called " A fall ! a fall ! " She took out 

 a little over two hundred fathoms of line, when the 

 mate coming up to our assistance fired a second 

 harpoon, and succeeded in killing her in about an 

 hour's time. Hauling our lines in and flaking- them 

 away, we got up to our fish, and lashing its two 

 fins together, roused the tail up to the bows of our 

 boat, and pulled stern foremost towards the ship, 

 which was nearly hull down in the distance. We 

 were all naturally much elated at our success. It 

 was my first fast fish, and it was also our har- 

 pooneer's first paying fish, he never before having 

 harpooned one over six feet, no whale under that 

 size being <{ payable." Of all the uninteresting 

 and toilsome duties connected with whaling, there 



