THE DIARY 35 



Ninth of June, The harbour crews to-day gave chase 

 to a pod of right whales that were sighted in the sound 

 but they returned without reward. Some complained 

 that the right whale has become sensible to the sharpness 

 of the harpoons and is in fear of our shores and the fate 

 that there awaits them. 



Twelfth of June. This forenoon I heard the cry of 

 'Sail ho!' and climbed to the lookout platform on the 

 roof of the inn to watch two whaleships entering harbour. 

 They are such small vessels that their holds cannot con- 

 tain more than the blubber of two or three whales and in 

 consequence their voyages last at the most only a month or 

 two but if they are fortunate enough to meet with whale 

 and kill them early in their voyage they may return to 

 harbour after only a few days. Mr. Mather came up to 

 the roof and I learned from him that these vessels have 

 been seeking the sperm whale in southern waters and that 

 after overhauling and recruiting (taking on fresh victuals) 

 they will sail to the northern waters in search of the Green- 

 land right whale which is similar in many ways to the 

 black right whale but prefers the colder seas. 



Fifteenth of June. Many dolphins came over the bar 

 to-day and Joseph was permitted to practise throwing the 

 harping irons with which he killed three. I pulled an oar 

 with great vigour but little skill and several times missed 

 my stroke and tumbled to the floor of the boat. Whilst 

 we were engaged with the dolphins the steersman of the 

 seaward boat called out, 'Town ho!' and we all gave 

 chase in earnest to a pod of small whales and several were 

 killed and towed ashore. 



Joseph struck his first whale and is now a real whale- 

 man, but I fear that I shall have to spend much more time 

 at the oar before I am permitted to handle the irons. 

 Perhaps I gave too much attention to the details of the 

 chase and too little to the task of pulling my oar. I saw 

 yellow coloured streaks in the water and during a lull 



