ON PASSAGE 51 



*Why, thou art like a lot of snails. Hoist the boats and 

 let me see thy bottoms seated in half the time.' 



No matter what operation was attempted, whether 

 loading the gear into the boats, pulling, hoisting and 

 lowering sail or sterning the oars the captain's desire for 

 speed could not be satisfied. But on the fourth lowering 

 even he grew tired of his own bellowings and the boats' 

 crews pulled away from the ship to find some peace out of 

 range of their commander's fiery nature. 



Then to the southward the oily surface of the sea became 

 marked with the catspaws of wind and the boats returned 

 to the ship, their sails taut and their oars dipping. They 

 were hoisted laboriously to the deck, and the Pilgrim 

 continued on her voyage. 



When the ship had settled down one of the green hands 

 looked up from coiling down a rope. There was a frown 

 on his youthful face as he spoke to Todd, the second mate. 

 'I saw no sign of a spout, did you, sir?' 



'No, my lad, but the captain has a most wonderful sharp 

 pair of eyes,' replied the diminutive Todd with a laugh. 



The Pilgrim passed through the Belle Isle Straits and 

 then followed the rocky coast of Labrador until she 

 arrived at Esquimo Bay where she anchored and took on 

 water. 



As the casks were being hoisted over the side Jonathan, 

 on his way along the deck to the officers' quarters, over- 

 heard Sykes talking with some of the men. 



'Not a single spout 'ave we raised this whole voyage,' he 

 was saying. 'Not one. I tell you we should 'ave gone to 

 the Grand Banks and cruised there like the others. Their 

 casks will be full of blubber by now, but look at us, not 

 even a porpoise 'ave we taken and not a stain upon the 



lilywhite decks. I tell you ' and the rest of Sykes's 



words were lost to Jonathan as he descended the after 

 hatchway. 



That evening the ship was still at anchor in the calm 



