NIMROD OF THE SEA; OS, 



leaped our low bulwarks, and the growling oaths of moist 

 humanity grew worse and loader, until I thought we were 

 in for a terrible gale, and would have so described it, had 

 I not overheard an old salt remark that it"blowed a stiff- 

 ish breeze." Then I took courage and thanked God, though 

 I should have preferred, with Paul, " to land at the Three 

 Taverns " to do it. Such was the opening of the young 

 landsman's journal of a voyage round Cape Horn in a three 



years' cruise for sperm-whales. Captain B commanding. 



In passing, let me state that, as the names of our officers are 

 not material, I omit them for reasons which will appear here- 

 after. 



If you follow me through the rest of my wanderings, it 

 is proper that you should know and love the good ship 

 which bore us. She was beautiful and good — beautiful in 

 the calm, swift in the breeze, and staunch in the storm; 

 sharp as a clipper; graceful in every line as the frigate-bird; 

 wide -spread in wing as the albatross; and, in riding the 

 waves, like a Mother Gary's chicken. She was sharp in the 

 bow, broad in her beam, and clean in her run ; small in her 

 hold, with broad and roomy decks. A woman's head graced 

 her cut-water, and half the gods of heathendom, in alto-re- 

 lievo and high colors, decorated her stern. In fact, in rig 

 and hull she was a prince's pleasure yacht, rather than a 

 blubber-hunter, although she was built expressly for such 

 service. " Give her speed," Was the major's order; for speed 

 in a whaleman is as wisdop was to Solomon — it includes all 

 things. She had the proud habit of the blood-horse in toss- 

 ing her beautiful head in the face of a gale, and if the mar- 

 tingale was not of he truest and strongest, she would toss 

 her jib-boom over the top-sail yard. Then she would nes- 

 tle her woman's head so deep in the bosom of the leaping 

 waves, that the foam of their crests would kiss the feet of 

 her master on his quarter-deck. Gay and lively, brave and 



