THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 71 



gles with thick blood. The captain, with a wild scream, 

 cried, 



" ' In the name of God let go, and my soul is saved !' 



" And with a tearing crash the stays parted, and masts, 

 sails, and the whole top-hamper of the Ironsides swept away 

 to leeward, and were swallowed in the darkness, our poor 

 ship rolling helpless in the trough of the sea. All of which 

 goes to show that the de'il himself can't hold to a bargain, 

 if he has a Cape Horn gale against him in it." 



Having made a good offing of the dreaded cape, we slant- 

 ed along the coast of Patagonia and Chili, until we reached 

 the southern limit of the " oft" shore " ground, in lat. 38° S., 

 when it was announced that we had reached whale-ground, 

 after a run of about three months. The passage accomplished, 

 and the cruising begun, my journal becomes more regular, 

 and the business of whaling will now occupy oiir attention. 



Feb. 7. Up to this time the crew has been divided into 

 two watches. Now that we are on cruising-ground, a new 

 disposition is made of our forces. Cruising on whaling- 

 ground consists in running over as much space as the wind 

 will permit during the hours of day, and remaining as im- 

 movable as possible during the night. For this purpose we 

 carry sail in the day, and at sunset take in sail, lying under 

 jib, doubled-reefed top-sails, foresail, and spanker, with the 

 mainyard aback. Thus a small force is required on deck 

 during the night, and as the toil in the boats is excessive, 

 the men are allowed all the rest and sleep that the nature 

 of the service will allow. The crew is divided into four 

 boat's-crew watches, headed by their respective boat-steer- 

 ers. A single boat's crew has the deck by night, and two 

 crews by day, strengthened by the cooper, carpenter, and 

 cook, who do not stand night-watches. This gives the men 

 three-fourths of the night below and one-half the day, when 

 they are not in the boats. 



