204 NIMROD OP THE SEA; OS, 



yields a thin limpid oil, in great request by Watch-makers, 

 gunsmiths, etc., and we neglect no opportunity to collect it. 

 A good jaw will yield several ounces, by exposing the fat to 

 the full heat of the sun. 



At meridian I got out my almost forgotten quadrant, and 

 made an attempt at " shooting the sun " (as taking the sun's 

 altitude is termed) with my complicated instrument. I took 

 a pretty good aim, and brought down a latitude the first 

 shot, and made our position to be 4° 64' S., quite proud that 

 I had kept south of the equator in a first attempt. •Soon af- 

 ter eight bells, the song came, " There she blows, blows ! 

 hump all out. Sperm-whale close aboard on the lee beam !" 

 Four boats were lowered at once, and we pulled our best 

 stroke by spells for five long hours, with never a chance to 

 dart. Mournfully we skulked back to the ship, tired, wet, 

 and crusty enough to cover a sea-pie. The whales were in 

 great numbers, and unusually large for school-whales, being 

 estimated at eighty-barrelers. 



Sept. 27 {Sunday). ■ The wind has been high for the past 

 two days ; and to-day, while running under single-reefed fore 

 and main top-sails, we raised a sperm-whale on the lee bow. 



We lowered two boats, and Mr. F ; went on ; but the 



whale settled, and avoided the darted iron. After a two 

 hours' chase to windward against a heavy combing sea, 

 which kept the afteroarsman bailing, our boat gave up the 

 chase, and we pulled for the ship. Our boat was scarcely 

 on the cranes, when the man at the mast-head shouted out 

 that the mate's boat was fast. Before we could reach the 

 scene, the whale was spouting thick blood, and now a seven- 

 ty-barrel whale is floating alongside, and we are laying head- 

 yards aback, with a considerable sea running. Lat. 5° 40', 

 long. 10'7° 3V' W. 



JSTov. 4. This morning we raised Albemarle Island, and 

 soon after the singular volcanic Rondonda, or Rock of Dun- 



