THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 253 



liave full liberty on shore. Now eat your supper, and let us 

 have a better face in the morning." 



We made free use of the sailor's ancient prerogatives, 

 growling and grumbling, and various were the comments 

 on the captain's speech as we cut heartily into the unctuous 

 pork and briny beef. Posey, in his reasonable way, chimed 

 in, " Well, boys, you must allow the captain did the hand- 

 some thing in apologizing, instead of damning your eyes, as 

 he had a legal right to do." 



"That's so," answered an old salt, more briny than the 

 beef he was munching ; " that's so ; but it's my opinion if the 

 captain would cuss more and pray less, our mates wouldn't 

 be in that fort, and we could trust him more. It don't 

 seem natural to hear these mushmoUy, softly-go-easy ways 

 in a tussle with the sea. The captain 'U do for a soapy lands- 

 man, but he don't fit to the quarter-deck." 



Jan. 10 {Sunday). With the crew slightly improved in 

 temper, we hove the second anchor to the bows, the wind 

 being light and the weather pleasant. Our Kanakas have 

 all seen service on whale-ships. They appear to be a cheer- 

 ful, inoffensive people, and they regard with amazement the 

 angry, quarrelsome race they have come among. With the 

 characteristic justice of the Anglo-Saxon in dealing with a 

 "man and brother of a darker hue," we have treated the 

 recruits as though they were answerable for the confounded 

 row of the past few days. The Kanaka names are long, un- 

 pronounceable, and unfitted for the quick orders of a ship's 

 deck. Therefore the islanders are always re -named when 

 they enter the service. The nautical name seems to please 

 them, and they always report and answer to it : " Spun-yarn," 

 " Maintop," " Jack of Maui," " Jack of Oahu," are examples 

 of their new christening. I intend to pick up the lingo of 

 our brown mates. Hawaiian will serve in polite society to 

 hold my own against traveled friends who patter French 



