354 NIMSOD OP THE SEA; OB, 



and Latin. It may show that I, too, am a traveled man, who 

 has learned the difference between a lion, a bear, and a turtle- 

 dove. " Hookee nui, mi ti, ourrie hana pah," may prove an 

 excellent diversion in company. The sound of the islanders' 

 talk is low and pleasant, full of vowels and soft sounds, with- 

 out an s or izzard. 



Jan. 15. Since my last we have lowered once for whales. 

 In the early morning we put off, and with sail and oar chased 

 them thirty miles dead to leeward ; but they gained on us, 

 and we gave up the chase. I am now satisfied that the 

 speed of the sperm-whale in traveling is much greater than 

 is allowed by most writers. To-day we had a good breeze, 

 sprit-sail set, and five pairs of arms to urge forward the 

 fastest sear-going boat the world knows, but still the whales 

 gained several miles on us. Nevertheless, they were not gal- 

 lied or making unusual exertions, so far as we could judge, 

 . and I should not like to say that ten miles 'an hour is the 

 greatest speed this whale attains when aroused to fullest 

 exercise of its power. Brothers of the lance and harpoon, 

 recall old memories, and bear me out in saying that the speed 

 of a young, fifty-barrel bull whale, under the spur of a har- 

 poon, and the provocation of a single boat, is the maximum 

 of water-travel — short of steam-power; and, further, that rail- 

 road travel is tame compared to the sensation of a four-mile 

 dash to windward, close behind the playful flukes of a whale. 

 Te who doubt, ascertain for yourselves. Experienced water- 

 men quote the behavior of a boat towing behind a steamei-, 

 as evidence that a whale-boat would capsize at a speed of 

 twelve miles an hour. An empty boat would, to be sure; 

 but it is not an empty boat behind a whale, and that makes 

 all the difference. The racing-boat has on her thwarts six 

 trained men, whose lithe bodies sway to her motions as the 

 rope-dancer does to his unsteady footing. The order of the 

 officer in such a boat is, " Steady, men — trim boat — don't 



