343 NIMROD OP THE SUA; OS, 



on to lance, a quick cut of the flukes stove in his broadside, 



knocking mate and boat>steerer overboard. Captain B 



asked, " Shall I pick yon up, Burroughs ?" " No, sir ; we're 

 all right. You kill that blamed whale, though," he stuttered. 

 So we left them hugging ash and white cedar. But we came 

 mighty near the same predicament. Three different- times 

 we thought we were gone: once from a rattler with his 

 flukes, and twice he butted us with his head. But the 

 steering-oar brought the blows glancing, and saved us. He 

 was the most active whale of the size that we had yet 

 tackled. He ran us to windward, and, with three wild cheers, 

 we hazed through the fleet of six boats, which were pulling 

 sullenly back to their ships ; thence, at full speed, with the 

 whale carrying the " pirate's red flag " at the fore, we glanced 

 under the stern of the Eliza, of London. The usual flurry 

 ended the contest, and the whale rolled fin out, with head 

 to the sun, within a half-mile of our transatlantic relative. 

 We placed him at seventy-five barrels. 



Aug. 9. At 3 P.M. cooled down the try - works, cindered 

 the decks, and washed down, scouring every thing bright as 

 a new pin. There was no other evidence of grease on board 

 than one hundred and ninety barrels of oil, the product of 

 the three last whales, ranged and lashed to the bulwarks. 

 We were hailed by the Eliza, of London, ten mouths out, 



with one hundred barrels of oil. Captain L came on 



board, and spent four hours with us. He was a burly spec- 

 imen of the British sea-dog, and had been unfortunate as a 

 whaleman, but I judged you might count on him for sure 

 •backing in a fight. They have had no albicore around their 

 ship since they came on the Japan ground, while with us the 

 school has been constant and undiminished in numbers since 

 itfirst joined us in the early part of June last. And, what 

 added to the superstition of our men, the great school left 

 us while the Eliza floated near us. 



