THE AMERICAN WHALE-FISHERY. 



253 



an occasional vessel would bring them news from home. Really, the onh- Ico-iti- 

 mate means of communication, in early times, was by the outward-bound and 

 homeward-bound ships;* and as a natural result, a system of transmitting letters 

 was faithfully carried out. Speaking and visiting between whale -ships was a uni- 

 versal practice; and a custom of signaling and "gamming" was established, to pre- 

 vent, as far as possible, any detriment to the voyage. A ship desiring to speak 

 with another, out of ordinary signal distance, would haul up her mainsail ; and the 

 vessel with the wind free would bear up and run down to the new-comer on tlie 

 ground, who, being hauled aback, awaited the approach of the visitor. There is, 

 usually, considerable formality observed in these casual communications, especially 

 if between strangers. The captain of the ship making the signal to speak, hails 

 first, and asks whatever questions he may desire ; after which, the master of the 

 other vessel does likewise, and mutual invitations are exchanged to visit. If cither 

 accept, the rule is for the chief mate of the ship visited by a captain, to 

 return, in the same boat, on a visit to his executive officer. If whales are raised 

 during the time of gamming, the vessels generally "mate," in order that all 

 shall have a motive in working together eflectively ; and, if there has been no 

 previous agreement to meet the exigency, a flag is hoisted at the peak of the 



the criiise, the supply of fresli water had be- 

 come alarmingly short for the allotted time 

 before returning to port. This was a soui'ce of 

 I'egret, with both officers and men, as it was 

 hoped they could fill the ship before the season 

 terminated ; and the captain would not have 

 listened for a moment to the proposition to jnit 

 the crew on a short allowance, had it been sug- 

 gested. He, however, ordered a drinking - cup 

 made, so as to be easilj' secured to, or detached 

 from, the royal -mast head. Having jjlaced it 

 in its exalted position, all hands were mustered, 

 and given to understand that they would have 

 their regular allowance of tea and coflee served 

 night and morning ; but when anyone ( includ- 

 ing himself) desired to quench his thirst diu'ing 

 the day, he must go aloft, get the drinking- 

 cup, bring it on deck, obtain and drink the 

 water (without sjjilling a drop), then take it 

 back and place it at the mast-head again. The 

 narrator of this episode jocoselj- remarked that. 



' ' It was wonderful to observe what a ' per- 

 suader' against too much diinking was the 

 exercise of 'shinning' to the royal truck twice, 

 for a pot of water." And, by this means, the 

 sup25ly held out ; and before the end of the 

 cruise, they improved the timely op23ortunity of 

 fdling every empty cask with oil, and trimmed 

 their sails for the homeward passage. 



* Post Office Bay, upon the north-western 

 side of Charles Island, took its name from the 

 custom established by the whalers (before it 

 was inhabited), of depositing letters in a box, 

 p)laced upon a post for the purpose ; ' ' and 

 homeward-bound ships," says Findlay, in his 

 South Pacific Directory, "examined the directions, 

 taking viith them all which they might have the 

 means of forwarding." A similar jdace of de- 

 posit for letters was established on the island 

 of .Juan Fernandez. We have heard, too, that 

 a letter-box was at one time posted on the 

 island of New Zealand. 



