THE AMERICAN WHALE- FLSIIEBY. 2G9 



whaling, left to cruise in the open sea for Sperm Whales, until the northern season 

 should come round again. Disappointed in their new whaling enterprise, the_y 

 usually left with many maledictions on Margarita Bay (as it was usually called), 

 and on the whales especially, which had already been given a multitude of signifi- 

 cant names. After suspending whaling for a few days, and a number of sli'.ps 

 leaving meanwhile, the whales again returned to their favorite haunt, and, the 

 whalemen soon learning how to "work around them," the ships that remLuned 

 generally made a fair season's catch. 



The dangers incident to whaling in Magdalena Bay and lagoons gave rise to 

 many a marvelous tale, some of which were literally true, while others, though 

 amusing, partook strongly of that fla\'or which sailors term ''hshy." After the first 

 few years of "gray "-whaling, the pursuit came to be regarded as somewhat 

 impracticable ; and the oil obtained being of an inferior quality, without the 

 accompanying yield of bone, as in the Biglit "\Thale and I'owhead, this branch of 

 the fishery was for a time nearly abanduned. A few ships, liowever, passed a 

 portion of the winter months in pursuing the Devil-fish of ^lagdalena ; and one 

 captain in particular made periodical visits to a favorite estuaiy, where the animals 

 were found in great abundance, and were captured with less than the usual difli- 

 culty ; but a season never passed without casualties occurring — sumetimes serious 

 ones. This indefatigaljlc master (whom we will call Captain L.), in order to 

 play a little game of bluff with liis boon companions, would, on his return to tfie 

 Sandwich Islands to recruit ship for the north, liring vrith him one of his boats 

 which had been staved beyond repair, that those interested might have convincing 

 proof of the terrors of "ripsack- whaling." Added to this, his spicy yarns when 

 dilating upon the dangerous chase, created in those unaccpiainted an aversion to 

 engage in so precarious a pursuit. At length, however, the northern whales 

 becoming scattered and difficult to capture, caused some of the most enterprising 

 captains to try their hand with the Grays. At the time we are writing alxnit, 

 a large fleet had concentrated at Honolulu, after the accustomed summer cruise to 

 the north; and at these periodical gatherings, the whalers, from the steerage -boy 

 to the captain, enjoyed a season of relaxation from the restraint of strict disci- 

 pline, as well as from the duties on board ship, and a good deal of familiarity was 

 tolerated on shore during their In'ief stay, which at sea would have been promptly 

 suppressed. Everyone seemed to follow his own inclinations in seeking pleasure 

 wherever, or in whatever way, it could be found. And one of Captain L.'s 

 felicitous amusements was in dilating upon the terrors of "devil-fishing" (he famil- 

 iarly termed it) "over to Margarita." At one time, when in the midst of a 



