THE A 21 ERIC AN JVBALE - ELSIIEBY. 275 



little rest, was all right again. On awaking from a refreshing sleep, a chnni, in 

 his expressions of joy at his recover}^, said: "Well, Jube, how did you lilve it 

 down there?" "0!" replied he, "it is a lonesome road to travel. There are 

 neither mile -stones nor guide -boards that I could see!" Such was the reckless 

 hardihood and bearing of those men whose lives were passed upon the ocean, or 

 about the forbidding shores of the Antarctic regions. 



In former days, when whaling was in its highest state of prosperitv, jnuch nf 

 the leisure time during those long voyages, and especially while on tlie homeward 

 passage, was occupied in "scrimshawing," by those of a mechanical turn of mind, 

 who manufactured useful or fancy articles frnm whalclione, or rare woods obtained 

 from the tropical coasts. Canes, swifts, knitting-needles, stamps, bodkins, etc., 

 were made from the jaws or teeth of the Sperm Whale ; and the shells of the 

 cocoa-nut were fashioned into unique drinking -cups. Sometimes a large plate of 

 baleen would be finely polished, and the history of the prominent incidents of the 

 voyage engraved upon it in hieroglyphical figures. A variety of articles were 

 wrought out of wood, ivory, or shell, wliich were carefully put Ijy for })reseiits to 

 relatives and friends at home. ]\Iany of these articles were line specimens of 

 workmanship. The smaller blocks, and the belaying- [)ins, of some of the iii'sl- 

 class sperm whale-ships, were made of white whalebone; and sometimes the decks 

 were, with infinite pains, inlaid with diamond -shaped pieces of ivory. Many of 

 the junior officers and boat-steerers kept regular journals, sinnlar to the ship's 

 log-book, some of which were cxam^iles of good peomansliip, giving a In-ief Init 

 clear account of what transpired on board every consecutive day dui-ing tlii-ee or 

 four 3'ears ; while others were emljellished with sketches of ships spoken, headlands 

 and islands seen ; and whenever a whale was taken, his full figure was stamped on 

 the margin of the page recording the event ; or if a whale was struck, and lost, 

 his head only was represented; while for one that was chased, but not harpooned, 

 the flukes and a portion of the small were figured. 



But under the most propitious circumstances, the vast extent of ocean to Ije 

 traversed rendered the homeward passage tedious ; for buffeting the gales off Cape 

 Horn, running down the trades, and contending with the equatorial squalls, with a 

 deluge of rain, made up the general weather record ; and when approaching the 

 American coast in the Atlantic, one of those heavy blows which are often experi- 

 enced would sometimes drive them far off to sea again, after having seen the land 

 they had left years before. At last, however, the welcome cry of "Land ho!" is again 

 heard from aloft; and soon a trim craft, with a number in her sail, and the Union 

 jack flying at the main, gives the cheering and welcome news that the pilot is on 



