WHALERS AND WHALING. 



steerer, four oarsmen, and one of the mates in command. As the ship 

 nears her cruising ground, one or more of the sailors are sent up aloft 

 to look out for whales, and any old seaman will tell you that they often 

 fall asleep up there. It sounds a good deal like a sailor's yarn to 

 a land lubber, standing on deck and gazing up at the dizzy height 

 where, fastened horizontally in the rigging are several iron rings, about 

 the size of barrel hoops, through one of which the jolly tar slips his 

 body, so that the ring comes just under his arms like a circular life 

 preserver, as indeed in a way, it is, while his feet rest on a sort of 

 little perch, which is only a piece of board lashed securely to the rig- 

 ging. There he sways to and fro, like a bird on a perch, as the 

 ship rolls and pitches, and there, — they tell us — he falls asleep. Be- 

 lieve it if you can. 



Presently he sings out, " there she blows ! " and instantly the 

 whole ship is in a commotion. "Where away?" is the cry from the 



42 



