18 A YEAR WITH A WHALER 



the ice on the north Alaskan coast the following 

 spring. Four men lost their lives and only after 

 a bitter experience as castaways on the floes were 

 the others rescued. 



That afternoon Captain Shorey of the brig 

 Aleccander visited Levy's. I was called to his 

 attention as a likely young hand and he shipped 

 me as a member of his crew. I signed articles 

 for a year's voyage. It was provided that I was 

 to receive a $50 advance with which to outfit 

 myself for the voyage; of course, any money left 

 over after all necessary articles had been pur- 

 chased was to be mine — at least, in my inno- 

 cence, I imagined it was. 



The brig was lying in the stream off Goat 

 Island and the runner set about the work of out- 

 fitting me at once. He and I and a clerk went 

 about the store from shelf to shelf, selecting 

 articles. The runner carried a pad of paper on 

 >vhich he marked down the cost. I was given a 

 sailor's canvas bag, a mattress, a pair of blan- 

 kets, woolen trousers, dungaree trousers, a coat, 

 a pair of brogans, a pair of rubber sea boots, un- 

 derwear, socks, two flannel shirts, a cap, a belt 



