WHALING VOYAGE. 
343 
We had managed to spend our time agreeably enough 
during the few days we had as yet remained at this place, 
and I have no doubt we should have continued to do so, 
had not a most unfortunate and serious accident befallen 
our second mate, which threw us ail into the greatest 
discomfiture and melancholy : it occurred to him while 
discharging a cannon by the captain’s orders, for the 
purpose of foolishly saluting an American ship, which 
was about leaving the harbour. The poor fellow had 
discharged it several times, but the reports were not 
sufficiently loud to please the captain, who ordered it to 
be again loaded and fired, which the mate thought he 
would do this time with effect, and therefore not only 
did he cram into its mouth a seaman’s capful of powder, 
but commenced ramming down the wadding with a 
handspike, which, as he was doing, a spark that had 
remained in the breech of the gun from the previous 
firing ignited the charge, and the explosion which took 
place shattered his right arm to atoms. Of course 
the consternation which occurred among us all, from 
this melancholy affair, was not of a trifling description, 
and when the captain saw the mischief his imprudence 
had occasioned, he wrung his hands, and shed tears 
like a child. It was my painful duty to amputate the 
wounded member, which I am proud to have to state 
was accomplished with celerity, and without giving un- 
necessary pangs to my unfortunate shipmate, who soon 
recovered, and still lives to tell the melancholy tale. 
By this unfortunate catastrophe our mate lost his best 
friend, his right arm, and we lost a valuable officer in a 
