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lary of a Whaling Cruise 
By VICTOR SLOCUM, Harpooneer 
HERE seemed to be whales everywhere, as 
far as the eye could reach, and all tame— 
just rolling and snorting in the water they 
lay in, and once in a while one would jump like a 
trout and make a splash like a waterfall, just 
to amuse himself. 
that 
At last we got close to one 
suited us, and the boats head 
but 
went on 
there wind enough to 
the 
and head, was not 
and the 
for it might result in a 
still, 
manage with sail, dipping with 
paddle was undesirable, 
scare, so we lay perfectly right in his 
rse, and on he came. 
The harpooneer stood up with his darting gun 
and iron, and just as his 
great snout passed 

under the boat, he plunged it vertically right 
into the middle of the back. 
report of the 
the 
a heaving of the boat clear 
There was 
gun, 
of the water, a sensation like that of passing 
through a waterspout, and the dull explosion 
of the shell all in the space of -he next second. 
and then the leviathan stretched out dead. The 
bomb had killed him instantly, and it was well 
for us that it did, for in the case of an ordinary 
iron l 
being used, we would have been stove 
to pieces.- So much for modern inventiveness, 
and thanks to Captain Pierce. 
As we hacked away, up came the black snout 
of another whale, and then two or three more. 
They did not seem to know that there was any 
mischief, and they rolled on top of the dead one 
as though had happened. What a 
another one! If was a 
chance to mark our “fish” without getting stove 
by the others, and cutting loose as we 
nothing 
chance to get there 
did in a 
former case, we could have killed another and 
another, but that was impossible, so a waif was 
set for the other boat, and on they came under 
oars. And how the bully boys rowed, for the 
cry had gone up that we were stove, and they 
pulled to save our lives. 
As they got close, we urged them on with 
our cheers and cries to go in and show what 
they were good for, Straight ahead they shot 
the and just as they almost 
touched one that they had picked out, there 
was the curve of an iron through the air, and 
the next 
with the 
onto “bunch,” 
minute they were going like the wind 
whale’s flukes just clearing the «stern, 
throwing spray in every direction. The second 
mate, as cool as a cucumber and with a happy 
(Concluded from page 930.) 
face, the bow 
crouched dewn to keep as dry as possible, and 
emile on his Was standing in 
with his bomb gun under his arm, was yelling, 
“Haul in on the line!’ There was no slacking 
out for him, with half a chance to get in a shot. 
By n-ght two whales were being worked on. 
That day’s excitement and sport was worth a 
hundred dollars to me, for the whole thing was 
LOWERING THE WHALE BOAT, 
truly marvelous and it fully compensates for 
all the discomfort and privation that I have felt. 
July 6—Not a whale has showed up since 
and all hands are having a glorious rest and 
with the satisfaction of knowing that half the 
catch of oil is stowed down in the hold. 
The atmosphere is not as favorable for long 
distance seeing as it had been when we had the 
long run of whales, and this probably accounts 
for our not getting any now; but the wind will 
doubtless shift into a better quarter in a day or 
so, and then—hurrah! boys, again and head 
over heels in fat. There have been grampus 
about almost every day, and as they resemble 
small sperm whales very much, they have led 
us to give a number of fake alarms. Their 
season will be over in a couple of weeks, The 
captain remarked this to-day, and added, “Then 
if we see anything, we will know what it is.” 
These men have as much false pride as any 
class of people with regard to mistakes. 
The try-works are run day and night, while 
there is blubber to feed them, and the refuse 
scrap is all the fuel they need, so it is very 
economical. They consist of two large caldrons 
mounted in brick work, near the center of the 
ship, and the whole structure is about six feet 
high. In the dark, with the flame roaring out 
of the short chimneys and torches stuck on 
poles about the deck to give light, we must 
form an interesting spectacle. The men, mov- 
ing about the deck under the peculiar illumina- 
tion, look like conspirators in a comic opera. 
I wish that you could see a dolphin in his 
natural element, for its beauty is most exquisite, 
and I never look upon one without a thrill of 
joy. There have been several of them about 
lately to show us their graceful forms and long 
tails that are moved with a grace that can be 
called only their own, and their almost trans- 
parent bodies resplendent in numberless tones 
of green, blue and purple. Poets have sung 
of the dying dolphin with its changing hues, 
and I have seen them, but give me the splendid 
creature with its airy freedom. 
July 11.—The weather has been disagreeable 
since I last wrote, and yesterday morning it 
culminated in a real storm. There was a heavy 
rain all the time, which flew horizontally and 
cut the face like hail, and a wind that put the 
lee rail under water, so that the green sea 
tumbled on board like a waterfall, and one 
huge sea tumbled over in the main rigging and 
completely submerged the waist of the ship— 
where we were all standing—besides smashing 
up one of the whale boats. We sprang and 
cut the wreckage adrift, and it was too bad to 
see her drift astern. But it had to be done. 
I never spent a more uncomfortable thirty- 
six hours than these. The gale itself was quite 
an ordinary affair, but the unceasing drive of 
rain made it impossible to face to windward 
and kept us drenched to the skin in spite of 


