CHAPTER VI. Not Ocean's monarch shall escape us free! Soon to the sport of death the crews repair: FALCONER. We must now change the scene. Among the indentations of the coast of Western Africa, the Bay of Walwich may be traced upon the chart. This bay was much resorted to, in years past, for the right-whale, or the species that live by what whalers call "suction.” The bay contains good anchorage-ground and shelter for ships; and, at some periods of the year, known to whale-fishermen as the season for feeding, the coast along its margin is visited by these huge animals in pursuit of food, which consists principally of peculiar kinds of small fish, that keep in shoal water about the bay, and herd or school together in countless numbers. Thousands of the mullet, the roman, the stonebream, the harder, the mackerel, and many other varieties that abound in African bays, together with myriads. of the Medusan race, are sucked in by the right-whale for a breakfast, through the vertical bars of whalebone that stud its mouth, like the gratings of a prison window, or the palings of a picket fence. There are but few persons who do not know the difference in the formation and habits of the two principal species of the cetaceous tribe-the mysticetus and the cachalot--which are the objects of pursuit of the whalefisherman. They are called the right-whale and the spermaceti. The former has immense jaws of bone, without any well-defined teeth, but with a grove of dark fibrous material within its huge mouth, called whalebone, through which to strain its food; keeping mostly in shallow water, and living upon small-fry; disappearing from the surface at short intervals; remaining under water but for a few minutes; breathing, or ejecting from its blow-holes, columns of water, in two perpendicular streams, or jets d'eau, on rising to the surface, and producing inferior oil. The latter to wit, the spermaceti has tusks of ivory on a huge dropping under jaw; blunt, clumsy head, and broad tail; frequenting none other than the deepest water; diving deep and perpendicularly; staying long out of sight, and, on rising, blowing or spouting in a single jet, or stream, which inclines to the horizon; and producing a better quality of oil, though in smaller quantity according to its bulk, than the right-whale. The spermaceti yields, in addition to its oil, a valuable matter called sperm, which is highly prized as an article of commerce; and also produces that rare aromatic drug called ambergris. Jethro, with his son Isaac, remained in London, intending, when his business should be finished there, to take passage home in some merchantman bound for the colonies. ་ The Grampus set sail from the Thames. The place of her rendezvous with the Leviathan had been appointed at Walwich Bay. The Grampus, without any remarkable incident, arrived first upon the spot, and had waited for her consort for several days. Some forty whaling vessels, of all nations, were riding at anchor within the bay, waiting the expected visits from the whales. Day after day-week after week-had glided away since the arrival of the major part of the fleet, but not a solitary animal had as yet made his appearThe Grampus was fitted out for the sperm-whale ance. fishery, and had taken in her three years' provisions at London. Her captain and crew, who had been some time idle, now longed for sport; and they cared very little, since wait they must for the good ship Leviathan, in order to double The Horn in company, whether the invitation to amusement should come in the shape of a right-whale, a spermaceti, or a razor-back; the last the most dangerous and least productive of all. Africa has a burning, sultry coast. The sun was sending a lurid glare upon the sea, which heaved long and sluggishly in the bay, without a breath of air to curl the crest of the swell. The crews of the assembled ships were at their early breakfast, and the officers and men on the look-out were lazily gazing upon the mirrored surface of the water, or listlessly walking to and fro upon their posts. In many of the whale-ships, particularly in those that had previously been in northern latitudes, a crow's-nest, or a sort of sentry-box, surrounded, breast high, by canvass stretched as a protection against the weather, and covered with an awning, was perched on the maintopmast, or at the topgallantmast-head. In these places of look-out a man is always stationed to observe the approach of the whale, and to communicate his motions to those on deck. But in the Grampus, destined as she was for temperate latitudes in the Pacific, no other accommodation was provided for the sentry than the bare main-topgallant crosstrees, where for hours together the lynx-eyed watcher sent forth his anxious regards upon the ocean, and deemed his station a post of honour, as it always proved of extra profit, if he should be the first to discover a whale within pursuing distance. "Dull work!" said Seth, slowly pacing the deck; "dull work-by my hopes!-in this accursed climate, where scorching airs blow from the great Afric desert: and as for amusement,—we may feast or eyes, if we like, by looking upon armies of naked Hottentots, 'capering ashore,'- smeared with slush, and surfeiting upon tainted blubber!-who mock us in our commands, as we coast along the bay, repeating, as they follow us, our very words like an echo-and mimicking our minutest actions, when we attempt to make ourselves understood by signs. Poor brutes! The Creator has smitten their continent and their minds alike with barrenness; and has given to the one its arid plains, which defy the hand of cultivation, while the souls of the people are unblessed with the refreshing dews of intelligence. But what boots it? they are happier, in their ign ›rance, than we who boast of knowledge, but who are restless in our desires -As the ocean- In one unceasing change of ebb and flow.'' The reflections of Seth, upon the blessings of ignorance, were interrupted by a thrilling cry from the masthead. 66 Flooks-flooks!" was the welcome salutation from aloft. The half-eaten meal was broken off, and the rush to the boats was tumultuous. It was like that of an army of practised gladiators, in the arena of the Coliseum. The alarm was heard by the crews of other vessels; and the intelligence spread like wildfire that a whale was entering the bay. Four boats were lowered -manned and put off from the Grampus, in less than half a minute after the cry was uttered aloft. A hundred other boats were instantly in motion, and bearing down upon the animal. Some, however, took the precaution to separate from the rest, and thus divided the chances of capture. None could count with certainty upon striking the prey, for his course was irregular while in pursuit of his food. The whale is not a vicious animal, unless wounded; and, if not frightened, will move off sluggishly from his pursuers, and appear and disappear at regular intervals: so that, if the direction is well observed when he sinks (or shows his flooks, or forked tail, as he dives), a pretty accurate calculation may be made as to the place of his reappearance. The whalers in the boats that had scattered had their share of excitement in turn; while those who had headed the whale, when he sunk from their sight for the first time, saw with mortification, by the indication of his flooks, that he had already deviated largely from his first course. As a score of others were already near the spot where he would next rise to blow, the first pursuers naturally lay upon their oars; but they were watchful of the event of the chase. The Macy, with his two mates, and an approved boatsteerer, had each command of a separate boat. selection of the crews for these boats is in fact a matter of taste or favouritism with these officers of the ship. The captain has the first pick of the whole crew; and, if his judgment is good, he chooses those of the most powerful limb and muscle, quickness of apprehension, and readiness of execution. The next choice falls to the first mate; the second officer's turn comes next; and the siftings of the crew fall to the boat-steerers. It may readily be believed that Macy, who was an experienced whaler, was altogether discreet in his choice, and had a crew of oarsmen who might be pitted against any other crew of the whole fleet. To say that they were Americans, and experienced whale-fishermen, is sufficient assurance, of itself, that they were competitors for all whaling honours against the whole world. still, as it was eminently then, altogether un-American to admit of superiority in this business. It was therefore with deep chagrin that Macy saw the game escape him ; for thus far he had led the van of the attack; while the whalers in some fifty boats in the rear, if not altogether content that he should be their leader, were at least satisfied that to be beaten by him was no dishonour. It is The Englishman, the Dane, the Dutchman, the Swede, as also representatives of other European nations, were Macy's ambitious competitors for the |