he was listless and desponding. The fortune-teller's words had been forgotten until now; but the sight of the approaching whales, and the active, noisy preparation for attack, brought all she had said afresh to his memory.

Starbuck, who was harpooner to one of the boats, and a most important man in that capacity, was ashamed to show the white feather upon the first occasion that had been presented for signalizing himself upon the voyage; but the words of Judith rang in his ears, and he felt that he could not lightly disregard the omen. Stepping aft to the quarter-deck, as much to ask the advice of the captain, who was aware of the prophecy of the fortune-teller, as to obtain permission to remain on board for the time, he held a few brief words with Jonathan.

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Captain," said he, "I feel an unaccountable presentiment that the words of Judith Quary are about to be fulfilled. I would fain disappoint the prophetess, if she be one; and, though I know my duty, and have heretofore acquitted myself sufficiently well to be named one of your boat-steerers, yet I am unwilling to go out upon this expedition without your positive commands. In short, I lack confidence to-day; and I come to ask you to appoint one of the crew as my substitute."

"There is no time to argue this thing now," replied the captain," or I might give thee convincing proof that fortune-tellers cannot look into futurity. I respect thy feelings, Thomas, however thou mayst have come by them; and, therefore, I will neither urge nor command thee to go. Let it be as thou wishest; if thou decline, I will appoint another in thy stead."

Thomas Starbuck retired with a heavy heart. He saw that he had relinquished all chance of distinguishing himself for the day; and the dishonour of staying on board at the approaching crisis, with a troop of whales in sight of the ship, could probably never be wiped away. The thought, too, of what Ruth would say to

his conduct when he should return home, and, above all, the certainty of the imputation of cowardice, which might be cast in his teeth by his companions, made him half-repent the step he had taken.

The crew had witnessed the interview of Starbuck with the captain, and guessed at the import of their conversation.

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"So!" said one of the men, within earshot of Thomas, we shall not have Starbuck's company today, I s'pose. He's begged off, I'm sure, or he'd be taking his place at the for'ard oar. I wonder who's to be harponeersman for our boat, if he don't go?”

"A faint heart never won fair lady," said another, who had heard of his attachment to Ruth; for secrets of that nature get whispered about among a ship's crew, especially if they all come from a small place like Nantucket, where everybody's business and motions are likely to be known and canvassed by his neighbour.

"He has reason to be chicken-hearted to-day," observed a third, "about that fortune-telling affair. Do you remember the morning we pulled off from Sherburne? For my part, I'd a notion of going ashore again, for everybody looked so solemncholy that I knew we'd have a misfortunate voyage. I'm glad he don't intend to go; I never knew Judith Quary to fail in her prediction."

The whales were now near enough to lower the boats, and the crews jumped in and were ready to pushoff, in order to scatter themselves among the approaching animals, and thus multiply the chances of striking them when they should attempt to escape. Four boats pulled away from the Grampus, and instantly three more followed from the Leviathan. The fourth boat, commanded by one of the mates, still lay alongside, waiting for the complement of oarsmen (to be made from those whose duty it was to remain on shipboard) to supply the place of Starbuck. Imbert was one of this crew, and was assigned to pull the after oar. He VOL. II.--N

felt as every novice feels, who, for the first time, is about to approach an animal so huge and dangerous as the whale; but he was devoid of childish fear, and rather courted the sport than otherwise. He had made himself a favourite with the whole crew, except Gardner, who could not divest himself of the thought of his being his rival, and, as he thought, a successful one: but on most occasions they treated each other with respect, though cool and unfamiliar in its nature. Gardner was harpooner for another boat, and had managed to get rid of the company of Imbert, by assisting one of the mates to pick the crew to the exclusion of his rival. The chance of Imbert to exhibit his prowess was small, as, being a new hand, his task was merely to pull a steady oar for the first voyage; and, until some lucky opportunity should offer, he could not expect to signalize himself, nor perform any prodigy to boast of.

"On deck there!" bawled the impatient mate, from the whale-boat.

He was answered by one of the crew from the gangway, who had been designated to supply the place of Starbuck.

"Be quick!" said the mate," or all the sport will be over, before we can get a chance at the whales. Hurry, man!-hurry! Jump in-jump in !"

Thomas now came to the gangway; and his irresolution gave way as he saw his substitute about to let himself drop into his place in the bow of the boat. A flush of pride came into his face at the moment; his resolution came back from very shame; he seized the man by the shoulder, and drew him into the ship, and then rushed over the side, in an indescribable agony of mind.

"Let life or death be on the issue," said he, as he pushed off desperately from the ship, “I will go! It shall never be said that Thomas Starbuck disgraced his name, or his calling, by skulking dishonourably at a time like this. Pull, boys, pull !" said he aloud to his

comrades, while he madly surged upon his oar, with a strength equal, at the moment, to that of all the other oarsmen. The energy he exerted infused a spirit of emulation into his companions; the lingering whaleboat soon caught up and passed the others; and it was now leading the van. His shipmates in the other boats, who were acquainted with his intention of remaining on board, and with his reasons for so doing, saw in his flushed face, as he dashed by, that he had left all his superstitious fears behind; but they shook their heads at each other in sorrow, for they were all more or less imbued with the notion that he was rushing on his fate, and that the superhuman strength he was exerting was but hastening on the catastrophe.

The fearless whale-fishermen now found themselves in the midst of the monsters;-some turning flooks,some rising to the surface to breathe, with their young upon their backs, others spouting their cataract streams high into the air,-while some in play, or to dislodge by the shock the barnacles and tantalizing suckers that fastened like vermin to their sides, came jumping into the light of day, head uppermost, exhibiting their entire bodies in the sun, and falling on their sides into the water with the weight of a hundred tons, and thus "breaching" with a crash that the thunder of a park of artillery could scarcely equal. It was a fearful and thrilling sight to the new-comer; but to the practised whale-fisherman, a scene that he delighted in, though full of imminent danger,

The commander of each boat immediately singled out his whale, and gave chase with steady earnestness. The ships, in the mean while, followed the course of the whales and of the pursuing boats ;—a sufficient number of hands being left on board to work the vessels.

Macy and Coleman, with a promptness that is the peculiar recommendation of veteran whale-fishermen, fastened at once to their whales, taking the first that

came in their way, without regard to size. They proved to be young ones that were still under the protection of their mothers. This was fortunate for the fishermen, for they fell an easy prey; and their mothers too, keeping close to their dead bodies, in a few minutes more paid the forfeit of their unalienable affection. The other officers showed no lack of skill; and in less than an hour six spermaceti whales, of various sizes, were the fruits of the victorious assault.

The mate of Coleman was more ambitious than the rest, and was determined, if possible, to strike the leader of the troop. He was of prodigious size, and worth any two of the others; but he was wary and watchful, and led his pursuer a tiresome chase, far away from his mates; and then, by a circuitous route, he came back again to his scattered convoy. Still did the baffled mate return to the charge, endeavouring to head his stupendous antagonist as he should rise to blow.

At last, the bubbling ripple from below indicated the approach of the animal to the surface; and a few vigorous pulls brought the boat to the spot where it was judged he would rise to its side. The oars were eased,

and the word given to the harpooner to "stand up." The bow was turned to the spot; the oarsmen rested on their oars, ready to back off; and Starbuck stood erect, cleared his line, and balanced his iron. He placed himself in the posture for striking, and was bracing his knees to the bow, when the hump of the monster emerged from the water. It was a moment of indescribable anxiety; but to none more than to the harpooner. But what was the consternation of all, when the head of the animal turned suddenly over! It is a motion made by the sperm-whale preparatory to using his teeth upon an object floating upon the surface of the water. His huge under-jaw, armed with immense ivory tusks, parted with the rapidity of thought. The bow of the boat struck suddenly against his jaw, and poor