Whaling and fishing

Preface

With this volume my story of life at sea is complete. I have endeavored to give a strictly faithful account of the various phases of a sailor's existence. I have borne in mind the usual objection to books of this class : that they are likely to inspire youth with an uneasy longing for a wandering, worthless mode of life. And as my little books were likely to interest young men and boys, my aim has been to give a plain common sense picture of that about which a false romance throws many charms. If anything I have written on this subject shall induce a young man, launching into life, to make a sensible choice of evils, by looking elsewhere than to the Sea for the adventurous existence which his spirit requires, I shall be rewarded.

Chapter I

Whalemen Wanted! A Whaling Shipping Office — The Man-of-Wars-man — The Merchant Seaman — The Whaleman — Talk with the Shipper — I determine on a Whaling Cruise — Go to New Bedford. - - - - 11

Chapter II

New Bedford — The Town — The Wharves _ The Shipping Office — Prospective Whalemen — Old Bill — The Outfitters — Tricks upon the Greenhorns — Hezekiah Ellsprett Claims the Captain's Stateroom — Old Bill and the Ship-owner — The Transformation. - - - - 22

Chapter III

The Sag Harbor Whalemen — Shipped at last — Arrangement of a Whaleship's Decks — The Try Works — The Boats — The Lower Deck — Sailing Day — Our Crew — Seasickness — Training the Greenhorns — Labors of an Outward Bound Whaleman — Drudgery. - - - 40

Chapter IV

Land Ho ! Fayal — Anxiety of all hands to get ashore — Portuguese — Their resignation — Fruit — We continue the voyage — Fitting the vessel for her cruise — Drilling the crew in the boats — The line — Chasing Blackfish — Provisions — Cooks. --.... 56

VI CONTENTS.

Chapter V

Sabbath — Our Captain's Whaling experience — Land Ho ! The Scene of a battle — Tristan d'Acunha — The story of its settlement — Governor Glass — The internal economy of the settlement — Intercourse with shipping — General appearance of the Island — A wreck — An exciting; race — Madagascar or Malaga ? - - - - 74

Chapter VI

The " Cruising Ground " — What constitutes Whale Ground — How the Ha ants of Whales are Discovered — The Discipline of a Whaleship on a cruise — Monotony of the Life — Drawing Water — Portuguese Man-of-war — Cape St. Mary's, of Madagascar — Raising a Finback — "There she blows" — A false Alarm — Sperm Whales — Preparation for lowering — " Going on to a Whale " — "Give it to him ! "— The Whales run — The Chase — The last Desperate Effort, and accompanying Mishap — "Getting stove" — A furious Whale — We are picked up, and lose the Whale. 92

Chapter VII

Fitting a new Boat — We raise Whales again — Our Boat gets fast — The Whale takes out the Line — The Mate despairs — Sunset — The third Mate refastens — The Mate kills the Whale — " There's Blood " — The Flurry- Getting a Fish alongside — Cutting in — Wrenching off the Head — The Teeth — The Junk — The Case — Extraordinary gathering of Sharks — Their Rapacity

— Trying out — Horse-pieces — Blanket-pieces — Mincing

— Division of Labor — A Mght Scene — Nauseating Labor — Picking out fat-lean — Stowing down the Oil — Clearing up Decks. - 114

CONTEXTS. Vll

Chapter VIII

" Gamming " —Sail Ho I — The Betsy Ann — Her Crew — A " Merchant Sailor " — A Council — A school of Whales — A race between two Whale boats — The Offer to share the Chances refused — It is our Whale — The Barzaroota Islands — Procuring Wood — A strange Fish — Harpooning Hippopotami — We cause one to "spout blood " — Tow it Ashore — Hippopotamus Steak — A Night Visit to the Shore for the Purpose of Killing a few Hippopotami, with its Results. - - . 133

Chapter IX

No Whales — Tediousness of the Life — Expedients to kill Time — The Habits of Sperm Whales — Their Food — The Sperm Whale Squid —Its Arms— The Whale's Teeth, and how it is supposed that he uses them — Means of Defense possessed by Whales — The right Whale — The Humpback — Quickness of Motion of a Sperm Whale — Lowering in a Calm — Difficulty of approaching a Whale at such a Time — He Listens — Sudden disappearance — Chasing a gallied Whale — Rainy Weather — Bourbon — Determination to leave the Vessel at the first Opportunity — The Coast of Madagascar — A Story of St. Mary's Shoal. - 156

Chapter X

Something further concerning the habits of Whales — The Humpback — Their liability to Sink when dead — Antongil Bay — Our Anchorage — The denizens of the Jungle — Our first Whaling day — A Word concerning the Weather — Actions of Whales — Close of the first Day — The Night — Another Deluge — We get fast — The Whale spouts Blood — Tenacity of Life — Towing a dead Whale — Cutting in — Trying out — A " Cow and

Vlll CONTENTS.

a Calf "—Strong affection of the Mother-Whale — How Whalemen take advantage of this — The Calf is killed

— The Sharks eat up our Whale — Scaring a Humpback —Its Results. 174

Chapter XI

Antongil Bay, continued — Whaling near Desolation Island — Teddy — A Character — Sea-Lions — How they are Captured — Tannanarevou — A City on a hill top — The Natives — The Scurvy — Burying a Man — Nearly a Ghost Story — The Cook's opinion of Ghosts — Attempts at explanation, meet with no Favor — The Result — Preparing to leave the Bay — Our first and only Holiday in the Bay — A Tour of Exploration — Disturbing an Ant's nest

— Flying Foxes — We proceed to Sea. ... -194

Chapter XII

St. Mary, Madagascar — Applying for Liberty — It is granted — Sickness Ashore — The Town and Fort — Two Men remain over night — They are taken sick and die

— An Auction — Reflections — The Seychelles — Plans for leaving the Vessel — We raise a School of Whales — How a dead Whale makes headway against the Wind — Striking a Finback — "There blows" — The excitement of " going on" to a Whale — Fast and Loose — A Whale's Revenge — The Boat Stove. - - - -210

Chapter XIII

Mahe — A Newspaper — The Islands — Their Inhabitants — A lazy man's Paradise — Plans for Escape — George Thompson's Yarn — A Cruise in a Whale boat — The Escape — Sailing along Shore— The Arrival at Mozambique — Concerning Attempts to Desert from. Whaleships — Some Reasons for the Frequency of such Attempts. - - 231

CONTENTS. IX

CHAPTER XIV. "Liberty" — The Massowah Vessel — She wants a Hand

— I go alongside — The Vessel is searched — We sail — The trip to the Mauritius — The Crew — The Captain — Discipline — The Land — Port Louis Harbor — I gain an unexpected Friend — I take charge of the Captain's Boat — A trip to Tombo Bay — Paul and Virginia — The Island — Its state under the French — Under British rule — Malabar Apprentices — Malabar Town — The Natives — Chinese. 246

Chapter XV

A Touching Ceremony — A Sailor's Grave — I turn Boatman — Life in the Isle of France — Seeking Employment — Joe Rodgers — A Bullock Drogher — Tamatave Bay — The place of Sculls — Hump cattle — Our return Passage — Taming wild Cattle — Sancho — His docility — Meeting Ashore — Difficulty of leaving so warm a Friend — A Wedding. 270

Chapter XVI

The Annie — Her Captain — I Ship in her — Our Crew — A ' Clipper's Forecastle — Sleeping Zh's-acconimodations ■ — Steering — " Humbugging " — Planning a Mutiny

— Counter Planning — The African Coast — Algoa Bay — The Anchorage — Surf-boats — Cape Boors — A South Easter — A Double Wreck — Lloyd's Agent. - - -285

Chapter XVII

Consequences of the Wreck — A New Crew — Scotch English — Uses of a Barometer — A South-easter Squall — Return to Port Louis — Ship for England — The Pauline Houghton — Talking to the Mate — Our Crew — Paddy — An examination in Seamanship — The Ship — Her

X CONTENTS.

rotten rigging — The Captain's daily siesta — The Mate gets himself into trouble — How to gain the respect of a tyrant — Shooting at a mark — The Trades — Paddy's last torture — Short handed — Sufferings — Recuperating — Seeking a Berth — The last act of Tyranny — Paying off — A " Recommendation." - -310

Chapter XVIII

I wait for the Barque — Disappointed — " Working" a Passage — New Tork after two years' Absence — Coasting — Cape Men — Smyra, the Cook — Our Crew go Home — Ship Keeping — Solitude leads to Reflection — A Coaster's Life —A " Stranger "—The Cape— The Mary Hawes— A "Fish Crew" — Fishing "at Half Line"— We Sail — Preparing for Business — The Vessel — Her Captain. - 34:2

Chapter XIX

♦'The Fleet"— A Night Scene— The First Day on Fish Ground — Habits of Mackerel — Advantages of being in a Fast Vessel — Why there is a "Fleet" — Method of Taking Mackerel — Bait used — Monotony of the Fisherman's Life — A Fish-day — Premonitory Symptoms — Rain — "Shorten Up" — Breakfast — Dressing Fish — Making a Harbor — Salting down — Coming to Anchor — After Supper Comforts — The Morning after a Storm — The Close of the Trip — Depart for New York — I Determine to quit the Sea — and do so — Difficulties Attending such a Change with the Sailor. 359

Chapter I

Whalemen- Wanted! — A Whaling Shipping Office — The Man-of-wars-man — The Merchant Seamen — The Whaleman — Talk with the Shipper — I Determine on a Whaling Cruise — Go to New Bedford.

" Landsmen Wanted ! ! One thousand

STOTJT YOUNG MEN, AmEEICANS, WANTED

for the fleet of whaleships, now fitting out for the North and South Pacific Fisheries.

"Extra chances given to Coopers, Carpenters and Blacksmiths.

" None but industrious young men, with good recommendations, taken. Such will have superior chances for advancement.

" Outfits, to the amount of seventy-eive dollaes furnished to each individual, before proceeding to sea.

" Persons desirous to avail themselves of the present splendid opportunity of seeing the world, and at the same time acquiring a profitable business, will do well to make early application to the undersigned."

Such were the contents of a flaring poster, whose bright capitals caught my eye, as one morning I was rambling with a shipmate along South street, on the East Eiver side of ISTew York. Such notices are no rarity in the Eastern seaports. "Whale crews" are in almost constant demand, and these "Wants" and " Eine Chances," stare one in the face on nearly every street corner. They are the lures by means of which the farm-boys, the factory -boys, and the city -boys are drawn to the net of the shipper. The very hopeful, and delightful, but somewhat overdrawn picture of a whaleman's life, here in few words set forth, has enticed many a tolerably honest, but withal lazy lad to seek the shipper's office, and engage himself for a three or four years cruise.

To a sailor this avenue to a whaleship is hermetically sealed. Neither here nor in New Bedford is he at all likely to be shipped — for experience has taught the captains and owners of whaling vessels that your real tar is too uneasy a creature to be kept in good order for so long a cruise as whalemen now-a-days generally make.

Knowing very well that the shippers will not

THE SHIPPING OFFICE. 13

engage them, it is no uncommon amusement with sailors, to step into one of these whaling shipping offices, and make all manner of inquiries concerning the business, the pay, the prospects of success, and finally perhaps, to offer to engage themselves — at which last stage the agent generally breaks off all communication by informing his mischievous visitors that he has at present no chances open.

" Here's the office, Charley," said my shipmate, who had been amusing himself at the expense of one of the bright posters we had passed. " Let's go in and talk a little to the old fellow. I'll ask him if he don't remember shipping me as boatsteerer in the Happy-go-lucky."

" You don't look green enough for a whaleman, Jack," said I.

" "No" answered he, giving his trowsers an extra hitch, and his rakish little hat a more knowing set, "there's no green here, lad; but come in."

We stepped into a tolerably roomy office, divided into two unequal parts by a railing, behind which stood a desk, upon which leaned a tall, blackbearded, shrewd looking man. This proved to be the shipper, or shipping-master, as this dignitary is styled by seamen. The front and largest division of the office was furnished with several long forms or benches, ranged along the wall, some chairs, and an occasional spit-box. On the benches reclined at full length three as verdant specimens of humanity as could be easily conceived of. Dirty, lazy looking wretches they were, withal, whose begrimed faces, and filthy shirts betokened a most inconsistent aversion to the element upon which they were about to seek their fortunes. One of them I noticed had already taken the initiatory step in sailorship — his mouth was filled with tobacco, and the saliva was trickling from the lower corner, to the floor beneath.

" Industrious young men, with good recommendations," muttered jny companion, in a very audible whisper.

The shipper evidently looked upon us as rather unwelcome intruders, and did not hesitate to tell us, that there were no chances to ship.

" Don't you want to ship a good Eoatsteerer ? " asked my friend, in reply to this hint.

"Do you mean to say that you were ever whaling? " was the Yankee answer to this. The accustomed eye of the shipper had seen at first glance that neither of us were whalemen; and had we disguised ourselves with all possible care, he would still have been as sure as before, of this. It is a singular fact, that seamen, as also those who have much dealings with them, can tell, almost at a single glance at a sailor, and with the most unerring certainty, what special department of his business he has most generally followed. What may be the actual distinguishing marks, it would be difficult to say. But they are there, plainly visible to the initiated, and unconcealable by any but the most experienced old seadogs, who, having

SEAMEN. 15

seen a little of all services, sometimes succeed in making themselves a puzzle, even to the discriminating vision of the shipper.

Of these distinguishing marks it may be said however, that the man-of- wars -man is known, by a certain jaunty neatness of attire, and a something dashing, and carelessly gay, in his air and manner, which is above all others his peculiarity. Let him dress as he will, he can never drop that air of saucy recklessness.

The merchant seaman is rough, weatherbeaten, with hard features, face and neck bronzed by many suns, and hands swollen by hard work. But he is more particularly distinguishable by an indiscribable awkwardness, in manner and gait. Toil and exposure have made his body stiff and clumsy. His tout ensemble presents more angularities than that of his brother of the service, and in his motions he displays none of the easy grace of the latter. Withal, his clothing fits him badly. The most skillful tailor gives him up in despair, and he lumbers through the world with an ungainly roll, which somehow puts one in mind of a bear. It is in storm, and danger, " in the times that try men's souls," that Forecastle Jack shows to advantage.

But how shall I describe a whaleman ? that walking embodiment Bag-fair — " patch upon patch, and a patch over all." While Jack and I are taking a survey of the office, there comes in a fair specimen of the genus. " He is a boatsteerer " — the shipper whispers to me as he sees him enter the door j and he is probably a smart fellow, else would he not be cordially welcomed in and attentively listened to by that worthy.

He is a rather slender, middle-sized man, with a very sallow cheek, and hands tanned of a deep and enduring saffron color. He is very round-shouldered, the effect possibly of much pulling at his oar. He has a singular air of shabbiness about him, as though he had bought his fit-out in Chatham street, of some dealer in second-hand garments. Neither does he look at all at home in the " shore clothes " which he carries about. His shoes are rough and foxy, and the strings trail upon the ground, as he walks. His trowsers fail to connect, by several inches, showing a margin of coarse, grey woolen sock, intervening between their bottoms, and his shoes. A portion of his red flannel drawers is visible, above the waistband of his pantaloons ; while a rusty black handkerchief at the throat, fastened by a large ring, made of the tooth of a sperm whale, and inlaid with motherof-pearl, keeps together a shirt bosom, which is innocent of a single button. A cutaway coat of summer-cloth, and a little glazed cap complete his costume. But that which strikes one as his most marked peculiarity is a certain uncertainty in his gaze, which seems to betoken a lack of self-confidence. He moves along with a spiritless dawdle, which is. quite in unison with his general expression of listlessness. He evidently feels but ill at ease in

ABOATSTEERER. 17

shoes and stockings. He speaks in an undertone, as though not judging it worth while to talk louder. His appearance is thoroughly unprepossessing, and calculated to give one the impression that he is quite the reverse of " smart."

This is a whaleman, ashore.

"Who is he?" I asked of the shipper, as he lounged out of the office door, after receiving some money, evidently the object of his visit to the shipjung-office.

" That fellow," was the answer, spoken with some degree of pride ; " that's Ezekiel Wixon, a mighty smart man, I can tell you, and death on a sperm whale. I've got him a birth as third mate and boatsteerer in the finest ship that will sail from ISTew Bedford this season, and I would not hesitate to bet money that he will be chief mate of her next voyage."

I should never have guessed it, from his appearance ; but it was even so. And when I subsequently came to ISTew Bedford, I found this awkward looking fellow hand-in-glove with every out-fitter in the place — a sure sign that his smartness as a whale-man was beyond doubt.

While I was talking to the shipper, my companion saw something in the street to attract his attention, and left me. Being thus without company I continued my conversation with the talkative shipping-master, gaining from him some information in regard to a branch of the whaling business, of which I had hitherto learnt but little.

He explained to me how and on what terms the greenhands, or landsmen, as with a proper respect for the income they produced him he preferred to call them, were engaged, as well as many particulars then heard by me for the first time, in regard to the manner in which " the hands " are fitted out for a whaling cruise.

There are shipping-offices in all the principal American seaports, as well as in some of the cities bordering on the lakes. Each of these offices has its headquarters at New Bedford or some other of the whaling ports, and thither such men as they can pick up, are sent, at the risk and expense of the shipper. On their arrival, they are taken in charge by the resident agent, who provides them with boarding houses, and next proceeds to procure for them places on board some outward bound vessel. The shipper charges ten dollars per man for his services, besides having his outlays refunded him. These expenses, as well as board bill for the time the prospective whaleman is obliged to remain in port, are included in the seventy-five dollars outfit which figures so conspicuously on the posters before mentioned.

As neither shippers nor outfitters receive a cent from the owners till the vessel is fairly at sea, it behooves them to pick out the steadiest looking men. Frequent loss has taught them to regard the fickle-minded sailor with a large degree of aversion, and to cherish a corresponding degree of good feeling toward every degree and kind

AN OLD SHIPMATE. 19

of verdancy, from that of the farmer boy, to that no less evident, of the "counter-jumper."

" In fact," remarked the shipper to me, " it would never do for us to bring sailors to a whaling port, for the owners will not take them in their ships. You old salts are an unquiet set, and never make good whalemen."

With a smile at his opinion of sailors, I took my leave of the shipper. His account of New Bedford, which was his chief scene of operations, had aroused my curiosity to see somewhat of a whaling port, and I began to think seriously of taking a trip thither in some little coaster, and spending some weeks there. I had still money enough — why not indulge this whim ?

As I walked along, ruminating upon my plan, an old acquaintance, a captain of a coaster, with whom I had made a voyage once before the mast, accosted me, and after shaking hands, and a hearty inquiry after my welfare, asked me if 1 would not go with him to New Bedford.

" I'll only want a man to help me as far as there, where I have now one of my old hands, waiting for the vessel (a little schooner), and I'll give you five dollars for the run."

" Agreed," said I, without stopping to take a second thought ; " when do you sail ? "

" To-morrow morning, with the first flood."

We walked down aboard the schooner, a neat little craft of some sixty tuns, and talked over old times for a while, when I returned to my boarding house, to pack up ray luggage, and prepare myself for the morrow. On mature consideration, I determined to take all my effects along with me, so that should I make up my mind to ship for a cruise in a whaler, I should be prepared.

Accordingly on the following morning, I bade good-by to the few ship-mates whom I had met while in ]N"ew York that time, (but without communicating to any one of them my thoughts concerning making a cruise in a wmaler), and took my chest and hammock aboard the schooner. The tide serving soon after I got on board, we cast off from the pier and stood up the river, amid a fleet of coasters, all bound through Hurlgate, and up " the Sound." It was a fair day, in midsummer, and as we sailed along with a pleasant breeze, my old shipmate, the captain, or skipper, as he was most generally addressed, sat himself down by me to have another talk over days past, when we were together inmates of a forecastle, and to hear somewhat of my adventures since.

" But why did you bring with you all your things, Charley ?" said he, when at length I had brought my yarn to a close.

"Well," I answered, with some degree of hesitation, for I was half ashamed to disclose my thoughts even to an old friend, " I have half an idea of shipping in a whaler."

" I hope you won't make such a fool of yourself, my dear fellow," was the answer to this.

PASSAGE TO NEW BEDFORD. 21

" At any rate," continued lie, " there's but little danger of it, for no owner or captain in New Bedford, would ship such an old salt as you."

Kow, I may as well own here, that this continued assertion, that I would not be able to obtain a birth in any whaleship in New Bedford, had the effect of adding much strength to my at first but weakly entertained wish. The more insurmountable seemed the difficulties which hedged about my undertaking, the more earnestly it took hold of my mind, and the more desirable did its attainment appear to me. And thus it came about, that before we reached New Bedford, I was firmly resolved to leave no avenue untried, in my effort to obtain a place on a whaler. It must not be supposed however, that the wish to make a trial of whaling, and add this to my experiences of sea life, was altogether of so late a date as the previous day. On the contrary, I had long entertained the determination to make a whale cruise at some time or other, and every whaling yarn spun in a forecastle served to keep alive this thought. But I had never before now set a time and place for the carrying into effect of this idea.

Chapter II

New Bedford — The Town — The Wharves — The Shipping Office — Prospective Whalemen — Old Bill — The Outfitters — Tricks upon the Greenhorns — Hezekiah Ellsprett claims the Captain's Stateroom — Old Bill and the Ship-owner — The Transformation.

We arrived in New Bedford after a short and pleasant run of twenty hours through the Sound. As soon as the vessel was anchored opposite the wharves, I persuaded the cook to set me ashore, and proceeded to seek a boarding house, and take a preliminary survey of the town.

I experienced no difficulty in securing a place where, for a very moderate sum per week, I was to be furnished with what the good lady called " lodging and victuals," and, after getting my luggage ashore, and receiving the five dollars due me for helping to work the schooner to this place, I set out on a ramble over the town. This I found to differ in many particulars from any other American seaport I had ever been in, and, indeed, from any conceptions I had formed in my own mind of its general appearance.

For a place in which so large a business is carried on as here, "Bedford" is remarkably still. At the distance of three squares from the water

NEW BEDFORD. 23

Bide, one would never guess that he stood within the bounds of a city which ranks in commercial importance the seventh seaport in the Union, and whose ships float upon every ocean. A more quiet and rural looking place than that portion of the city beyond the immediate business limits, it would be difficult to imagine. And a more beautifully laid out or better kept city I never saw. It was now mid-summer, and the spacious mansions, embowered in green foliage, which border the principal streets, looked really enchanting to my eyes, long wearied with monotonous salt water views; while a walk up the well shaded streets was like a trip into the country. New Bedford well deserves the name of being one of the most beautiful cities in New England.

The business portion of the town is confined within a comparatively limited space. One long street, running parallel with wharves, is almost exclusively devoted to the shops of the outfitters, who play a far from unimportant part in the drama of whaling, and of whom more particular mention will be made further on. On the little branch streets by which this main street communicates with the water side, the sailor boarding houses are mainly found. Many of these are kept by the widows of departed whalemen, who earn a scanty subsistence by providing the aforementioned " lodgeing and victuals " for numerous youthful aspirants to spouting honors, who here do congregate.

Passing by the boarding houses, we come to the wharves, along which, fronting the water side, are the warehouses and counting rooms of various ship owners and dealers in oil, bone, and spermaceti. These are scattered along, without regular connection, the scene varied here and there by a blacksmith's or cooper's shop, which two branches of industry seem to be in a peculiarly nourishing condition hereabouts.

Looking down to the water now, we see a few straggling wharves, between which lie numerous vessels in various states of readiness and unreadiness for departure on their long voyages.

Here lies a huge hull, careened over on the flat, her exposed side and bottom being thoroughly resheathed and new coppered, dozens of men crawling all over her vast bilge, sawing, fitting, and hammering. Yonder is an old hulk, whose topsides have been torn away, to make room for new ones, by which means she will become almost as strong as a new vessel. Here, at the wharf, is a craft in a more forward state; her masts are now being put in, and as we are looking at her, a general shout proclaims that the main -mast has just been stepped. And a little farther on we see a rusty -looking old tub, just being converted into a saucy clipper by the aid of a plentiful application of paint.