The national whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1847, 1847-08-04

said in her praise. She was rotten to the
core, incommodious, and ill-provided, bad
ly manned, and worse commanded Paper
Jack, the captain, was faeble cockney, Of
meek spirit and puny frame, who glided
about the vessel IN q nankeen jacket and
canvass pumps, laughing-stock to his
crew. The real commsad devolved upon
the chief mate, John Jermin--a good sailor
and brave fellow, but violent, and given to
drink. The junior mate had deserted OF
the four harpooners only one was left, a
fierce barbarian Of New Zealander--an
excellent mariner, whose stock Of English
was limited to nautical phrases and fright,
ful power Of oath, but who, in spite Of his
cannibal origin, ranked as sort of officer,
in virtue Of his harpoon, and took command
OF the ship when mate and captain were
absent. What q capital story, by the bye,
Typee tells us of one Of this Bembo's
whaling exploits New Zealanders are
brave and bloodthirsty, and excellent har-
pooners, and they act up to the South
Seaman's was-cry, ga dead whale or
stove boat 70 There is world of wild
romance and thrilling adventure in the
occasional glimpses OF the whale fishery
afforded us in Omoo; strange pic,ur-
esqueness and piratical mystery about
the lawless class Of seamen engaged in
il. Such portrait gallery as Typee
makes out Of the Julia's crew, be-
ginning with Chips and Bungs, the carpen-
ter and cooper, the 6 Gods" or leaders Of
the forecastle, and descending until he ar
rives at poor Rope Yarn, or Ropey, as he
was called, stunted jouineyman baker
from Holborn, the most helpless and forlorn
Of all land-lubbers, the butt and drudge of
the ships company A Dane, Portu-
guese, Finlander, a savage from Hivarhoo,
sundry English, Irish, and Americans, dar-
ing Yankee beach-comber, called Salem, and
Sydney Ben, runaway ticket -of-leave- man,
made up crew much too weak to do any
good in the whaling way. But the best
fellow on board, and by far the most re-
markable, was disciple Of Esculapius,
known as Doctor Long Ghost. Jermin is
q good portrait; SO is Captain Guy but
Long-Ghost is jewel of boy, complete
original, hit of with uncommon felicity.
Nothing is told US of his early life. Ty-
pee takes him up on board the Julia, shakes
hands with him in the last page Of the
book, and informs rs that he has never
since seen or heard of him. So we be-
come acquainted with but small section
Of the Doctors life &; his subsequent adven-
lures are unknown, and, save chance hint
or two, his previous career is a mystery,
-unfathomable as the Tahitian coast, where,
within biscuits toss of the coral shore,
soundings there are none. Now and then
ne would obscurely refer 10 days more
palmy and prosperous than those spent on
board the Julia. But, however great the
contrast between his former fortunes and
his then lowly position, he exhibited much
calm philosophy and cheerful resignation.
He was even merry and facetious, practical
wag Of the very first order, and as such a
great favorite with the whole ships COM
pany, the captain excepted. He had ar
rived at Sydney in an emigrant ship, had
| expended his resources, and entered as doc
tor on board the Julia. All British whalers
are bound to carry medical man who is trea
ted as gentleman, so long as he behaves as
such, and.has nothing TO do but to drug the
men and play drafts with the captain. Al
first Long Ghost and Captain Guy hit il off
very well until, in an unlucky hour, a
dispute about politics destroyed their har-
monious association. The captain got
thrashing; the mntinous doctor was put in
confinement and on bread and water, ran
away from the ship, was pursued, captured,
and again imprisoned. Released at last, he
resigned his Office, refused TO do duty, and
went forward amongst the men This was
more magnanimous than wise. Long Ghost
was sort Of medical Tom Coffin, a raw
boned giant, upwards of two yards high,
one OF those men to whom the between
decks OF . small craft is a residence little
less affecting than one Of Cardinal Balue's
iron cages. And to one who "had certainly,
at some time or other, spent money, drunk
Burgundy, and associated with gentlemen;
the Julia's forcastle must have contained a
host Of disagreeables, irrespective Of rats and
cockroaches, of its low roof, evil odors,
damp timbers, and dungeon like aspect.
The captains table, if less luxurious than
that Of royal yacht or New York liner,
surely offered something better than the
biscuits, hard as gun-fints and thoroughly
honeycombed, and the shot-soup, "great
round peas polishing themselves like peb-
bles by rolling about in tepid water" on
which the FESTIVE man Of medicine was fain
to exercise his grinders during his abode
forward. As regarded society, he lost lit
tie by relnquishing that of Guy Cockney
since he obtained in exchange the intimacy
Of Melville the Yankee, who, to judge
from his book, must be exceeding good
company, and to whom he was great
resource. The doctor was man Of learn
ing and accomplishments, who had made
the most of his time whilst the sun shone
on his side the hedge, and had rolled his
ungainly carcass over half the world. "He
quoted Virgil, and talked Of Hobbies o.
Malmsbury, besides repeating poetry by
the csnto, especially Hudibras. 10 the ca.
siest way imaginable, he could refer to ar
amour he had in Palermo, his lion-hunt