The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-12-22
a sperm sSha.er's Journal.

An officer on board the ship Napoleon, of New
Bedford. furnishes lc.ii from hs journal. lie
was married few weeks before the ship sailed,
and. cOu>eq quently. left home with some tender
regrets: but. like Ut.Ier - salts. lived IN hopes
of increased pleasure upon his return The first
night out, the ship encountered ii severe gale;
most vi her crew were young land>Inen, who
were compelled To seek shelter below ON account
of s.;l-sickueSs the snip decks were numbered
with srare syar< and boats. and under her lee lay
the land not many miles distant, covered along
it, strand with roaring breakers The officers
and bUI>teereTs were the only sailors on board.
As the gale increased. sail was reduced. until she
wa, under close reriei toI>ls and reeied courses;
and this was more than she seemed able 10
bear: but il was necessary 10 carry on to avoid
driitin. among the breakers. Ram and hail
mingled with tie tempest; every plungo tie snip
made filled her decks with water, and she treIn-
bled fore and aft under the heavy press OF canvas
shc was made To carry. Our friend in his journal
morllizrs ON the mutability Of human affairs in
this wise:
=. What a change to living shore with an
angel. 70 washing about. like an old swab in the
le, >cuppersi Never mind all the sunshine is
not used up vets let the wind blow and the
breake roar, for | shall my darling once
more
After thrsl-hiIl. about a couple of days, max
ing ami taking ia sail. the wind increased or
moderated. size finally clawed off shore and was
then favored with fair winds and pleasant weather.
down a cJuTIe Of sperm whales. and went whal-
ine aIOn moderately several weeks. But how
many many months she cruiSed without seeing
the spout Of "a whale Those only who have
been beard whaler can comprehend the
wea-iueSS of inacIiOn. Day follows day, and
nothing but the same blank ocean presents it-slf
10 the eye. The ordinary duties of the ship are
performed without spirit; both men and officers
feel depressed
Her luck for nearly three years was very hard
L I f.r pf
oil The whales when seen were very wild; 1t
was difficult - get them. and even school
whale never hove u as in days of yOre.
When the ocean in the vicinity Of japan was
discovered a. a whaling ground, ships were
known To roll in over one thousand barrels IN q
single season. Voyages were then frequently
mad. in twenty months. But the whales were
tame. plentiful and fat. y ship would lie Tor
weeks with ter toI>aIls on the cais. halcs
were generally in sight, and were easily killed.
But those haicyon days OF sperm whaling have
vanished, never u r-tuTn.
Weary Of looking ont upon the barren waters,
the NaygisOH uP stick from her cruising ground
t. land Il sick man. considering the voyage al
most ended. when she Tal-cd sI"rm whales. Inc
bad luck Of the past was forgotten; every man
on board felt inspired with new liic-eyen the
sick man recovered under the cheering music OF
e. there she blows"
During seven or eight weeks she rolled in six
hundred barrels Of sperm oil. In one case. Il
large whale was seen three boats lowered after
him. fastened. and killed him, ia fifteen minutes
This showed that the spirit Of the crew only re-
quired the sheen Of i black-skln to rouse IL to
ncrpIsIn.
The details Of n whaling journal are dry to a
laud-man. because the incidents are 20 cpldly ex-
pressed For instance A boat il stove; a man
j. killed a boat loses her lines,-and thc facts
/ are recorded. without comment, somewhat IN the
following style:
Ats 4 NJ raised a whale to lecward, three
miles distant at ., lowered all the boats. About
+ To- the waist boat fastened tp a young bull and
was stove. John Jones was drowned the star
board quarter-DOaJ picked up the men and the
stove boat the larbOard quarier-boAt fastened 10
+ the same whale and was also stoye-the bDw-boat
. rick.d up her crew. Returned To- the ship and
/ hoi-t.d the stove boats on board, and made sail
/ in chase Of the whale, still in sight To the lee
ward. At 1 +. N. lowered the starboard quarter
and bDw-bDats. At p. N. the bow-boat ia-ten
. I'd and killed the whale. Recovered the boats
. lines. brought the whale alongside, and made
=. preparations to cut in
This l. rather a long entry for one whale bu
how many incidents does 1t embrace, and ho"
striking. 10. If presented a. they occurred. The
record or a successful whaling voyage 1t properly
prepared would appear more interesting than al
tine privatrer-storIes ever published. \ writer u
the HHIckerbDcior, speaking 1i our whal'inen
eavs .-'' The adventures of our whal"men, ,
prepared with a tthc of' I'll" "hIIty dI.pi"yIu "
the narratives Of early nlvigitprs, would "NhIhi
scene. ~ individual daring. endurance and IN
telIgcnce -urra--ng IN interest all that has b''
recorded Of the past
And w. agree with hun. All honor to on
, gallant wiiaIrmen. for - them. IN the hour g
Teril we shall look th" men beet qualified t
man our navy and meet our foes on the ocean
The Napoleon at lizt arrived. with good v"y
age. considering the high price Of sEHrm oi
. and our friend closes his Jpurn"l in th" ioHpw'n
/ style:
, =. Home at last thank God, and found my ~
- of Diar,opda a4 bright and beautiful eve
F D,n't think shall leave hor again. .''-Na'''f0