The Portland daily press., 1866-11-29
Written for the Press.l
An Adventure i'm the Pacific
BY ONE WHO WAS THERE.

rung out the CHEEKY tones OF our natty little
skipper, as he turned MS gaze upwards TO the
fore toppaIlant cross-treeS-"a sharp look out
and do You hear, a double eagle to the man who
sights the first whale.
The good ship Champion, OF New Bedford,
eleven months out and "clean," was at this
time rolling laziy along before the wind, max
ing passage towards the off shore ground,
upon the edge of which she was but entering.
To the master of a whaler, on his first voyage
in that capacity, the days that creep slowly
along after bidding farewell to the owners, seem
as weeks, until, with his first whale alongside,
ne finds his voyage fairly begun, and something
else than salt water filling the casks from which
he has been obliged to abstract provisions and
profits to no small amount"
Somewhat Respondent, though generally
hopeful, Captain Hazard looked, as he stood
there on the try-works, the very picture Oh d
man battling courageously with fortune. Iurn-
ing at last to the mate, an old, weather Deaten
Nantucketman who stood at the VIse-pehcm az
work on a steering strap,-"M carey, an
ask is but commencement; let me Dut put TWO
streaks of the old ships copper under water,
with oil ballast and over 10 the sandwich
Islands we go to recruit for season in the
Arctic.
Sperm oil or no port" was now the subject
of much discussion, especially among us ofthe
forecastle, and many an eye was strained over
the green bosom of "old treachery," to catch
the lifting spouts that would give us a run
ashore. Since leaving the Azores, a month af-
ter our departure from home, we had 'banged
it about for ten weary months, from the coast
of Africa across to the River La Plata and
around Cape Horn, and but sixteen barrels of
Blacklist oil had passed through our "cooler."
Jack, with less interest in the success of the
voyage than the officers, is a sorry biped after
ten months fare upon hard tack and salt beef
Brooding through the day watch upon his I'M
happy lot, and growing along in his night
vigils, he becomes thoroughly morose and sell
fsh, and losing all care for the present, thinks
only of the future and a run ashore.
Sperm oil or no port and our thirty-six
malcontents before the mast, opened wider
their eyes as each in turn took his lookout
from masthead. \
Three days after the golden promise of the
skipper, my turn came for lookout, and in
the middle of the morning watch was sent
aloft We were then near the middle of what
scaled the "off shore ground" and since our
entering it had seen not one blow or white
water" save that made by a solitary fn-back
and school of porpoises.
Eagerly, then, as the sun painted up the East,
did scan the magnificent expanse before me !;
and as the mornings glory crept down from
truck to tOp-mast, from top-mast to yard and
thence to the hull of the old Champion, the
twinkling, dancing, ripping wave seemed like
coquettish belle throwing about her face a
pink veil with which to heighten her charms.
Nothing, nothing; and was fast relapsing
into reverie, in which my friends, like shad-
ows, passed before me, their faces daguerreo-
typed upon my brain in the same sad express
sion as at parting, when my eye became rivet-
ed upon something on the horizon which SEEM
ed like sail, disappearing at intervals, and
rolling of the sea. Again, again and again
and by the bushy appearance of the fancied
sail, knew, 1 fell, that a veritable sperm whale
had made its appearance. With my eye still
fixed npon it, gave the peculiar cry, appreci-
ated SO fully by whaemen,
" There she blOWS-hl0w-
Firemen at their work, soldiers in battle, pol
iticians in debate, could not be more alert
more determined, more excited, than were the
forty-ive souls comprising the crew of the
Champion, as that sound broke upon their
unprepared ears. In less than ninety seconds
every man was ON deck, the watch below
having hurried up with their unmentionables
in hand, hardly knowing, in their drowsiness,
whether the ship OR themselves was over
board.
"Where away?" instantly demanded the
third mate who headed the larboard watch to
which 1 belonged, mounting tn main rigging
as he spoke, nor stopping till well over the
futtock shrouds.
1.-TWO points on the lee BEAM"
Keep her off couple of points"
The "olo man" Jas the captain is usually
called, with spy-glass in hand, soon stood on
the fore top-gallant yard by my side. in a
as his eye caught the welcome whitewater
ahead he called out:
"Get your boats ready, fore and aftl"
With ready will the tubs of line were passed
into the boats, oars unlashed, neglected boat
kegs refilled, while the several boats crews
pective stations, were eagerly looking out for
the time when the spout should be seen from
off deck.
Aloft, sundry ordinations were heard at
or there she lop-tails," while perhaps So
Hloquy might be heard from the captain of
there's his old hump"
Haul up the mainsail, Mr.. Carey; we are
full near enough" said the captain as he kept
his eye still fixed ON the leviathan which
continued to gambol unaware of the approach
of its pursuers
"There goes flukes," shouted dozen voices
at once, as the mighty fish throwing is huge
fukes high in air, descended into the depths
below.
"Who'se got that wheel, there" shouted
the skipper, thoroughly vexed, as the ship
waved off point or two from her COURSE
Throw the lubber overheard, and put man
in his place." and Bill Barker, thoroughly
abashed at this rebuke, gave up the wheel to
a boatsteerer.
Haul back the main yard!' now came
from aloft, and clear away the bow and waist
boats" soon followed.
Come on here, bow-boats men" shouted
the third mate.
"Where's my boats crew." yelled the Sec
ond officer, and hoist and swing, lower away
fore and aft, and over the side Jumped the
lads, tumbling over their oars, stepping into
the line tubs, .jamm1ng their fingers against the
ships side, in their various attempts to put
in their boat pins, while with smothered
curse at their stupidity from the boatsteerer,
and thump or two from the boat's-header,
the boats finally shove astern of the ship,
where their oars are showed out, and lined"
and the order given to pull ahead.
Receiving instructions to pull to the spot
from which the whale disappeared, the boats
proceeded but short half mile, when the or
der was given to heave up" and each man
was cautioned to look over his oar for the re-
appearance of the whale The irons," as the
placed in their crotches or rests while the
lances were cleared away from the sides of the
boat, to serve for ready action.
Six persons comprise the crew of whale
boat, which is made sharp at both ends to
obviate the necessity of turning around when
necessary to remove from too close proximity
to the whale The boatsteerer pulls the for
ward or what is called the harpooneer oar
No. pulls the bow, No 2 the midship, No.
the tub, and No. the after oar. The boat
header, or officer in command, takes the steer
ing oar, holding it until the boatsteerer (who
relinquishes his oar in time to strike the
whale) has fastened. The tub, containing
many fathoms of compactly coiled line, made
of manila, occupies place between Nos.
and A. A loggerhead, shaped something like a
sheets of the boat, and close under the boat
headers right hand.
From the tub, the line takes one turn around
the loggerhead, back again, and across the oars
to the Forward part OF the boat in which is
cut slot or groove. Through this the line
passes and is bent on to the "irons" These
latter are light, slender barbs, into the sockets
of which are fitted Oaken poles, eight feet in
length, for the purpose of giving additional
force and impetus to the instrument, which
is intended merely to fasten to and hold the
whale until the lance takes its life. They may
be thrown by strong arm with tolerable cor
rectness of aim to distance of thirty feet.
Upon fastening to the whale, the word is
given to change ends" at which the officer
leaves the steering-oar and takes his place in
the head of the boat, the boatsteerer's further
duty being simply to tend the line and to steer
the boat.
1t was my lot to be bowman of the third
mates boat, and as 1 sat there looking over
my oar and wondering where the whale would
"break water" it seemed to me as gazed, that
the bow boat never looked so small or the shin
AZ larne as viewed from our little conlrlo sLoli