Promontory, until the whales were
all killed or driven away. I never saved any money until nine years
back; we always went on th' spree and spent every penny directly we
were paid off. At that time I went with a man from Port Albert to
the Seal Islands in a boat. I knew of a place where there was a
cave, a big hollow under the rocks, where th' seals used to go to
sleep, and a blow hole coming out of it to th' top of the island. We
hired a boat and went there, and made a kind of a door which we could
drop down with a rope to shut up the mouth of th' cave and catch the
seals inside. We killed so many that we couldn't take th' skins away
all at once in the boat to Port Albert; we had to come back again. I
thowt to myself I'd be richer than ever I was in my life; th' skins
were worth hundreds of pounds. I had agreed to go halves with th'
Port Albert man, but, you see, he'd ha' never gotten a penny but for
me, because he knew nothing whatever about sealing. It didn't look
quite fair to give him half; and then I thowt what a lucky thing it
would be for me if he were drowned; and he was drowned, but mind you,
I didn't do it. It was this way. When we got back to th' blow-hole
th' weather was bad. One o' them sou'east gales set in, and th' big
waves dashed agen the rocks, roaring and sending spray right across
th' island. We had packed away all th' seal-skins snug in th' boat
and pulled th' door up from th' bottom of th' chimney before th' gale
started. When we were taking down the rope and tackle and th'
shears, th' water began to come boiling up th' blow hole and sinking
down again. There was a big rush of wind, first up and then down
sucking you in like. It was a ticklish time, and just as we were
going to lower th' shears, th' Port Albert man made a kind of slip,
and was sucked in with the wind, and went head first into the boiling
water and out of sight. I took hold of the slack of a rope, thinking
I'd throw it to him; he might get hold of it, and then I could pull
him out. In about half a minute he was thrown up again by th' next
wave right to the top of th' chimney. I could see his face within
four feet of me. He threw up his hands for something to catch at and
looked at me, and then gave a fearful scream. I didn't throw him the
rope; something stopped me. He might not have got hold of it, you
know, anyhow. He went down again among th' white water, and I never
saw him no more--only when I am dreaming.