of about thirty pounds weight each, to be minced fine before being
thrown into the try-pots. The whole watch were thus engaged, and what
with the blazing fires, the wreaths of black smoke, the dark figures
flourishing their implements, and ever and anon giving vent to horrible
oaths and shouts and shrieks of savage laughter, the spectacle I beheld
was more weird and wild than anything I could have imagined--like one of
those dreadful scenes I have read of where spirits of darkness are
described holding their midnight revels.

My share of the work on such occasions when the watch to which I
belonged was on deck was to turn the grindstone for the carpenter, whose
business it was to sharpen the spades for the men. In the intervals
during daylight I amused myself, armed with one of the spades, the pole
of which was twenty feet long, in killing the sharks swarming alongside.
One deep cut on the back of the neck or tail was sufficient to destroy
the largest of the savage creatures. I must not be accused of cruelty
to animals. Of all the fierce creatures of land or sea the sailor most
dreads and detests the cruel shark, for there are few who have not heard
or seen some thing of his depredations.

About a month after leaving Juan Fernandez we reached the Galapagos, a
group of volcanic islands lying under the equator, their black and
rugged shores having a most uninviting appearance. In one only, Charles
Island, is water to be found, though in another of considerable extent
there are hills and valleys with groves of trees; but the chief
vegetation on all of them is the prickly pear, which in most parts
covers the ground.

We cruised off the Galapagos for upwards of two months, sometimes in
company with other whalers, but more frequently alone, meeting with fair
success. At last many of the men began to grumble at being kept so long
at sea; those especially who had before shown a mutinous disposition
taking no pains to conceal their discontent, for we had been ten months
from the Thames, and according to the articles we were bound to anchor
in a civilised port at least once in every six months. I felt sure from
what I overheard that mischief was brewing; and one day when Domingo,
whom I could not trust, was out of the cabin, I told the captain my
fears. He only replied by a scornful laugh, but before he went on deck
he put a brace of pistols in his belt, and I observed shortly afterwards
that the mates had also armed th