er, being of the class
carrying three. The Captain, mate, and second mate stand no watch
except there is _blubber_ to be boiled; the boat-steerers taking
charge of the watch and managing the ship with their respective boats
crews, and in this instance dividing the night into three parts, each
taking a third. It so happened that Smith after keeping the first
watch, was relieved by Comstock, (whom we shall call by his sir name
in contradistinction to his brother George) and the _waist boat's
crew_, and the former watch retired below to their births and
hammocks. George Comstock took the helm, and during his _trick_,
received orders from his brother to "keep the ship a good full,"
swearing that the ship was too nigh the wind. When his time at the
helm had expired he took the _rattle_, (an instrument used by
whalemen, to announce the expiration of the hour, the watch, &c.) and
began to shake it, when Comstock came to him, and in the most
peremptory manner, ordered him to desist, saying "if you make the
least damn bit of noise I'll send you to hell!" He then lighted a lamp
and went into the steerage. George becoming alarmed at this conduct of
his unnatural brother, again took the _rattle_ for the purpose of
alarming some one; Comstock arrived in time to prevent him, and with
threatenings dark and diabolical, so congealed the blood of his
trembling brother, that even had he possessed the power of alarming
the unconscious and fated victims below, his life would have been the
forfeit of his temerity!

Comstock, now laid something heavy upon a small work bench near the
cabin gangway, which was afterwards found to be a boarding knife. It
is an instrument used by whalers to cut the _blubber_ when hoisting it
in, is about four feet in length, two or three inches wide, and
necessarily kept very sharp, and for greater convenience when in use,
is two edged.

In giving a detail of this chilling transaction, we shall be guided by
the description given of it by the younger Comstock, who, as has been
observed, was upon deck at the time, and afterwards learned several
particulars from his brother, to whom alone they could have been
known. Comstock went down into the cabin, accompanied by Silas Payne
or Paine, of Sag-Harbour, John Oliver, of Shields, Eng., William
Humphries, (the steward) of Philadelphia, and Thomas Lilliston; the
latter, however, went no farther than the cabin gangway, and then ran
forward and _turned in_. According to