cket where a tooth should apparently have
been, and this was conclusive evidence of the soft and yielding nature
of the great creature's food. But there were signs that at some period
of the development of the whale it had possessed a double row of teeth,
because at the bottom of these upper sockets we found in a few cases
what seemed to be an abortive tooth, not one that was growing, because
they had no roots, but a survival of teeth that had once been perfect
and useful, but from disuse, or lack of necessity for them, had
gradually ceased to come to maturity. The interior of the mouth and
throat was of a livid white, and the tongue was quite small for so large
an animal. It was almost incapable of movement, being somewhat like a
fowl's. Certainly it could not have been protruded even from the angle
of the mouth, much less have extended along the parapet of that lower
mandible, which reminded one of the beak of some mighty albatross or
stork.

CHAPTER VII. GETTING SOUTHWARD

Whether our recent experience had altered the captain's plans or not
I do not know, but much to the dismay of the Portuguese portion of the
crew, we did but sight, dimly and afar off, the outline of the Cape
Verde Islands before our course was altered, and we bore away for the
southward like any other outward-bounder. That is, as far as our course
went; but as to the speed, we still retained the leisurely tactics
hitherto pursued, shortening sail every night, and, if the weather was
very fine, setting it all again at daybreak.

The morose and sullen temper of the captain had been, if anything, made
worse by recent events, and we were worked as hard as if the success of
the voyage depended upon our ceaseless toil of scrubbing, scraping,
and polishing. Discipline was indeed maintained at a high pitch of
perfection, no man daring to look awry, much less complain of any
hardship, however great. Even this humble submissiveness did not satisfy
our tyrant, and at last his cruelty took a more active shape. One of
the long Yankee farmers from Vermont, Abner Cushing by name, with the
ingenuity which seems inbred in his 'cute countrymen, must needs try
his hand at making a villainous decoction which he called "beer," the
principal ingredients in which were potatoes and molasses. Now potatoes
formed no part of our dietary, so Abner set his wits to work to steal
sufficient for his purpose, and succeeded so far that he obtained half
a dozen. I have ve