til the usual round had been made, unless the vessel were
filled in the mean time.

Of course, there are whales whose habits lead them at certain seasons,
for breeding purposes, to frequent various groups of islands, but the
cachalot seems to be quite impartial in his preferences; if he "uses"
around certain waters, he is just as likely to be found there in July as
January.

The Bonins, too, form an ideal calling-place, from the whaling captain's
point of view. Peel Island, the principal one of the cluster, has
a perfect harbour in Port Lloyd, where a vessel can not only lie
in comfort, sheltered from almost every wind that blows, but where
provisions, wood, and water are plentiful. There is no inducement, or
indeed room, for desertion, and the place is healthy. It is colonized
by Japs from the kingdom so easily reached to the westward, and the busy
little people, after their manner, make a short stay very agreeable.

Once clear of the southern end of Formosa we had quite a rapid run to
the Bonins, carrying a press of sail day and night, as the skipper was
anxious to arrive there on account of his recent injuries. He was still
very lame, and he feared that some damage might have been done to him
of which he was ignorant. Besides, it was easy to see that he did not
altogether like anybody else being in charge of his ship, no matter how
good they were. Such was the expedition we made that we arrived at
Port Lloyd twelve days after clearing up our last whale. Very beautiful
indeed the islands, appeared, with their bold, steep sides clad in
richest green, or, where no vegetation appeared, worn into a thousand
fantastic shapes by the sea, or the mountain torrents carving away the
lava of which they were all composed. For the whole of the islands were
volcanic, and Port Lloyd itself is nothing more than the crater of a
vast volcano, which in some tremendous convulsion of nature has sunk
from its former high estate low enough to become a haven for ships.

I have said that it was a perfect harbour, but there is no doubt that
getting in or out requires plenty of nerve as well as seamanship. There
was so little room, and the eddying flows of wind under the high
land were so baffling, that at various times during our passage in it
appeared as if nothing could prevent us from getting stuck upon some of
the adjacent hungry-looking coral reefs. Nothing of the kind happened,
however, and we came comfortably to an anchor near three