ontaining together 1800 feet, a keg of drinking water, and
another long narrow one with a few biscuits, a lantern, candles and
matches therein; a bucket and "piggin" for baling, a small spade, a flag
or "wheft," a shoulder bomb-gun and ammunition, two knives and two small
axes. A rudder hung outside by the stern.

With all this gear, although snugly stowed, a boat looked so loaded that
I could not help wondering how six men would be able to work in her; but
like most "deep-water" sailors, I knew very little about boating. I was
going to learn.

All this work and bustle of preparation was so rapidly carried on, and
so interesting, that before supper-time everything was in readiness to
commence operations, the time having gone so swiftly that I could hardly
believe the bell when it sounded four times, six o'clock.

CHAPTER III. FISHING BEGINS

During all the bustle of warlike preparation that had been going on,
the greenhorns had not suffered from inattention on the part of those
appointed to look after them. Happily for them, the wind blew steadily,
and the weather, thanks to the balmy influence of the Gulf Stream, was
quite mild and genial. The ship was undoubtedly lively, as all good
sea-boats are, but her motions were by no means so detestable to a
sea-sick man as those of a driving steamer. So, in spite of their
treatment, perhaps because of it, some of the poor fellows were
beginning to take hold of things "man-fashion," although of course sea
legs they had none, their getting about being indeed a pilgrimage of
pain. Some of them were beginning to try the dreadful "grub" (I cannot
libel "food" by using it in such a connection), thereby showing that
their interest in life, even such a life as was now before them, was
returning. They had all been allotted places in the various boats,
intermixed with the seasoned Portuguese in such a way that the officer
and harpooner in charge would not be dependant upon them entirely in
case of a sudden emergency. Every endeavour was undoubtedly made to
instruct them in their duties, albeit the teachers were all too apt
to beat their information in with anything that came to hand, and
persuasion found no place in their methods.

The reports I had always heard of the laziness prevailing on board
whale-ships were now abundantly falsified. From dawn to dark work went
on without cessation. Everything was rubbed and scrubbed and scoured
until no speck or soil could be found;