her, the whale very nearly approached in value the largest one we
had yet caught. I had almost omitted to state that incorporated with the
substance of the ambergris were several of the horny cuttle-fish beaks,
which, incapable of being digested, had become in some manner part of
this peculiar product.

CHAPTER XX. "HUMPBACKING" AT VAU VAU

Another three weeks' cruising brought us to the end of the season on the
line, which had certainly not answered all our expectations, although
we had perceptibly increased the old barky's draught during our stay.
Whether from love of change or belief in the possibilities of a good
haul, I can hardly say, but Captain Count decided to make the best of
his way south, to the middle group of the "Friendly" Archipelago,
known as Vau Vau, the other portions being called Hapai and Tongataboo
respectively, for a season's "humpbacking." From all I could gather, we
were likely to have a good time there, so I looked forward to the visit
with a great deal of pleasurable anticipation.

We were bound to make a call at Vau Vau, in any case, to discharge our
Kanakas shipped at Honolulu, although I fervently hoped to be able to
keep my brave harpooner Samuela. So when I heard of our destination,
I sounded him cautiously as to his wishes in the matter, finding that,
while he was both pleased with and proud of his position on board,
he was longing greatly for his own orange grove and the embraces of a
certain tender "fafine" that he averred was there awaiting him. With
such excellent reasons for his leaving us, I could but forbear to
persuade him, sympathizing with him too deeply to wish him away from
such joys as he described to me.

So we bade farewell to the line grounds, and commenced another stretch
to the south, another milestone, as it were, on the long road home.
Prosaic and uneventful to the last degree was our passage, the only
incident worth recording being our "gamming" of the PASSAMAQUODDY,
of Martha's Vineyard, South Sea whaler; eighteen months out, with one
thousand barrels of sperm oil on board. We felt quite veterans alongside
of her crew, and our yarns laid over theirs to such an extent that they
were quite disgusted at their lack of experience. Some of them had known
our late skipper, but none of them had a good word for him, the old
maxim, "Speak nothing but good of the dead," being most flagrantly set
at nought. One of her crew was a Whitechapelian, who had been roving
a