without our giving chase to one or more of the whale species; and although many, of course, escaped us, we succeeded in taking a greater number than any other ship in the fleet.

Encouraged by the unusual success which had thus far attended us, we remained upon the whaling ground until long after the fleet had departed; and when we could no longer pursue the fishery, in consequence of heavy and dangerous gales, and the intensely cold weather, we made sail for Fecklistoff, having captured, during the season, forty-nine whales, which had yielded seventeen hundred barrels of oil, and twenty-seven thousand pounds of bone.

We arrived at Fecklistoff on the 7th of October; and after stopping a sufficient time to take in a supply of fresh water, sailed again, immediately for the Sandwich Islands.

Our passage down the coast was long and tedious, in consequence of a succession of severe and dangerous gales; our situation, meanwhile, being rendered extremely unpleasant by harsh treatment from a quarter whence we might reasonably have expected better things.

In the following chapter I shall give the reader an account of what I then considered a most flagrant piece of injustice, of which I was made

the victim, and which occurred about this time.

On our passage down the coast we came very near losing our masts, in consequence of being caught aback by a heavy squall, during the middle watch of a dark and stormy night. We were running at the time, under single reefed topsail, main-top gallant-sail, foresail, mainsail and spanker, close hauled to the wind on the starboard tack.

The weather had been squally and variable for several hours, and men had been constantly stationed at the topsail and top-gallant halyards, which had several times been let go by the run, the yards being clewed down on the caps during the squalls, and again mast-headed as soon as the wind abated.

Shortly after four bells of the middle watch, the wind suddenly headed us, and before the helmsman could throw his wheel up, the cry of "All aback forward!" was heard from

the forecastle.

In a moment more, the after sails had filled aback with a tremendous noise, throwing the ship nearly upon her beam tnds, and instantly prostrating the men on deck,

All hands. were hastily called; when the order was instantly given to "shiver the

main-topsail ;" but owing to the violence of the squall, and the steep inclination of the deck, which rendered it difficult for the men to stand upon their feet, this command could not be immediately obeyed. Meanwhile, great excitement prevailed among the crew; for the situation of the ship was extremely dangerous; but, at length, the yards were shivered and braced up on the larboard tack; the helm was then righted, and the Condor was once more breasting the billows in comparative safety.

Let

The danger being thus averted, the watch below returned to their bunks to complete their unfinished naps, as calmly as if nothing had occurred: for your true Jack Tar is one of the most nonchalent animals in existence. the winds blow high or low, his excitement is seldom so great as to deprive him of an appetite, or prevent him from sleeping: nor is he the man to indulge in gloomy or sentimental fancies, under any circumstances whatever: notwithstanding, as the poet has expressed it,

he

- Often knows,

That he must sink to the groves beneath,
Where the pearl on the tree of coral grow,
In the emerald hall of Death! of Death!"'

CHAPTER III.

A LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE.

Punishment for skylarking-Honolulu-Letters from home-Vol canic eruption-Desire to desert the ship-Departure from the Sandwich Islands-Incidents of the passage-A storm.

The incident to which I have alluded to in the foregoing chapter, as occurring during our passage down the coast from the Fecklistoff to the Sandwich Islands, affords a striking example of the manner in which sea captains may amuse themselves, during their leisure hours, at the expense of their inferiors. A precedent to this style of amusement is recorded in the fable of the "boys and the frogs," with which the reader is doubtless familiar; but I will not anticipate. The circumstances of the case were substantially as follows:

A few days after the squall, which has been previously described, a young man by the name of Pope, and myself, chanced to be engaged in what is termed by sailors, "skylarking" in the forecastle, during our forenoon watch below.

For the benefit of my landsmen readers, I will state in this connection, that in the term skylarking, is comprehended wrestling, sparring, and all the other athletic sports and boisterous pastimes, by which sailors seek to assuage the tedeum vitæ, or relieve the exuberance of animal spirits.

On this particular occasion Pope and myself were having a "set to " at sparring, merely for the fun of the thing, and without the slightest ill will or anger upon either side.

While amusing ourselves in this manner, the mate came forward, and ordering us on deck, bade us walk aft and report ourselves to the captain.

The captain was pacing the quarter deck at the time, apparently in very bad humor; but as Pope and myself approached him, he greeted us with an oath, which I will not shock the reader by repeating, and immediately ordered us to the mast head, telling us to remain there until we received permission to come down.

In obedience to this command, Pope ascended to the main top-gallant cross-tress, while I clambered up the mizzen rigging and perched myself upon the royal yard. We were allowed to remain at our posts for about half an hour;