The Whaleman's Adventures In the Southern Ocean

This book was published in London in 1850. The following pages comprise, in substance, the private notes of a pious and observant American clergyman, Rev. Henry Cheever, whilst embarked, on account of his health, on a whaling voyage to the South Seas and Pacific Ocean. This is a very detailed account of life on board a whale ship and further describes in detail the processes of whaling. Toward the end of the book, you must forgive the Reverend for sermonizing as to the working on the Sabbath of the Whalers. Otherwise, a very informative book about the whaling industry in the 1850's. (304 pages)

The Publisher has copy-edited this book to improve the formatting, style and accuracy of the text to make it readable. This did not involve changing the substance of the text.

Contents:

Introduction ---- Coral Island of Rimatara ---- Capturing and Cutting-in of a Whale ---- New Zealand Cruising Ground ---- The Whale's Physiology and Natural History ---- Different Cruising Grounds and Northwest Whaling ---- The Whale's Biography and Incidents in the Capture ---- Atlantic Ocean Mammoths and Monsters ---- Episodes in the Fortunes of Whalemen ---- Conquest and Disposal of a Sperm Whale ---- Authentic Tragedies and Perils of the Whaling Service ---- Yarns from the Experience of Old Whalemen ---- Peculiar Vocabulary and Hazards of Whalemen ---- Remarkable Events in the Annals of Whaling ---- Claims and Advantages of the of the Sabbath in a Whale Ship ---- A Plea in Behalf of the Sabbath for Whalemen ---- Nearing Home, and Analogies From the Sea ---- Knitting of the Lessons of the Voyage at its Close.

Excerpts:

.....THE first view we have of the Commodore Preble is as she is lying off and on the lone island of Rimatara, in quest of the fresh supplies which whalemen covet in order to keep at bay the scurvy. This is one of those fascinating South Sea Islands, which, on their first discovery by Europeans in the latter part of the last century, quite turned the heads of many, and at once started so much speculative nonsense and sentimentality about primeval innocence and bliss embosomed in the Pacific.

.....For the first time in our ten weeks' passage from the Hawaiian Islands, on this New Zealand Cruising Ground, we now heard that life-kindling sound to a weary whaleman, "THERE SHE BLOWS!" The usual questions and orders from the deck quickly followed. "Where away?" "Two points on the weather bow!" "How far off?" "A mile and a half!" "Keep your eye on her!" "Sing out when we head right!" It turned out that three whales were decried from aloft in different parts, and in a short time, when we were deemed near enough, the captain gave orders to "Stand by and lower".

.....The decks, meanwhile, present that lively though dirty spectacle which whalemen love,their faces all begrimed and sooty, and smeared with oil, so that you cannot tell if they be black or white. A farmer's golden harvest in autumn is not a pleasanter sight to him, than it is to a whaler to have his decks and blubber-room, blubber-log, the try-works a-blazing, cooper a-pounding, oil a-flowing, everybody busy and dirty night and day. Donkey-loads of Chilean or Peruvian gold, or bags of the Californian dust riding into San Francisco, have no such charms for him as cutting-in a hundred barrel whale, and turning out oil by the hogshead.

.....As soon as the whale disappeared, the line commenced running out of the tub so rapidly, that, as it rubbed around the loggerhead, sparks of fire flew from it in the stream. As the different coils run from the tub, they sometimes, when not well laid down, get "foul" or tangled, in which case there is great danger, for, in attempting to clear the line, a turn may get by accident around an arm or a leg. As anyone can see, there is little hope for the unhappy man thus entangled, for, unless the line be cut instantly, either the limb is lost or the man goes overboard.