Let me take occasion just here to correct a false impression quite generally held regarding whaling. Many persons—I think, most persons—have an idea that in modern whaling, harpoons are fired at whales from the decks of ships. This is true only of 'long-shore whaling. In this trade, finbacks and the less valuable varieties of whales are chased by small steamers which fire harpoons from guns in the bows and tow the whales they kill to factories along shore, where blubber, flesh, and skeleton are turned into commercial products. Many published articles have familiarized the public with this method of whaling. But whaling on the sperm grounds of the tropics and on the right whale and bowhead grounds of the polar seas is much the same as it has always been. Boats still go on the backs of whales. Harpoons are thrown by hand into the great animals as of yore. Whales still run away with the boats, pulling them with amazing speed through walls of split water. Whales still crush boats with blows of their mighty9 flukes and spill their crews into the sea.
There is just as much danger and just as much thrill and excitement in the whaling of to-day as there was in that of a century ago. Neither steamers nor sailing vessels10 that cruise for sperm and bowhead and right whales nowadays have deck guns of any sort, but depend entirely11 upon the bomb-guns attached to harpoons and upon shoulder bomb-guns wielded from the whale boats.
In the old days, after whales had been harpooned12, they were stabbed to death with long, razor-sharp lances. The lance is a thing of the past. The tonite bomb has taken its place as an instrument of destruction. In the use of the tonite bomb lies the chief difference between modern whaling and the whaling of the old school.
The modern harpoon4 is the same as it has been since the palmy days of the old South Sea sperm fisheries. But fastened on its iron shaft13 between the wooden handle and the spear point is a brass14 cylinder15 an inch in diameter, perhaps, and about a foot long. This cylinder is a tonite bomb-gun. A short piece of metal projects from the flat lower end. This is the trigger. When the harpoon is thrown into the buttery, blubber-wrapped body of the whale, it sinks in until the whale's skin presses the trigger up into the gun and fires it with a tiny sound like the explosion of an old-fashioned shotgun cap. An instant later a tonite bomb explodes with a muffled16 roar in the whale's vitals.
The Arctic Ocean whaling fleet which sails out of San Francisco and which in the year of my voyage numbered thirty vessels, makes its spring rendezvous17 in the Hawaiian Islands. Most of the ships leave San Francisco in December and reach Honolulu in March. The two or three months spent in this leisurely18 voyage are known in whaler parlance19 as "between seasons." On the way to the islands the ships cruise for sperm whales and sometimes lower for finbacks, sulphur-bottoms, California grays, and even black fish, to practice their green hand crews.
Captain Winchester did not care particularly whether he took any sperm whales or not, though sperm oil is still valuable. The brig was not merely a blubber-hunter. Her hold was filled with oil tanks which it was hoped would be filled before we got back, but the chief purpose of the voyage was the capture of right and bowhead whales—the great baleen21 whales of the North.
As soon as we left Turtle Bay, a lookout22 for whales was posted. During the day watches, a boatsteerer and a sailor sat on the topsail yard for two hours at a stretch and scanned the sea for spouts23. We stood down the coast of Lower California and in a few days, were in the tide-rip which is always running off Cape25 St. Lucas, where the waters of the Pacific meet a counter-current from the Gulf26 of California. We rounded Cape St. Lucas and sailed north into the gulf, having a distant view of La Paz, a little town backed by gray mountains. Soon we turned south again, keeping close to the Mexican coast for several days. I never learned how far south we went, but we must have worked pretty well toward the equator, for when we stood out across the Pacific for the Hawaiian Islands, our course was northwesterly.
I saw my first whales one morning while working in the bows with the watch under Mr. Lander's supervision27. A school of finbacks was out ahead moving in leisurely fashion toward the brig. There were about twenty of them and the sea was dotted with their fountains. "Blow!" breathed old man Landers with mild interest as though to himself. "Blow!" boomed Captain Winchester in his big bass28 voice from the quarter-deck. "Nothin' but finbacks, sir," shouted the boatsteerer from the mast-head. "All right," sang back the captain. "Let 'em blow." It was easy for these old whalers even at this distance to tell they were not sperm whales. Their fountains rose straight into the air. A sperm whale's spout24 slants29 up from the water diagonally.
The whales were soon all about the ship, seemingly unafraid, still traveling leisurely, their heads rising and falling rhythmically30, and at each rise blowing up a fountain of mist fifteen feet high. The fountains looked like water; some water surely was mixed with them; but I was told that the mist was the breath of the animals made visible by the colder air. The breath came from the blow holes in a sibilant roar that resembled no sound I had ever heard. If one can imagine a giant of fable31 snoring in his sleep, one may have an idea of the sound of the mighty exhalation. The great lungs whose gentle breathing could shoot a jet of spray fifteen feet into the air must have had the power of enormous bellows32.
Immense coal-black fellows these finbacks were—some at least sixty or seventy feet long. One swam so close to the brig that when he blew, the spray fell all about me, wetting my clothes like dew. The finback is a baleen whale and a cousin of the right whale and the bowhead. Their mouths are edged with close-set slabs33 of baleen, which, however, is so short that it is worthless for commercial purposes. They are of much slenderer build than the more valuable species of whale. Their quickness and activity make them dangerous when hunted in the boats, but their bodies are encased in blubber so thin that it is as worthless as their bone. Consequently they are not hunted unless a whaling ship is hard up for oil.
We gradually worked into the trade winds that blew steadily34 from the southeast. These winds stayed with us for several weeks or rather we stayed with the winds; while in them it was rarely necessary to take in or set a sail or brace35 a yard. After we had passed through these aerial rivers, flowing through definite, if invisible, banks, we struck the doldrums—areas of calm between wind currents—they might be called whirlpools of stillness. Later in the day light, fitful breezes finally pushed us through them into the region of winds again.
The slow voyage to the Hawaiian islands—on the sperm whale grounds, we cruised under short sail—might have proved monotonous36 if we had not been kept constantly busy and if diverting incidents had not occurred almost every day. Once we sighted three immense turtles sunning themselves on the sea. To the captain they held out prospect37 of soups and delicate dishes for the cabin table, and with Long John as boatsteerer, a boat was lowered for them. I expected it would be difficult to get within darting38 distance. What was my surprise to see the turtles, with heads in the air and perfectly39 aware of their danger, remain upon the surface until the boat was directly upon them. The fact was they could not go under quickly; the big shells kept them afloat. Long John dropped his harpoon crashing through the shell of one of the turtles, flopped40 it into the boat, and then went on without particular hurry, and captured the other two in the same way. The cabin feasted for several days on the delicate flesh of the turtles; the forecastle got only a savory41 smell from the galley42, as was usual.
We ran into a school of porpoises43 on another occasion—hundreds of them rolling and tumbling about the ship, like fat porkers on a frolic. Little Johnny took a position on the forecastle head with a harpoon, the line from which had been made fast to the fore-bitt. As a porpoise44 rose beneath him, he darted45 his harpoon straight into its back. The sea pig went wriggling46 under, leaving the water dyed with its blood. It was hauled aboard, squirming and twisting. Little Johnny harpooned two more before the school took fright and disappeared. The porpoises were cleaned and some of their meat, nicely roasted, was sent to the forecastle. It made fine eating, tasting something like beef.
The steward47 was an inveterate48 fisherman and constantly kept a baited hook trailing in the brig's wake, the line tied to the taff-rail. He caught a great many bonitos and one day landed a dolphin. We had seen many of these beautiful fish swimming about the ship—long, graceful49 and looking like an animate50 streak51 of blue sky. The steward's dolphin was about five feet long. I had often seen in print the statement that dolphins turned all colors of the rainbow in dying and I had as often seen the assertion branded as a mere20 figment of poetic52 imagination. Our dolphin proved the truth of the poetic tradition. As life departed, it changed from blue to green, bronze, salmon53, gold, and gray, making death as beautiful as a gorgeous kaleidoscope.
We saw flying fish every day—great "coveys" of them, one may say. They frequently flew several hundred yards, fluttering their webbed side fins54 like the wings of a bird, sometimes rising fifteen to twenty feet above the water, and curving and zigzagging55 in their flight. More than once they flew directly across the ship and several fell on deck. I was talking with Kaiuli, the Kanaka, one night when we heard a soft little thud on deck. I should have paid no attention but Kaiuli was alert on the instant. "Flying feesh," he cried zestfully56 and rushed off to search the deck. He found the fish and ate it raw, smacking57 his lips over it with great gusto. The Hawaiian islanders, he told me, esteem58 raw flying fish a great delicacy59.
I never saw water so "darkly, deeply, beautifully blue" as in the middle of the Pacific where we had some four miles of water under us. It was as blue as indigo60. At night, the sea seemed afire with riotous61 phosphorescence. White flames leaped about the bows where the brig cut the water before a fresh breeze; the wake was a broad, glowing path. When white caps were running every wave broke in sparks and tongues of flame, and the ocean presented the appearance of a prairie swept by fire. A big shark came swimming about the ship one night and it shone like a living incandescence—a silent, ghost-like shape slowly gliding62 under the brig and out again.
The idle night watches in the tropics were great times for story telling. The deep-water sailors were especially fond of this way of passing the time. While the green hands were engaging in desultory63 talk and wishing for the bell to strike to go back to their bunks64, these deep-water fellows would be pacing up and down or sitting on deck against the bulwarks65, smoking their pipes and spinning yarns66 to each other. The stories as a rule were interminable and were full of "Then he says" and "Then the other fellow says." It was a poor story that did not last out a four-hour watch and many of them were regular "continued in our next" serials67, being cut short at the end of one watch to be resumed in the next.
No matter how long-winded or prosy the narrative68, the story teller69 was always sure of an audience whose attention never flagged for an instant. The boyish delight of these full-grown men in stories amazed me. I had never seen anything like it. Once in a while a tale was told that was worth listening to, but most of them were monotonously70 uninteresting. They bored me.
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1
sperm
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| n.精子，精液 | |
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2
oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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wielded
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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harpoon
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| n.鱼叉；vt.用鱼叉叉，用鱼叉捕获 | |
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harpooner
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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7
fathoms
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| 英寻( fathom的名词复数 ) | |
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harpoons
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| n.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的名词复数 )v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的第三人称单数 ) | |
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9
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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11
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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harpooned
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| v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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17
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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18
leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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parlance
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| n.说法；语调 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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baleen
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| n.鲸须 | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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23
spouts
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| n.管口( spout的名词复数 )；（喷出的）水柱；（容器的）嘴；在困难中v.（指液体）喷出( spout的第三人称单数 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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spout
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| v.喷出，涌出；滔滔不绝地讲；n.喷管；水柱 | |
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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supervision
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| n.监督，管理 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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slants
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| （使）倾斜，歪斜( slant的第三人称单数 )； 有倾向性地编写或报道 | |
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rhythmically
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| adv.有节奏地 | |
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fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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bellows
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| n.风箱；发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的名词复数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的第三人称单数 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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brace
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| n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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darting
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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flopped
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| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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41
savory
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| adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的 | |
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42
galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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43
porpoises
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| n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 ) | |
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porpoise
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| n.鼠海豚 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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46
wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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47
steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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48
inveterate
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| adj.积习已深的，根深蒂固的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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50
animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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51
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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52
poetic
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| adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的 | |
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53
salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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54
fins
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| [医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌 | |
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55
zigzagging
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| v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的现在分词 )；盘陀 | |
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56
zestfully
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| adv.有辛辣味的； 有风趣的； 有风味的； 有滋味的 | |
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smacking
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| 活泼的，发出响声的，精力充沛的 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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59
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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indigo
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| n.靛青，靛蓝 | |
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riotous
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| adj.骚乱的；狂欢的 | |
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62
gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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desultory
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| adj.散漫的，无方法的 | |
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bunks
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| n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话 | |
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bulwarks
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| n.堡垒( bulwark的名词复数 )；保障；支柱；舷墙 | |
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66
yarns
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| n.纱( yarn的名词复数 )；纱线；奇闻漫谈；旅行轶事 | |
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serials
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| n.连载小说，电视连续剧( serial的名词复数 ) | |
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narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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teller
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| n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员 | |
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monotonously
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| adv.单调地，无变化地 | |
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