But grumbling was dangerous, so I gulped down the dirty
mixture mis-named coffee, ate a few fragments of biscuit, and
filled up (?) with a smoke, as many better men are doing this
morning. As the bell struck I hurried on deck--not one moment
too soon--for as I stepped out of the scuttle I saw the third
mate coming forward with a glitter in his eye that boded no good
to laggards.
Before going any farther I must apologize for using so many
capital I's, but up till the present I had been the only
available white member of the crew forrard.
The decks were scrubbed spotlessly clean, and everything was
neat and tidy as on board a man-of-war, contrary to all usual
notions of the condition of a whaler. The mate was in a state of
high activity, so I soon found myself very busily engaged in
getting up whale-lines, harpoons, and all the varied equipment
for the pursuit of whales. The number of officers carried would
have been a good crew for the ship, the complete afterguard
comprising captain, four mates, four harpooners or boat-
steerers, carpenter, cooper, steward and cook. All these
worthies were on deck and working with might and main at the
preparations, so that the incompetence of the crowd forrard was
little hindrance.
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