Happily no lives were lost on this occasion, for it would have
indeed been grievous to have seen our shipmates sacrificed to the
MANES of a mere black-fish, after successfully encountering so
many mighty whales. The episode gave us a great deal of
unnecessary work getting the two halves of the boat saved, in
addition to securing our fish, so that by the time we got the
twelve remaining carcasses hove on deck we were all quite fagged
out. But under the new regime we were sure of a good rest, so
that did not trouble us; it rather made the lounge on deck in the
balmy evening air and the well-filled pipe of peace doubly sweet.
Our next day's work completed the skinning of the haul we had
made, the last of the carcasses going overboard with a thunderous
splash at four in the afternoon. The assemblage of sharks round
the ship on this occasion was incredible for its number and the
great size of the creatures. Certainly no mariners see so many
or such huge sharks as whalemen; but, in spite of all our
previous experience, this day touched high-water mark. Many of
these fish were of a size undreamed of by the ordinary seafarer,
some of them full thirty feet in length, more like whales than
sharks.
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