Seated in a boat with sail set, they slip along
until a school of barracouta is happened upon. Then the peak of
the sail is dropped, so as to deaden the boat's way, while the
fishermen ply their poles with a sidelong sweep that threshes the
bit of shining red through the water, making it irresistibly
attractive to a struggling horde of ravenous fish. One by one,
as swiftly as the rod can be wielded, the lithe forms drop off
the barbless hook into the boat, till the vigorous arm can no
longer respond to the will of the fisherman, or the vessel will
hold no more.
Such were the goodly proportions of this first Solander whale of
ours that, in spite of the serious loss of the case, we made
thirteen and a half tuns of oil. When the fifteen huge casks
containing it were stowed in their final positions, they made an
imposing show, inspiring all of us with visions of soon being
homeward bound. For the present we were, perforce, idle; for the
wind had set in to blow steadily and strongly right up the
Straits, preventing any attempts to get out while it lasted. The
time did not hang heavy on our hands, for the surrounding country
offered many attractions, which we were allowed to take full
advantage of.
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