Page:Colnett - Voyage to the South Pacific (IA cihm 33242).djvu/156

 bad weather, without killing more than two or three whales; and as we did not now perceive the mallet trace of there being any fih of the permaceti kind, and having every reaon to believe, from the obervations I had made, that their return like many other ea animals are periodical, under thee doubtful circumtances it would have manifeted an unpardonable degree of imprudence to have remained longer on this tation with no more than ix months proviion, uch as it was at two thirds allowance, and at uch an immene ditance from any of our own ettlements. We continued for thee reaons to pas under an eay ail along hore, flattering ourelves, at the ame time, that we hould either fall in with permaceti whale, or meet with ome veel, who could afford us the aitance which we wanted. We now put the Rattler in the bet poture of defence our ituation would admit, as we were determined to peak to the firt hip we met, and if he hould prove an enemy, to trut either to our trength or uperiority of ailing, the latter we had great faith in.

On January the firt in Latitude 14° 36′ we had a heavy gale of wind from the North Eat quarter, which occaioned a prodigious ea, and the hip to labour more than when he was off Cape Horn, o much o, that I was under ome apprehenion that we hould loe our main mat. On the