Page:Narrative of a Visit to the Australian Colonies.djvu/36

6 distress burst from the widow of the deceased, but she soon became collected again, and the Captain proceeded with the service. He afterwards addressed the company on the folly of wasting their lives in riot and excess, and I added an exhortation to "watch and be sober:" but nevertheless, some of the pensioners were again intoxicated before night!

The seaman who was lately raised to the office of second mate, betrayed his trust on the 17th, and persuaded one of the boys to steal liquor, with which they both got drunk, and he consequently forfeited his place.—On the 27th, a sail was in sight, which proved to be the Borneo, of London, on a whaling voyage. Whales had frequently been seen for some time past, and at one time, a shoal of Porpoises of vast extent passed us, swimming in a westerly direction, at a very rapid rate. The Borneo captured two whales while within sight. One of them spouted blood to a great height when struck, and dragged the boat at a fearful rate, almost round the circle of our horizon. After the whale was towed alongside the vessel, we went on board, and inspected the huge animal, which was of the same species as those taken in the northern latitudes: it is called in this hemisphere the Right Whale. A shark was already at its side watching for prey. The Humpbacked and the Fin Whales have also been occasionally seen of late, and the Right Whale in considerable numbers. They make a noise resembling that occasioned by the escape of steam from the boiler of a steam engine, but this is not heard at a great distance: their heads are often beset with barnacles. The near view of these enormous animals, rising majestically to the surface of the ocean, and spouting clouds of spray, whilst the water is pouring off their ample sides, is very interesting. Within the warmer southern latitudes, a number of Pilot-fish frequently accompanied us, swimming rapidly, either close before the bow, or after the stern of the vessel. They are about the size of mackerel, and are marked with alternate dark and silvery bands. A sharp nosed fish supposed to be a Sword-fish, about nine feet long, followed us for several days. Several thick, dark-coloured fish about a foot and a half long, were frequently swimming close by the rudder. Sometimes small Dolphins were playing