Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/389



DOCUMENTARY 381

likewise parents and brothers, with all inquiring friends en- joying the same invaluable blessing. I don't think that I was ever more fleshy than I now am. Of a truth, I am growing too big for my clothes and I feel as if I could do a thing or two. We left Nantucket the 3d of Sept. and made the Isle of Saul the 3d of Oct., being 30 days out of sight of land. We had a very rough passage the most of the way. For two or three weeks we had very squally weather with thunder and rain a plenty. Some nights when it did not rain hard enough Old Boreaus would scrape up handfuls of salt water in our faces. We lost the head boards off our gallant ship's head that bore her noble name, one on the 5th day out and the other the 20th, when we had a hard gale of wind in the which we lay too for a few hours under close reeft maintopsail and foretopmast staysail and mizzenstaysail. The 9th day out we had a bit of a

sailed in co with the Independence. About three

o'clock P. M. we discovered some whale to the leeward. We soon discovered them and run down for them, lowered the first and 2nd Mates' boats. I was in the first Mate's boat at the midship oar. There was a bad sea running but we pulled away over ditch and dam after some single whale but they went off faster than we could row our boat so both boats come to a stand and lay at our oars. Mr. Chase discovered a school of small whale and pulled for them and in a few minutes was fast to one. We were rowing the other way but tacked and stood for them and found they were cows and calves and to be sure they were more thicker than the cows and calves in father's barnyard. Mr. Hussey thought best to both tackle one whale so we ran our boat hard on and threw in two Irons when he came at us nose first, apparently very angry, puffing and spout- ing. Then it was back water all back water, or in other words stern haul. When we got out of his way he swam away fast arid had we had bells and brandy we would have had quite a romantick slayride. When he grew dull we would haul up to him and spur him with a lance till he was bloody as a butcher. Once while hauling up to him he raised his unman-