was one of the finest
whaling days I have ever seen, smooth water and a clear sky. When they
were going up to mast head I told them to look sharp for some one was
going to raise a whale before night.

We steered different courses during the fore-noon and at 1 p.m. the man
aloft raised a white water which proved to be sperm whales, and there
was a lot of them, some heading one way, some another.

When we got within a mile of them we lowered four boats, and soon after
Mr. Nichols, the first mate, struck a whale, the other whales went to
leeward and I followed them with the ship till I was sure the boats saw
them.

Mr. Nichols then had his whale dead about one mile to windward, so I
came to wind on the port tack, but it took us some time to get up to
the mate, as we could not carry any foretopsail or flying jibs as the
topmast had given out.

[Illustration: SPERM WHALING--THE CHASE]

I stood on the port tack a while and then tacked. When we got braced up
the dead whale was one point off the lee bow. I saw we were going to
fetch him all right. Mr. Nichols had wafted his whale and was chasing
some more. By that time, about 3 p.m., the lookout called out that the
three boats to leeward were all fast. Of course we were all glad to
hear that. I ran the ship alongside of the dead whale and after darting
at him two or three times managed to get fast and get him alongside.
Just then it was reported that the boats to leeward were out of sight.
That worried me some so I told the cooper to get the fluke chain on the
whale and I would go aloft and see if I could see the boats.

At this time Mr. Nichols had given up chasing and was coming on board.
I got up to the topmast crosstrees and sat down. I then heard a whale
spout off the weather beam and glancing that way, saw sure enough a
large whale not more than five hundred feet from us, coming directly
for the ship.

Mr. Nichols was then alongside, just going to hoist his boat. I told
him there was a whale, a big fellow, trying to get alongside and to go
and help him along and he did help him along. He took him head and head
and did not get fast. I don't know why. He certainly was near enough,
the boatsteerer said too near, and did not have a chance to swing his
iron.

Instead of that whale going down or going to windward as they most
always do, he kept coming directly for the ship, only much faster than
he was coming before he was darted at. When he got within thirty feet
of