board whalers, though,
in ships such as ours, the crew have little opportunity for doing
anything, hardly any leisure during daylight being allowed. But our
carpenter was a famous workman at "scrimshaw," and he started half a
dozen walking-sticks forthwith. A favourite design is to carve the bone
into the similitude of a rope, with "worming" of smaller line along its
lays. A handle is carved out of a whale's tooth, and insets of baleen,
silver, cocoa-tree, or ebony, give variety and finish. The tools used
are of the roughest. Some old files, softened in the fire, and filed
into grooves something like saw-teeth, are most used; but old knives,
sail-needles, and chisels are pressed into service. The work turned
out would, in many cases, take a very high place in an exhibition of
turnery, though never a lathe was near it. Of course, a long time is
taken over it, especially the polishing, which is done with oil and
whiting, if it can be got--powdered pumice if it cannot. I once had
an elaborate pastry-cutter carved out of six whale's teeth, which I
purchased for a pound of tobacco from a seaman of the CORAL whaler,
and afterwards sold in Dunedin, New Zealand, for L2 10s., the purchaser
being decidedly of opinion that he had a bargain.

CHAPTER IX. OUR FIRST CALLING-PLACE

Perhaps it may hastily be assumed, from the large space already devoted
to fishing operations of various kinds, that the subject will not bear
much more dealing with, if my story is to avoid being monotonous. But I
beg to assure you, dear reader, that while of course I have most to say
in connection with the business of the voyage, nothing is farther from
my plan than to neglect the very interesting portion of our cruise
which relates to visiting strange, out-of-the-way corners of the world.
If--which I earnestly deprecate--the description hitherto given of sperm
whale-fishing and its adjuncts be found not so interesting as could be
wished, I cry you mercy. I have been induced to give more space to
it because it has been systematically avoided in the works upon
whale-fishing before mentioned, which, as I have said, were not intended
for popular reading. True, neither may my humble tome become popular
either; but, if it does not, no one will be so disappointed as the
author.

We had made but little progress during the week of oil manufacture, very
little attention being paid to the sails while that work was about; but,
as the south-east trades ble