ss has been laid upon the
smashing of our own boat and consequent sufferings, while little or no
notice was taken of the kindred disaster to Mistah Jones' vessel, my
excuse must be that the experience "filled me right up to the chin," as
the mate concisely, if inelegantly, put it. Poor Goliath was indeed to
be pitied, for his well-known luck and capacity as a whaleman seemed
on this occasion to have quite deserted him. Not only had his boat been
stove upon first getting on to the whale, but he hadn't even had a run
for his money. It appeared that upon striking his whale, a small, lively
cow, she had at once "settled," allowing the boat to run over her; but
just as they were passing, she rose, gently enough, her pointed hump
piercing the thin skin of half-inch cedar as if it had been cardboard.
She settled again immediately, leaving a hole behind her a foot long
by six inches wide, which effectually put a stop to all further fishing
operations on the part of Goliath and his merry men for that day, at any
rate. It was all so quiet, and so tame and so stupid, no wonder Mistah
Jones felt savage. When Captain Slocum's fluent profanity flickered
around him, including vehemently all he might be supposed to have any
respect for, he did not even LOOK as if he would like to talk back; he
only looked sick and tired of being himself.

The third mate, again, was of a different category altogether. He had
distinguished himself by missing every opportunity of getting near a
whale while there was a "loose" one about, and then "saving" the crew of
Goliath's boat, who were really in no danger whatever. His iniquity was
too great to be dealt with by mere bad language. He crept about like a
homeless dog--much, I am afraid, to my secret glee, for I couldn't help
remembering his untiring cruelty to the green hands on first leaving
port.

In consequence of these little drawbacks we were not a very jovial crowd
forrard or aft. Not that hilarity was ever particularly noticeable among
us, but just now there was a very decided sense of wrong-doing over us
all, and a general fear that each of us was about to pay the penalty due
to some other delinquent. But fortunately there was work to be done.
Oh, blessed work! how many awkward situations you have extricated people
from! How many distracted brains have you soothed and restored, by
your steady irresistible pressure of duty to be done and brooking of no
delay!

The first thing to be done was to