Preparations

           Itwillbeunderstoodthatthesightofthisprodigiousmammiferwasnecessarytoproducesuchexcitementonboardthe"Pilgrim."

           Thewhale,whichfloatedinthemiddleoftheredwaters,appearedenormous.Tocaptureit,andthuscompletethecargo,thatwasverytempting.Couldfishermenletsuchanoccasionescapethem?

           However,Mrs.WeldonbelievedsheoughttoaskCaptainHullifitwasnotdangerousforhismenandforhimtoattackawhaleunderthosecircumstances.

           "No,Mrs.Weldon,"repliedCaptainHull."Morethanonceithasbeenmylottohuntthewhalewithasingleboat,andIhavealwaysfinishedbytakingpossessionofit.Irepeatit,thereisnodangerforus,nor,consequently,foryourself."

           Mrs.Weldon,reassured,didnotpersist.

           CaptainHullatoncemadehispreparationsforcapturingthejubarte.Heknewbyexperiencethatthepursuitofthatbaloenopterwasnotfreefromdifficulties,andhewishedtoparryall.

           Whatrenderedthiscapturelesseasywasthattheschooner’screwcouldonlyworkbymeansofasingleboat,whilethe"Pilgrim"possessedalong-boat,placedonitsstocksbetweenthemainmastandthemizzen-mast,besidesthreewhale-boats,ofwhichtwoweresuspendedonthelarboardandstarboardpegs,andthethirdaft,outsidethecrown-work.

           Generallythesethreewhale-boatswereemployedsimultaneouslyinthepursuitofcetaceans.Butduringthefishingseason,weknow,anadditionalcrew,hiredatthestationsofNewZealand,cametotheassistanceofthe"Pilgrim’s"sailors.