Grog having been served

Grog having been served

It was at length accomplished, but not before the man had narrowly escaped being pulled under by the sharks, some of whom were now drifting astern with their heads chopped half off by the three watchful mates, who, with the captain, stand ready on the stages hung outside to cut transverse lines in the blubber, to enable the men at the windlass to heave it up by the tackle, and at the same time to do battle with the sharks, although the shagreen akin of the latter turns the edge of the spade.And now all hands at the windlass are heaving away, and the first Btrip of blubber, or blanket piece, is slowly torn from the carcase of the monster.And now the masthead hails, "A ship trying out to windward." "Aye, aye 1" says the captain, "let him boil away. We'll soon show him our smoke."And the first huge strip of blubber hangs swaying over the main-hatch, and slowly descends below on to the second deck, into a place cleared away for it, where half-a-dozen men, in an almost Coach Outlet Store Online nude state, junk it up with short spades into what are termed horse pieces.Meanwhile the fires in the tryworks—a square brickwork erected between the main and fore hatchways—are lit, and the mincers are slicing away and filling their tubs on both sides of the deck abaft the windlass, and the principal actors are beginning to assume an oily appearance. The two boat-steerers who preside at the boilers have already filled them from the mincers' tubs with the blubber, sliced as fine as the Coach Outlet leaves of a book, each piece adhering together, and termed bibles. The smoke is drifting away to leeward, and the men at the windlass, stripped of their upper garments, with their tattoed skins glistening with the heat of the sun and fires combined, are heaving merrily, and calling loudly upon the steward for more "swizzle"—a preparation of water, molasses, and lime-juice, with a dash of rum."The stranger has lowered his boat down and is pulling this way," cries "the mast head.""Aye, aye! Coach Factory Outlet Heave away my lads, and don't leave your work," answers the captain.The steward, who was fishing out of the waist boat, had already thrown five or six fine albercore, of forty or fifty pounds each, on board, which were now flapping their lives out on the deck, and waiting for some one to prepare them for the coppeja^ where they would be cooked in two or three minutes when the oil was aW white heat,"Halloa I here's a boat alongside.""Good day, captain," says the Yankee skipper, ascending the side, Coach Outlet Online followed by three or four of his boat's crew. "I guess I saw you at Wawhoo last, when you had the ' Foxhound.' You were going home full. I commanded the ' Harvest Hnme' then, and made a good voyage. This one I've got now'n the ' May Flower.' We left' Bedford' about six months ago. Coffin's my name; you remember me, I dare say.""Oh, very well indeed! I hope you're well, sir. We've only just got round the Horn ourselves. What success have you had t" "About one hundred barrels in now; and I took one small fellow yesterday when the school got away from you. You've got two, I see—a pretty good fare. I'm bound for Tahiti in a week or two, to refit.""Have you been ashore at any of the islsnds yet f" asked Captain Elliot."Yes, I landed on Charles's last week, and got a few terrapin.""You know the cave we used to call the post ofiioe, I suppose V "Yes; but I do not believe that farce is kept up now. The information about the whereabouts of whales was never to be relied on.""No. Well, I'm for Tahiti, too. It won't do to make too long a cruize of it this time, for Japan, where we're bound next, is always a long one."Your oil seems a good colour, captain, and you've got a stout crew.""Yes. How are you off in that respect?""Oh, pretty smart, I guess. I keep 'em under. Nothin' like it, depend upon it.""Come, step down, Captain Coffin, and take a glass of grog, or wine, if you prefer it.""Steward, place decanters and glasses in the cabin; and then serve out grog to all hands. Your's won't object, I suppose, captain?""Guess not; they never get any with me, so they like to come aboard a British ship, where they're most sure to get a taste."Grog having been served out, all hands went below to dinner. "