390
'Mocha Dick,' of the Pacific.
[May,
III.'Soon we hear the glad cry of 'Town O!'—there she blows!'Slow as night, my brave fellows, to leeward she goes:Hard up! square the yards!' then steady, lade, so!Cries the captain, 'My maiden lance soon shall she know!''Now we get near, boys,In with the gear, boys,Swing the cranes clear, boys; Pull ahead, yo heave O! IV.'Our boat's in the water, each man at his oarBends strong to the sea, while his bark bounds before,As the fish of all sizes, still flouncing and blowing,With fluke and broad fin, scorn the best of hard rowing:'Hang to the oar, boys,Another stroke more, boys;Now line the oar, boys; Pull ahead, yo heave O! V.'Then rises long Tom, who never knew fear;Cries the captain, 'Now nail her, my bold harpooner!'He speeds home his lance, then exclaims, 'I am fast!'While blood, in a torrent, leaps high as the mast:'Starn! starn! hurry, hurry, boys!She's gone in her flurry, boys,She'll soon be in 'gurry,' boys! Pull ahead, yo heave O! V.Then give me a whaleman, wherever he be,Who fears not a fish that can swim the salt sea;Then give me a tight ship, and under snug sail,And last lay me 'side of the noble sperm whale;'In the Indian ocean,Or Pacific ocean,No matter what ocean; Pull a head, yo heave O!"
The song 'died away into an echo,' and we all confessed ourselves delighted with it—save and except the gallant knight of the seal-club. He indeed allowed the lay and the music to be well enough, considering the subject; but added: 'If you want to hear genuine, heart-stirring harmony, you must listen to a rookery of fur seal. For many an hour, on the rocks round Cape Horn, have I sat thus, listening to these gentry, as they clustered on the shelving cliffs above me; the surf beating at my feet, while———'
'Come, come, my old fellow!' exclaimed the captain, interrupting the loquacious sealer; 'you forget the evening you are to have at Santa Maria. It is three o'clock in the morning, and more.' Bidding farewell to our social and generous entertainers, we were soon safely on board our ship, when we immediately made all sail to the north.
To me, the evening had been one of singular enjoyment. Doubtless the particulars of the tale were in some degree highly colored, from the desire of the narrator to present his calling in a prominent light, and especially one that should eclipse the occupation of sealing. But making every allowance for what, after all, may be considered a
