ON THE WHALE'S BACK--SIGNS OF A WRECK--LIGHT A FIRE AND COOK BLUBBER--A
NOVEL LAMP CONTRIVED--A SAIL IN SIGHT--DISAPPOINTMENT--NUB'S NARROW
ESCAPE--THE WHALE ROLLS OVER--A FEARFUL PREDICAMENT--THE RAFT WITH
WALTER SAILS AWAY.
As the voyagers were anxious to reach the creature which lay before
them, they got out the oars, the mate and Nub pulling, while Walter
steered.
"I see some harpoons and spears sticking in the creature's back,"
exclaimed Walter.
"They will be of use, if we cannot get anything else from it, as we
shall be able to kill any dolphins or bonitoes which swim near us," said
the mate.
"I tink me get some slices of meat out of de back of de creature," said
Nub. "We no want food now."
"We shall find it rather high-flavoured and somewhat tough," observed
the mate; "but it will keep body and soul together; and we must not be
particular."
Walter, though very hungry, felt no inclination to eat whale's blubber,
especially if the creature had been dead for some time,--though he had
heard that the Eskimos consider it dainty food, and eat it in vast
quantities. Poor Alice, who had been unable to swallow the mixture of
flying-fish and oil, shuddered at the thought.
"I see a quantity of gear hanging about the creature's head," said
Walter; "and that makes me suppose that it must have been fast to a
ship. If so, it cannot be a fish my father has struck; and some other
whaler besides ours must be in the neighbourhood."
"I am of your mind," said the mate. "We shall know for certain, when we
get alongside, by the harpoons. However, the idea gives me hope that we
shall obtain assistance before long."
The voyagers were gradually approaching the monster, which was certainly
not a sperm whale, though it was of enormous size, floating far higher
out of the water than does that creature. They therefore came to the
conclusion that it was of a rare and hitherto unknown species. (Note
1.) A quantity of gear with some large floats hung about its head,
while the harpoons sticking in it had their lines attached. The only
way to account for this was, that the people who had attacked it had
fancied that it was dead, and that it had suddenly revived and broken
loose from them.
The whale was soon reached, when the raft was made fast to a couple of
the harpoon-lines which hung from its body. It was no easy matter to
climb to the top of its back; but the mate, bidding Alice remain on the
raft, hauled himself up by the lines which hung from it, Walter and Nub
following his example. On reaching the top of the whale's back, the
mate examined the flag.
"This is an American piece of bunting," he exclaimed. "It shows without
doubt that it was killed by the boats of one of their whalers. There
are a good many of them in these seas at present, and they are not the
fellows to abandon a fish they have once caught."
"Dat is what I was tinking," observed Nub. "I don't tink any Englishman
eber kill such a 'straordinary-looking fish as dis."
"I have seen a good many, but never one like it," said the mate.
"I only hope it good to eat; and de sooner me cut some blubber and cook
it, de better. Mr Shobbrok, you got tinder-box and flint and steel?"
"Yes," answered the mate, "I always carry them; though, as we cannot
light a fire on the raft, I have hitherto made no use of them. But how
do you propose lighting one on the top of the whale, Nub?"
"We get up some pieces of wood from de raft, and den, with de blubber,
we soon have one blazing fire," answered the black. Descending to the
raft, he took one of the pieces of plank and began to chop it up. "We
soon have some dinner for you, Missie Alice," he said while so employed.
"You stay quiet on de raft, and not fancy you going to starve any
more." Having performed his task, he secured the wood in a bundle, and
hoisting it on his back, he climbed up again.
During Nub's absence the mate and Walter looked anxiously around them,
in the possibility of any boats being in sight. None were to be seen;
but they observed several objects floating about, apparently pieces of
wreck, spars and casks,--and among them a sea-chest, which seemed of
large size, as it rose considerably above the surface.
"We must try and get hold of that," said the mate. "It may contain
articles of value to us, though I am afraid we are not likely to find
any food within it."
"I would rather have a cask of biscuits or flour, or beef or pork,"
observed Walter.
"I doubt whether we shall find such," said the mate, "for I observe that
the casks float high out of the water. But has it struck you, Walter,
what must have happened?"
"I was thinking that these things must have come out of our ship and
floated away here," answered Walter.
"They cannot have come so far by this time," said the mate. "I think
that I can unravel the mystery. This whale was attacked by the boats of
a ship, some of which were probably destroyed by the monster. It was
then towed alongside, when she was either capsized in a storm, or,
receiving damage from some other cause, she went down, and the articles
we now see floated up out of her. Possibly she was struck by some large
whale, and her bottom or sides stove in; such a thing has occurred
before now. I remember some years ago a big whale off the coast of New
Zealand which went by the name of New Zealand Tom. He was a monster,
and capable of sending any ship to the bottom. I was in one of the
boats of the _Adonis_ whaler when, in company with a dozen others, we
went one morning to chase that very whale. Most of us got near enough
to drive our harpoons into its body; but it made us pay dearly for our
sport, for before breakfast it had knocked nine of our boats to pieces,
and we were obliged to return to our respective ships. Some weeks
passed before we again got sight of the creature; when, in company with
several other boats, we again attacked it, and this time came off
victorious. You will scarcely believe it, but we found eight harpoons
in its body belonging to as many different ships, which had chased it at
various times. Big as it was, there are others as big, and even
fiercer. I remember meeting a man who had belonged to the American
whaler _Essex_. All the boats but one were on one occasion away with
the larger portion of the crew, leaving only the doctor and a few others
on board, when they caught sight of an enormous sperm whale coming
towards them, as if not seeing the ship; suddenly lifting its flukes up
in the air, it sounded, throwing the water over the deck, when they felt
a tremendous blow, as if the ship under full sail had struck a rock.
The blow broke off some of the keel, which was seen floating up to the
surface. The whale quickly rose again, and was observed at a short
distance from the ship; when, what was the horror of those on board to
see it come swimming directly at them with the greatest fury! It struck
the bows a tremendous blow, staving them in. A cry arose that the ship
was sinking; and so she was. The water was rushing into her like a
mill-sluice; and the people had scarcely time to get into the remaining
boat when she capsized, the casks in her hold for a time keeping her up.
The people in the other boats, seeing their ship going down, pulled
back and managed to get a small quantity of provisions; but before they
had obtained as much as they required down she went, leaving the boats
to find their way to land as best they could. They steered for the
coast of Peru--the event happened on the other side of the Pacific--but
only one boat, with three men in her at their last gasp, was picked up;
they happily recovered, and were able to narrate what had happened. The
rest of the poor fellows must have perished, as none of the other boats
were ever afterwards heard of. Now, it's my opinion that something of
the sort I have described has happened to the ship which had got hold of
this whale; though what has become of her crew is more than I can tell."
"I trust that our fate may not be that of the unfortunate crew of the
_Essex_," said Walter.
"I trust not, lad," answered the mate; "I shall be sorry I told you the
story, if it affects your spirits. We shall do very well if we can get
provisions,--and four people are more easily fed than forty,--so don't
think about it. Here comes Nub with a bundle of wood, and we will see
if we can light a fire and cook some blubber; but I wish we had some
more delicate food for your dear young sister."
Nub, who had brought the axe, having chopped off several pieces of skin
from the fattest part of the whale's back, made a pile of the wood and
placed the dry skin on the top of it. The mate then produced his flint
and steel, and striking a light, set fire with a match to the bottom of
the pile.
"While de fire blazes up, I cut some nice pieces of blubber," said Nub;
and setting to work, he soon produced several lumps, which he stuck at
the end of some other sticks brought for the purpose. The oil which
oozed up out of the whale's back made the flames rapidly blaze up. Each
of the party then held the blubber--which sputtered and hissed more
vehemently than the fattest of bacon in a cook's frying-pan--to the
fire. The odour was certainly not pleasant, but Nub sniffed it up,
exclaiming, as he bit off a piece, "Oh, dis bery fine; it soon make us
quite strong and fat, and we go a week without eating anyting else."
Walter did not feel quite satisfied on that point; however, he managed
to get down a few mouthfuls. Having roasted a piece as nicely as he
could, he hurried down with it to Alice.
"If you think I ought to eat it, I will," she said; "but it does not
smell nice."
"I am afraid we are not likely to get anything else at present, and it's
our duty to try and keep up our strength. It will, I hope, have that
effect, though it may taste disagreeable at first."
Alice, who was really ravenously hungry, overcame her repugnance to the
unattractive food, and ate it up; taking at the same time, to help it
down, a small piece of biscuit which had been reserved for her. Walter
then climbed up again and joined the party on the whale's back.
The skin and blubber affording ample fuel, they were able to keep up
their fire and cook a considerable quantity of blubber; for to eat it
raw in its present condition they felt would be impossible, but toasted
in thin slices it would, they hoped, keep for some time. They tried
several portions, and agreed that the most eatable were those on either
side of the hump. As the chest and casks did not appear to be drifting
away from the whale, they agreed that it was not necessary to put off
expressly to get hold of them. Having cooked as much blubber as was
likely to keep till it was consumed, they carried it down to the raft,
where it was stowed away in the hen-coop, which was considered cooler
than any other place. The mate proposed that while they were alongside
the whale they should take the opportunity of more firmly securing the
fresh part of the raft, as they had now a favourable opportunity for
doing so. This took them some time, but they were well satisfied when
the work was done.
"And now, my lad, we must not go away, without the harpoons and spears,
for I have hopes, by their means, of getting a good supply of food. We
may catch bonitoes and other big fish with the harpoons; and with the
spears we may strike any smaller ones which come within reach."
"I have been thinking, Mr Shobbrok, that if we could manage a lamp, we
might, on a calm evening, attract the fish to the side of the raft, as
is often done, I have read, by savages, who then spear them; and the
blubber will afford us oil for the purpose."
"Bery bright idea, Massa Walter," exclaimed Nub. "De hole where we made
de fire is full of oil, and me fill up two of de empty bottles with it;
den, as we have no saucer for de lamp, suppose you take one of your
shoes,--it will hold de oil for de purpose."
"I will gladly give up both my shoes," said Walter.
"So will I mine," exclaimed Alice; "if they are of any use."
"We need not deprive you of yours, Miss Alice," said the mate; "I must
insist rather on mine being taken. And for a wick, we have only to pick
a rope to pieces and twist it up lightly."
Nub, taking the two empty bottles, climbed up again on the whale's back.
He found even more oil than he had expected, and filling the bottles,
lowered them on the raft. He was about to descend, when he was seen
looking eagerly out on the other side of the whale.
"What is it?" asked the mate.
"A sail! a sail!" he shouted, clapping his hands, and dancing
frantically about at a great risk of slipping off into the water. The
mate and Walter quickly climbed up, anxious to ascertain the truth of
Nub's assertion.
"Dere! dere!" he exclaimed. "To the south. Dere she comes! Missie
Alice and Massa Walter soon be safe!"
"That's not a ship," observed the mate. "If you look steadily, you will
see that it's a long way on this side of the horizon, and but little
raised above the water. It would not appear so distinct as it does if
it was the topgallant-sail of a ship, hull down. That's the sail of a
boat or a raft; and before long it will be near at hand."
Alice eagerly inquired what they were looking at. Walter having told
her what the mate said, could with difficulty persuade her to remain on
the raft, so anxious was she to climb up to see the object in sight.
The party on the whale's back stood watching the sail; but instead,
however, of it coming directly towards them, as they had expected it
would do, it was seen, when about a mile off, to be steering a course on
which it would pass them scarcely nearer than it then was. Walter
seized the flag out of the whale's back and waved it over his head,
shouting at the top of his voice, as did the mate and Nub, to attract
attention; but apparently they were not seen, and certainly could not
have been heard.
"It is more than I can make out, what they are about," observed Walter.
"They must have caught sight of the whale, and whether that's a boat or
a raft, it's surprising that they should not have come nearer to have a
look at us. They seem to have a pretty stiff breeze out there, and it
would not have taken them much out of their way."
"I am sure that it is a raft," said the mate, "as, with the breeze they
have got, and that large sail, a boat would move much faster through the
water than they are doing. Depend on it, those are the _Champion's_
people, and they have got some reason for not wishing to communicate
with us. I am pretty sure they fancy that this whale was killed by the
captain, and that, not finding the ship, he returned to it. I may be
wrong, but I think I am not much out in my calculations."
"But suppose you are wrong, and my father is on board the raft, could
not we shove off and overtake it?"
"As it is almost dead to windward, we should not have the slightest
chance of doing so; and see! they are still holding their course. If
they had wished to communicate with us, they would have lowered their
sail; and they must see the smoke of the fire, even should they not make
out the flag,--though they could scarcely have failed to do that."
"I tink I could swim much faster dan our raft could pull against de
wind," said Nub; "supposing de captain on board, den I tell him dat
Massa Walter and Missie Alice on de whale, and he sure to come."
"You had better not make the attempt, Nub," said the mate. "You will
have a long swim before you can reach the raft; and if you fail to do
so, you will be exhausted before you can possibly get back."
"Neber fear, Mr Shobbrok," he answered. "If I get tired I can rest on
one of dose casks, or perhaps I find some spar or piece of timber which
keep me up;" and before the mate or Walter could stop him, Nub had
slipped off into the sea on the opposite side to that to which the raft
was secured, so that Alice did not see him. Nub struck out boldly, and
made rapid way. The mate and Walter stood watching him.
"That black is indeed a first-rate swimmer," observed the mate. "Heaven
protect the brave fellow."
Nub, however, had not got more than two or three cable's lengths from
the whale when he was seen to turn, while he furiously beat the water
with his hands and feet, at the same time shouting out loudly.
"Oh, what are those black-looking things moving about on either side of
him?" exclaimed Walter.
"Those are sharks' fins," answered the mate. "He must have caught sight
of them; and he knows well that, should he get tired, they will attack
him."
"O poor Nub! poor Nub! Can he escape them?" exclaimed Walter, wringing
his hands and looking the picture of despair. "O Mr Shobbrok, can we
do nothing to save him?"
"We can only shout and try to frighten the sharks, as Nub is doing,"
answered the mate.
"Oh, I will do that," cried Walter; and he began to shriek and jump
frantically about in a way which made the mate begin to feel anxious on
his account: still Mr Shobbrok himself shouted at the top of his voice,
and then bethought him of cutting pieces of blubber and throwing them as
far away as possible, in order to attract the savage creatures and to
draw their attention off from the black. The plan seemed to succeed,
and several of them were seen to dash forward and spring out of the
water to catch the blubber before it reached the surface. Nub,
meanwhile, was making rapid way towards the side of the whale.
"Now, Walter," said the mate, "do as I have been doing, while I get a
harpoon-line ready to haul the black out of the water; but take care, my
dear boy, that you don't slip off."
Walter did as the mate told him, still continuing to shriek out as
loudly as before. Bending the end of one of the lines to the centre of
a spear, Mr Shobbrok let it drop into the water, where it floated;
while he stood by to haul up Nub as soon as he caught hold of it.
Walter continued in the meantime cutting off pieces of blubber and
throwing them towards the head of the whale, and as long as he did so
the sharks remained on the watch for the delicious morsels. At length
Nub reached the spear, and grasping hold of it, endeavoured to haul
himself up; but he was evidently greatly exhausted by his rapid swim,
and the dread he had experienced of being seized by one of the monsters
swarming around. The mate, who had begun to haul him in, called Walter
to his assistance. They had got the black half out of the water, when
they saw several of the dark fins gliding towards him. How poor Walter
shouted and shrieked!--while he and the mate hauled away with all their
might, every instant dreading to see the savage creatures tear at Nub's
legs. With all their strength they hauled away, when, just as Nub's
feet were clear of the water, two enormous sharks rose with open mouths
above the surface to seize him. Happily they were disappointed, for the
creatures in their eagerness rushing against each other, missed their
aim, their heads nearly touching the soles of his feet--which, as may be
supposed, he quickly drew up; while the mate and Walter, hauling away,
got him fairly up to the top of the whale's back. As soon as he was
safe, Walter threw his arm around him, exclaiming, "Have the creatures
bitten you, Nub? Have you really escaped them? oh, why did you go--oh,
why did you go?"
"Yes, Massa Walter, I quite safe, neber fear," answered Nub, panting for
breath. "Dey no hurt me, though dey would have liked to eat me up as
they did the blubber which you and de mate threw to dem; no doubt about
dat."
"I am thankful that you have got back safe, Nub," said the mate. "It
was a bold attempt, but it would have been a vain one; for I am as sure
as I stand here that the captain is not on board the raft out there."
"Oh, where can my father have gone, then?" exclaimed Walter, who was
still in a state of unusual excitement, into which, weakened as he was
by famine, the alarm he had just experienced had thrown him.
"Your father is in his boat, be assured of that, Walter," answered the
mate calmly; "and now, the sooner you go on the raft and join your
sister the better." Still Walter did not go, but again seizing the
flag, kept waving it; but the raft glided on, moved by the strong wind,
which now reached the part of the ocean on which the whale floated. The
mate himself could not help standing to watch it, but it rapidly got
farther and farther off. At last, taking Walter's arm, he said, "Come,
we must waste no more time here; Nub and I will help you down to the
raft."
Walter made no resistance, but allowed himself to be lowered down, the
mate and Nub following him. Alice threw her arms around his neck when
she saw him, exclaiming,--"What has all that noise been about? I have
been so frightened. Why did you not come and tell me?"
The mate briefly explained what had happened; while Walter, with
apparent calmness, added a few remarks; and, soothed by his sister's
voice, he soon appeared to recover, and Mr Shobbrok had no
apprehensions about him. The mate told him to lie down and rest, which
he at once did. The raft being on the lee side of the whale, he and Nub
then hoisted the sail.
"Oh, Massa Shobbrok, we have forgotten de harpoons!" exclaimed Nub.
"So we have," answered the mate. "In my anxiety about Walter I forgot
them."
"Den I go up and get dem," said Nub; and he again climbed up the side of
the whale. He had lowered down a couple of harpoons and three spears,
when the mate, who had in the meantime cast off the lines which had
secured the raft to the whale, in his anxiety to lose no time, sprang up
to pull out another spear which had been fixed nearer the tail; Alice,
who was standing near him, taking hold of the line still attached to it.
At that moment, from some unknown cause, the monster body began to
move, and before either the mate or Nub could descend, over it rolled;
while Alice, in her terror still holding on to the line, was lifted from
her feet and dragged into the water. The sail, no longer under the lee
of the huge carcass, filled, and away glided the raft, leaving the poor
little girl, with the mate and Nub at some distance from her, struggling
in the water.
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Note 1. The author confesses that he has had some difficulty in
understanding the descriptions in the old journal from which the tale is
taken. From its evident truthfulness and general accuracy, he would not
feel justified in altering them. But the illustration beats him, and
sets at defiance all the accounts in his books of natural history. He
must therefore leave his readers to judge for themselves.