File:Harper's New Monthly Magazine Volume 21 June to November 1860 (1860) (14803239583).jpg

Identifier: harpersnew21harper (find matches)
Title: Harper's New Monthly Magazine Volume 21 June to November 1860
Year: 1860 (1860s)
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Publisher: New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers
Contributing Library: Brigham Young University-Idaho, David O. McKay Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University-Idaho

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of the noble game. Happeningto ask a ship-master if many men were lost onthese voyages, he replied with some bitterness, Not half so many as are burned to death bythis d—d camphene! One fine morning we received an invitationfrom Captain Ryder, of the Custom-house, toaccompany him in his official visit to the whale-ship Baltic, just returning from a four yearscruise in the Pacific Ocean. The vessel was asyet but dimly discernible to the naked eye, evendown on the watery horizon, but the breeze thatkept her tacking was favorable to our livelyyacht. We hoped to be the first to board her;but when we got fairly into the bay we saw theshark boat ahead of us. We crowded all sailfor a race; but the sharks had the Richmond^then reputed the fastest boat belonging to NewBedford, and could afford to laugh at our ef-forts. As they took it easy we gained on them;and as we struck sail and hauled up under thevessels lee they were rushing over her bulwarkslike a pirates boarders, and by the time we
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THE LAND 6HABK8. reached the deck they had full possession of the Iship. The Land Sharks, as they are very aptlynamed, are a set of small traders, agents, andowners of groggeries, boarding-houses, pimps,etc., etc., who trade in the necessities or panderto the vices of the outgoing or returning seamen.The whaleman gets no regular wages, but a share(technically called a lay) in the profits of thevoyage, greater or less, according to his rankand capabilities in the service. The keen-scented Shark soon ascertains wheth-er the vessels hold is filled with empty casks orgolden oil. He can tell by intuition what eachmans lay is, and what its probable value, andliis loving-kindness is meted out accordingly. The Baltics oil-casks were filled to overflow-ing. Her voyage had been a lucky one, and themanners of the Sharks were proportionably oily.The ships crew numbered thirty-three, and eachman had at least two amiable and disinterestedfriends hanging around him, hugging him aboutthe neck, lover-

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