But the fish being greatly swollen, and withal quite slippery, the sailor was unable to climb upon it but was obliged to remain in the water, until assistance could be sent. This was no pleasant sport, for the water was intensely cold, and the poor fellow was seen quite benumbed.
Elated with this good luck, his captain forgot to send a boat, as he should have done, to relieve him; but gave orders to moor the vessel to an adjoining piece of ice.
In the mean time, the other vessel tacked, and the master stepping into a boat pushed off and rowed towards the dead fish. On reaching it, and observing the poor fellow still holding on to the fish, but quite benumbed, he observed, “Well, my lad, you have a fine fish here.”
“Why, yes,” replied the seaman, “something of a fish, to be sure.”
“But an’t you cold here in the water?”
“That I am,” said the shivering sailor—his teeth chattering so that he could scarcely utter the words. “Will you let me come on board your boat until ours arrives?”
This was readily acceded to, and the poor fellow was assisted over the boat’s side. But no sooner was he fairly on, than the captain seized a harpoon, and darting it into the fish, raised a flag and claimed it as his lawful prize.
Though it was a hard case, by the rules of whale-fisheries this was considered altogether right. The disappointed captain, having no redress, withdrew his vessel, leaving to his competitor a valuable prize, which he had lost through a very foolish neglect.
DISTRESSING ADVENTURE OF FOURTEEN WHALEMEN.
In the year 1813, the ship Volunteer, meeting with a severe gale, near a large piece of ice, in a high latitude, the captain deemed it expedient to set an anchor in the ice, to prevent his ship from being driven out to sea.