truly Turkish purpose, which need not be explained here, while
the Moors are credited with a taste for it in their cookery.
About both these latter statements there is considerable doubt; I
only give them for what they are worth, without, committing
myself to any definite belief in them.

The ship now neared us fast, and as soon as she rounded-to, we
left the whale and pulled towards her, paying out line as we
went. Arriving alongside, the line was handed on board, and in a
short time the prize was hauled to the gangway. We met with a
very different reception this time. The skipper's grim face
actually looked almost pleasant as he contemplated the colossal
proportions of the latest addition to our stock. He was indeed a
fine catch, being at least seventy feet long, and in splendid
condition. As soon as he was secured alongside in the orthodox
fashion, all hands were sent to dinner, with an intimation to
look sharp over it. Judging from our slight previous experience,
there was some heavy labour before us, for this whale was nearly
four times as large as the one caught off the Cape Verds. And it
was so. Verily those officers toiled like Titans to get that
tremendous head off even the skipper taking a hand. In spite of
their efforts, it was dark before the heavy job was done. As we
were in no danger of bad weather, the head was dropped astern by
a hawser until morning, when it would be safer to dissect it.
All that night we worked incessantly, ready to drop with fatigue,
but not daring to suggest, the possibility of such a thing.
Several of the officers and harpooners were allowed a few hours
off, as their special duty of dealing with the head at daylight
would be so arduous as to need all their energies. When day
dawned we were allowed a short rest, while the work of cutting up