The Pacha of Many Tales

closed. "This is dry work, hearing petitions for three hours, and

the dust of your sublime

said the pacha joyfully, and the ren

have had our ears poisoned since you quitted

ess, at the ending of my

kish woman god, stopped t

nd commenced his thir

end of my second voyage, I determined to go to T

I told you before, that I want to know nothing about her. Have the goodn

replied the renegade, who, afte

YAGE OF

f a whaler, who expatiated on the fortune which might be realised by embarking in the speculation, I purchased a large ship, and fitted it out for a v

ched the ice, which floated high as mountains, and steering in between it, we at last came to a fine open water, where a large quantity of whales were blowing in

were in great danger of being squeezed to atoms. Fortunately, we made fast in a bight, on the lee side of a great iceberg, which preserved us, and we anxiously awaited for the termination of the gale, to enable us

an the horizon, there was nothing but one continued succession of icebergs and floes inseparably united. Despairing, therefore, of any release, until the cold weather should break up, I made all arr

the crew complained of scurvy, and could not move about the decks. At the end of the fourth

not have been tainted for centuries; and, as at the end of five months, the p

th an axe, and the flesh broke off in fragments, as if we had been splitting a piece of granite; but it thawed before the fire, which we had contrived to keep alight, by supplying it from the bulwarks of the quarter-deck, which we cut away as we required them. The

fat," cried I fiercely, as I surveyed his unwieldy carcase. He started when he observed the rolling of my eyes, and perceiving that I was advancing towards him, sharpening my knife, he did not think it prudent to trust himself longer in my company. Snatching up two or three blankets, he ran on deck, and contrived to ascend to the main-top before I could follow him. There he held me at bay, and I continued watching him from below with my large carving knife in my hand, which I occasionally whetted. He remained aloft all night, and so did I on deck, to get possession of him when he should descend. I was so eager in my frenzy to obtain him, that I felt neither cold nor hunger; the weather during the day was now warm enough to be pleasant, but the nights were piercing. My fat shipmate remained in the top for three days and nights, during which period I never removed from my post. At the close of the third day he looked over the top brim, and implored my mercy. When he showed himself I hardly knew him, so much had he wasted away, and it then struck me, that if he remained aloft much longer he would have no more fat than the others, and

deas were concentrated in the pleasures of the table-and the next morning I went on deck to obtain a piece of meat, when I was astonished at a terrific growl. I turned my head and perceived an enormous white bear, who was making sad depredations in my larder, having nearly finished the whole body of one of my d

I thought of, all I wished, I could command-my happiness was concentrated in eating my fellow-creatures, cooked in a proper manner, instead of the usual method of bolting them down to satisfy the cravings of imperious hu

below and brought up forty or fifty buckets of train oil, which I poured upon the deck abaft, so that it was covered with oil to the height of several inches. On the ensuing morning the bear came as I expected, and commenced his repast; I had stationed myself aloft, in the mizen-top, with several buckets of oil, which I poured upon him. His fur was otherwise well saturated with what he had collected when he lay d

ffect was exactly what I had anticipated; his thick fur, covered in every part with oil, was immediately in a blaze, and burnt with such rapidity, that before he could recover his feet on deck, he was like an immense ball of fire. I retreated to the compan

which I would have avoided. I darted out of the cabin windows into the sea, whereas had I gone upon deck I should have been safe: for a little reflection might have told me that a vessel laden with oil could not have sunk-but reflection came too late, and benumbed with the coldness of the waters, I could have struggled but a few seconds more, when I suddenly came in contact with a spar somewhat bigger than a boat's mast. I seized it to support myself, and was surprised at finding it jerked from me occasionally; as if there was somebody else who had hold of it, and who wished to force me to let it go; but it was quite dark, and I could distinguish nothing. I clung to it until daylight appeared, when what was my horror to perceive an enormous shark close to me. I nearly let go my hold and sunk, so paralysed was I with fear, I anticipated every moment to feel his teeth crushing

my seat. He then increased his velocity, and we went on over a smooth sea, at the rate of about three knots an hour. For two days I continued my course to the southward, upon my novel conveyance, during which I had nothing to eat except a few small barnacles, and some parasitical vermin, peculiar to the animal, which I discovered under his fins. I also found a s

urse straight towards it, and being blind ran his nose right upon the shore; before he found out his mistake I slipped off his back, and c

ives of the island. They were clad in dresses, which appeared to me to be made of black leather, consisting of a pair of trousers, and a long pea-jacket, very similar to

and other parts adjacent to the Pyrennees. To their questions I answered that I was the only survivor of the crew of a whaler, which h

ptoms of vegetation; not even a piece of moss could I discover-nothing but the bare pumice stone, with thousands of beautiful green lizards, about ten inches long, playing about in every part. The road was steep, and in several parts the rock was cut into steps to enable you to ascend. After an hour's fatiguing walk, which I never should h

tions of men on different parts of the lake; b

eared to take the lead of the rest of

them. Do you not observe that there is no mould; t

the name of your barren spot-and

cannot exactly tell ourselves, for we are a floating island, being composed entirely of pu

I; "I cannot believe t

some large volcano. It is easy to imagine, that after having reared its head above the surface of the sea, by some of those sudden caprices of ever-working nature, the base has again sunk down, leavi

ith Europe, then?" cried I, de

ppear to you, does not change its position many hundred miles in the course of centuries, is enclosed with the icebergs

affected by the

fected by the tides-which may be considered as a sort of exercise, prescribed by nature to keep the ocean in good health. The same may be affirmed with respect to the winds. Wind is a substance, as well as water, capable of great expansion, but still a substance. A certain portion has been allotted to the world for its convenience, and there is a regularity in its apparent varia

ou had communica

eople who come here, have never returned. The difficulty of leaving the island is very great: an

ren rock, without even a

he variety of your possessions, but in being contented wi

mood, for I could imagine littl

, which was lost in the Northern Ocean. But I do not wish to leave it. I was cast on it in a whale boat, when separated from the ship in a snow-storm, about twenty-f

laimed I, wit

see and learn; you will by-and-bye acknowledge that there is nothing existing in the world, which, from necessity and by perseverance, man cannot subject to his use. Yo

perceived several black substances on the shor

itself is mine, which I hope you will consider as yours,

s rafters to extend the skin, which wore the resemblance of a long tent; it was further secured by ropes, formed of the twisted sinews which passed over the top, and were made fast to stakes of bone firmly fixed in the ground on each side. When I entered, I found to my surprise

of the house was divided off with a species of black skin, into sleeping apartments for the master of the hous

husband, but of a much finer texture, and had a scarlet cap on her head, as well as scarlet trimmings to t

to me, to refresh me after

"have you milk he

"drink it, and tell me i

h a little more acidity of taste. In the meantime several varieties of shell-fish, and a large

ese, too

the milk of the whale which you have drank

*

cha, "I think you are telling me li

a person of your highness's judgment; it could

true," observ

'hot-blood animal,' with arteries and circulation of blood similar to the human

rved the pacha. "

*

in the lake, and the oil of the whale. His blubber serves us for fuel and candle; his flesh for meat, and the milk is invaluable to us. It is true, we have other resources; we have our lizards, and a variety of fish and shell-fish; and when we are shut up in the winter among the icebergs, we procure the flesh and skins of the seals and the polar bear. But we have no vegetable of any kind; and altho

the whales milked, this is the hour that they are called in; a s

e it, although we have a sufficiency; the tank is coated by a cement, formed of lime, obtained by the burning of the shells of fish. We make al

w dock, cut out of the lava in the side, in which were about two do

mit the mothers until we have fir

towards the beach. They all answered to their names; and when the men waded in the water up to their knees, quietly grounded on their sides, so as to present one of their udders to

lash of its tail it recovered the deep water, and sw

bserved my host; "when they are all milked,

ous whales which are

t; "we find that they grow to an enormous

ead whale on

posed, from the skin of a whale, hardened by frequent applications

use the ha

wn, and soon tires with his own exertions. I am now speaking of the males reserved for breeding, or strange whales, who sometimes find their way in

ions in houses, &c. This is a finer sort, such as I wear at present. Here we have the skin of the whale calf, which is usually worn by the women. This is the most exp

money?"

ney, is the whale cheese, which keeps for years, and improves in quality. Th

found our repast ready; an excel

dishes," replied my host; "i

rds'

re some for dinner, and y

s' sinews. The man who accompanied us, descended, and soon returned with a pail full of lizards, confined by a similar net over them. He then took

to return the ani

ils will grow aga

re the stumps notc

instead of one, which is invar

of first and second Harpoons, or of the manners and customs of the inhabitants, ceremonies at births, and marriages, and deaths-of their amusements, and their ingenious supply of all their wants, it would afford materials for at lea

ersuasions could induce me to stay, consented at last to furn

h a horror of being seated on a fish's back, after my travelling on the shark; but I had often crossed the lake in one of the great whale boats towed by one or two of the animals fastened to it by loops over their tails.

ns of the friendly islanders, who looked upon me as a man bent upon my own destruction. But I was aware that the fishery would soon commence, and had great hopes of being picked up by one of the vessels. I was soon clear of the la

ed from a sound sleep by a sudden blow on the outside of my vessel. I imagined that I had come in contact with an iceberg, but the sound of voices convinced me, that at last I had fal

musket balls, which pierced my boat through and through, and I was obliged to lie down at the bottom to save my life. After about twenty shots, the boat again came along side, and a man, putting his head in, and perceiving me at the bottom of the boat, covered over with the bear's skin, imagined that the animal had been killed, and reported to his companions. With some degree o

blubber. Disappointed in his expectations, he swore that I was a Jonas, who had come out of the whale's belly, and there would be no luck in the ship, if I remained. The sailors, whose profits in the voyage were regulated by the number of fish taken, thought this an excellent reason for throwing me overboard; and had there not been two sail in

were the adventures

observed the pacha, "but altogether, it was amusing