THE
GOLDEN HARPOON;
OR,
LOST AMONG THE FLOES
A STORY OF THE WHALING GROUNDS.
BY ROGER STARBUCK.
NEW YORK:
BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS,
98 WILLIAM STREET.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1865, by
BEADLE AND COMPANY,
In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the
Southern District of New York.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | ||
| I. | THE GOLDEN HARPOON. | 9 |
| II. | THE RESULT. | 19 |
| III. | A “STOVE” BOAT. | 24 |
| IV. | IN CONFINEMENT. | 33 |
| V. | THE BARRICADE. | 39 |
| VI. | A SLIGHT CHANGE. | 46 |
| VII. | ADRIFT. | 52 |
| VIII. | THE CHASE. | 60 |
| IX. | THE DISAPPEARANCE. | 71 |
| X. | AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER—CONCLUSION. | 86 |
[Pg 9]
THE
GOLDEN HARPOON.
CHAPTER I.
THE GOLDEN HARPOON.
On the morning of the 25th day of April, 18—, the whale-shipMontpelier, of New London, anchored in one of the manybays that open along the coast of Kamschatka, where it iswashed by the waters of the Sea of Ochotsk.
As soon as every thing was made snug alow and aloft, theskipper rubbed his hands with complacency, and a satisfiedexpression was seen to cross even the face of Mr. Briggs, thefirst mate, who was the ship’s grumbler.
“Good quarters,” remarked the captain.
“Ay, ay, sir,” responded Briggs, “the tide is easy hereand I don’t think a gale would hurt us much—we are so shutin by the cliffs. But,” he suddenly added, turning his glancetoward a large field of ice, about a league from the shore, “Idon’t like