Great was the interest awakened in the colony when the Henlopen and the Anne sailed on this adventure.  Many of the women, the wives, daughters, sisters, or sweethearts of the whalers, would gladly have gone along; and so intense did the feeling become, that the governor determined to make a festival of the occasion, and to offer to take out himself, in the Mermaid, as many of both sexes as might choose to make a trip of a few days at sea, and be witnesses of the success of their friends in this new undertaking.  Betts also took a party in the Martha.  The Abraham, too, was in company; while the Neshamony was sent to leeward, to keep a look-out in that quarter, lest the natives should take it into their heads to visit the group, while so many of its fighting-men, fully a hundred altogether, were absent.  It is true, those who stayed at home were fully able to beat off Waally and his followers; but the governor thought it prudent to have a look-out.  Such was the difference produced by habit.  When the whole force of the colony consisted of less than twenty men, it was thought sufficient to protect itself, could it be brought to act together; whereas, now, when ten times twenty were left at home, unusual caution was deemed necessary, because the colony was weakened by this expedition of so many of its members.  But everything is comparative with man.

When all was ready, the whaling expedition sailed; the governor leading on board the Mermaid, which had no less than forty females in her—­Bridget and Anne being among them.  The vessels went out by the southern channel, passing through the strait at the bridge in order to do so.  This course was taken, as it would be easier to turn to windward in the open water between the south cape and the Peak, than to do it in the narrow passages between the islands of the group.  The Mermaid led off handsomely, sparing the Henlopen her courses and royals.  Even the Abraham could spare the last vessel her foresail, the new purchase turning out to be anything but a traveller.  The women wondered how so slow a vessel could ever catch a whale!

The direction steered by the fleet carried it close under the weather side of the Peak, the summit of which was crowded by the population, to see so unusual and pleasing a sight.  The Martha led, carrying rather more sail, in proportion to her size, than the Mermaid.  It happened, by one of those vagaries of fortune which so often thwart the best calculations, that a spout was seen to windward of the cliffs, at a moment when the sloop was about a league nearer to it than any other vessel.  Now, every vessel in the fleet had its whale-boat and whale-boat’s crew:  though the men of all but those who belonged to the Henlopen were altogether inexperienced.  It is true, they had learned the theory of the art of taking a whale; but they were utterly wanting in the practice.  Betts was not the man to have the game in view, however, and not make an effort to overcome