Chapter I: Front Matter

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TRANSCRIBERS' NOTES

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=My Father.=

MEMORIALS OF THE SEA.

=My Father:=

BEING RECORDS OF THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF THE LATE

WILLIAM SCORESBY, ESQ. OF WHITBY.

BY HIS SON

THE REV. WILLIAM SCORESBY, D.D.

FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON AND EDINBURGH; MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE; OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE, PHILADELPHIA, ETC. ETC.

LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS. 1851.

LONDON: PRINTED BY M. MASON, IVY LANE, PATERNOSTER ROW.

TO THE LADY MATILDA MAXWELL,

WHOSE DISCERNMENT OF AN UNUSUAL AND SUPERIOR CHARACTER IN A MERCHANT SEAMAN, WHEN KNOWN ONLY BY REPORT, FIRST LED TO THE GATHERING OF RECORDS CONCERNING HIM;

AND TO WHOSE EXPRESSIONS OF DEEP AND ADMIRING INTEREST IN THE RELATION, REPEATEDLY SOLICITED, OF MANY CHARACTERISTIC INCIDENTS, THEIR PUBLICATION IS STRICTLY DUE,--

=This Volume,=

COMPRISING THE OFT-TOLD STORIES, WITH ADDITIONAL RECORDS, OF THE ADVENTUROUS LIFE OF

=His Father,=

IS, WITH GREAT RESPECT AND SINCERE REGARD, NOW ADDRESSED, BY HER LADYSHIP'S FAITHFUL AND OBLIGED FRIEND,

THE AUTHOR.

_Torquay, Feb. 3, 1851._

=My Father.=

CONTENTS.

Page

CHAPTER I.--EARLY LIFE AND PROGRESS AS A SEAMAN 3

SECT. 1. My Father's early Life 3

2. His First Year's Apprenticeship 12

3. His Progress as a Seaman, with Incidents of
Sea-life 20

4. Capture by the Enemy, and Escape from a
Spanish Prison 26

5. Rewards of Masterly Seamanship 31

6. Entrance on, and Progress in Training in, the
Greenland Whale-fishery 36

CHAPTER II.--COMMENCEMENT AND PROGRESS IN WHALE-FISHING
ENTERPRISE AS COMMANDER 42

SECT. 1. Disappointment in his First Command 42

2. His Second Adventure and commencing Prosperity 52

3. Further Successes, with their comparative Relations,
in the Ship Henrietta 55

4. Episodical Incident--the Rescue of endangered
Pleasurers 65

5. The Greenland Doctor 71

6. Taming of a Bear--interesting Recognition 78

CHAPTER III.--THE SHIP DUNDEE, OF LONDON 86

SECT. 1. Entrance on, and general Results of, this new
Command 86

2. Dangerous Accident--admirable Tact 89

3. The Dandy Sailor, or "Fine Tommy" 92

4. Unfortunate Voyage, and Adventure in the
Greenland Ices 96

5. Successful Stratagem in War 103

6. Extraordinary Exploit in "cutting in," single-handed,
a moderately-grown young Whale 108

CHAPTER IV.--THE SHIP RESOLUTION, OF WHITBY 116

SECT. 1. Continued Prosperity; the Results, comparatively
and generally, of this fresh Enterprise 116

2. Treatment and Recovery of a half-frozen Seaman 126

3. Judicious Treatment of Men having suffered
from severe Exposure 129

4. The Crow's Nest 135

5. Extraordinary Celerity in preparing an empty
Boat for the Fishery 139

6. Tact and Bravery in attacking and killing a
dangerously-resisting Whale 144

7. Remarkable Enterprise: the nearest Approach
to the North Pole 152

8. Devotional Habits, at Sea and on Shore 164

CHAPTER V.--FURTHER ENTERPRISES: GENERAL RESULTS 171

SECT. 1. The Greenock Whale-fishing Company 171

2. "Cum au greim a gheibhthu" 174

3. Subsequent and concluding Enterprises 178

4. General Results of his entire Whale-fishing
Adventures 185

5. Unusual Capture of Walruses 189

CHAPTER VI.--GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND MISCELLANEOUS
NOTICES 195

SECT. 1. Superiority as an Arctic Navigator 195

2. Natural Science 203

3. Improvements and Inventions 215

4. Miscellaneous and concluding Notices 224

MEMORIALS OF THE SEA.

=My Father.=