The Crow’s-Nest
Who will spend the morning in the crow’s-nest?
That little hoop and platform lashed atop the main mast with a view of the ocean on all sides.
In perfect conditions, the spout of a whale could be seen from eight miles away and the WHOOOOSH of the blow can be heard from more than two miles!
At that distance, could you tell the difference between spray of a desirable sperm whale or an undesirable fin whale? Was that a walrus diving in the water from an ice floe or a bowhead whale? Each whale had its own distinctive spout, and it took an experienced hand to know the difference.
"Thar she blows!"
was the cry from aloft. The mate On deck jumped up and returned with "Where away?" demanding to know how many, how far and in what direction. The Old Man (the captain) rushed up from his cabin, spyglass in hand, repeated the mate’s questions and climbed to the crow’s-nest.After breaching, the whale would sound (dive) again for twenty or thirty minutes. The Old Man maneuvered the ship to where he thought he whale would surface and the waiting began.. The Old Man anxiously asked for the time every five minutes.
Then again .... "thar she blows!" and the whole ship comes alive with activity.
This was what it was all about!
The prize had been found; the chase had begun!.
