She dropped her boats into the brine often enough, and they frequently got fast to the whales; but lance and harpoon almost invariably "drew" when darted by the men of the Leviathan.

But what of that?
We would have all the sport of chasing the monsters, with none of the detestable work which follows their capture.

So, hurrah for the coast of Japan! Thither the ship was bound.
A word now about the hard stories we heard the first time we visited the ship.

They were nothing but idle fictions, got up by the sailors for the purpose of frightening us away, so as to oblige the captain, who was in want of more hands, to lie the longer in a pleasant harbour.
The next time the Vineyarder came ashore, we flung ourselves in his path.

When informed of our desire to sail with him, he wanted to know our history; and, above all, what countrymen we were.