His crew, from a sawmill up the coast, had not one of them seen a live whale when they shipped; but they were boatmen after an Australian's own heart, and the captain had told them that to kill a whale was no more than to kill a rabbit.

They believed him, and that settled it.

As luck would have it, the very first one they saw on their cruise, although an ugly humpback, was a dead whale in no time, Captain Young, the master of the _Mary_, killing the monster at a single thrust of a harpoon.

It was taken in tow for Sydney, where they put it on exhibition.

Nothing but whales interested the crew of the gallant _Mary_, and they spent most of their time here gathering fuel along shore for a cruise on the grounds off Tasmania.