She was commanded by Captain Pollard.

Late in the autumn of the same year, when in latitude 40 degrees of the South Pacific, a shoal, or "school", of sperm whales was discovered, and three boats were immediately lowered and sent in pursuit.

The mate's boat was struck by one of the fish during the chase, and it was found necessary to return to the ship to repair damages.
While the men were employed at this, an enormous whale suddenly rose quite close to the ship.

He was going at nearly the same rate with the ship--about three miles an hour; and the men, who were good judges of the size of whales, thought that it could not have been less than eighty-five feet long.

All at once he ran against the ship, striking her bows, and causing her to tremble like a leaf.