On Sunday, December 6th, just as we had arrived in our latitude for cruising, we sighted a large lone sperm whale, at 9¹⁄₂ o’clock in the morning; and by ten--the hour when well-behaved folks in civilized countries are wending their way to church--we were deep in the encounter. He occasioned us but little trouble: the first mate fastening to, and killing him before the other boats could reach the scene of action, though all pulled with a will. At the moment of darting the harpoon, the whale struck the boat with his head, knocking a small hole through her bows, and pitching the boatsteerer, who was standing up, over the prow of his boat upon the top of the whale’s elevated huge head; but the imperilled man, with a nimble spring, quickly regained his legitimate position in the boat, where he very probably felt much more comfortable than mounted on such a Pegasus. This was a noble fish, and yielded us over one hundred barrels of sperm oil, valued, at the time we left home, at about sixty dollars a barrel; making, in the aggregate, the snug sum of six thousand dollars. A very creditable day’s work: but, then, it has to be divided into so many shares, that those who undergo the peril and discomforts of making the capture come in for the smallest portion of the gain. The shipowners, sitting at ease in New Bedford, grasp thousands, whilst Jack and his coadjutors can reckon their proportion without very largely intruding on the scores. Thus it is throughout the world: he who does least, is paid best. Intellect overbalances mere physical exertion; and thus it ever will, and ever should do in the promotion of great enterprises.