We learned farther from the “Mohawk” that the natives of Covill’s Island (an island just to the northward of Pitt’s Island) had taken a California schooner, and massacred the passengers and crew. It was supposed that there were female passengers on board, as the natives were in possession of sundry articles of ladies’ apparel. In trading with some vessel, they gave California gold pieces for little or no tobacco, showing that they place no intrinsic value upon gold or silver. These natives attempted to take the “Lion” while she was trading there, but did not succeed. Whenever two whalemen are in company, and whales are raised by either ship, the boats from both vessels lower, and all oil thus taken by either is shared in common. On Monday, March 8th, while in company with the “Mohawk,” whales were raised, and down went eight boats in hot pursuit, each boat seemingly determined on being first boat fast. It was blowing quite fresh at the time, and quite a heavy sea running. The waist-boat from our ship was the first one to fasten, and no sooner had they done so than the gentleman whale knocked the boat into quite a number of pieces, and spilled them out, leaving them “lying around loose.” The larboard boat, happening to be near, took the line and held on to the whale. One of the “Mohawk’s” boats picked up the scattered crew of the stove boat, and brought them on board. The larboard boat was flying through the water at about ten knots, “dead to windward,” against a heavy head sea, which flew over and against her bows with uncommon force. She appeared actually plowing through it, the water forming a high bank of surf each side. The boat soon lost sight of the ship, and they were obliged to cut the line and return, the crew completely saturated with salt water and exhausted by their labors. During this time the bow boat had killed a sixty-barrel whale, which was soon alongside and cut in. [Illustration: A RACE FOR A WHALE.]