Thursday, August 8th, we again sighted Sydenham’s Island, the natives coming off as usual to trade. One can not but notice the difference in the appearance of the natives of this and Woodle’s Island; yet they are only sixty miles apart. Those of the latter have a noble, manly look, are smooth-skinned and good-natured, while those of the former are a sullen, inferior-looking set of beings, many of them scaly or rough-skinned. They have a regular hang-dog, villainous expression, that plainly says “plunder and murder.” The females are even worse than the men, being very masculine in appearance, manners, and speech, with high cheek-bones, and mouths that would drive a hungry man crazy. They are very indolent, and seldom bring of any trade, a few fish or shells generally comprising the whole assortment. The next island we saw was Simpson’s, but passed it without stopping. On Friday, August 16th, we spoke the ship “Narragansett,” Captain Rogers, soon bound home. We enjoyed a very pleasant “gam” with them, they all feeling very happy, thinking they would so soon be homeward bound. We could but wish them joy, with a safe and quick passage home. On the 2lst, Tuesday, we lowered for whales. One of the boats succeeded in fastening to a “cow,” and, after some running, sounding, etc., she began to think it “boys’ play,” and about time to end the sport, and coming up under the boat, gave it a _rap_ that knocked it into “kindling wood,” and hoisted the boys a pretty good distance in the air. Appearing perfectly satisfied with this part of the performance, she departed for “parts unknown” with two irons and about eighteen hundred feet of line attached to her. The crew were picked up after a bath of about an hour. The next day saw whales, and concluded to try our luck again. The waist-boat finally succeeded in fastening to a large fat cow, and all hands were chuckling over the idea of having outwitted this one, when lo, and behold! her majesty turns and bites the line in two as coolly as you please, and makes off. The boys returned on board, acknowledging that “there’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and the lip” in whaling as well as every thing else.