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Prisoners' money not interfered with.
The amount of money belonging to the prizes was very small, possibly a few hundred dollars. The private funds of the prisoners were not interfered with.
Most of the ships' cash had probably been converted into ‘trading stock,’ as being a much better circulating medium among the Esquimaux, the Fijians, and other tribes usually visited by whalers.
A gallon of whiskey or a yellow handkerchief went much farther in purchasing the skin of a seal or fox than any amount of
gold or
silver.
The capture of the
Alina was followed by that of several other vessels in rapid succession.
Nearly every sail sighted, with her long sky poles and white cotton canvas, betrayed her American nationality before she ever hoisted her colors.
On the 4th of December we burned the bark
Edward.
She was at the time engaged in cutting up a whale.
After landing her crew on one of the Tristan da Chuna Islands, about 1,500 miles west of
Cape Town, we ran down to about 420 south latitude to strike the westerly winds, which could be increased or decreased in force by either increasing or decreasing our latitude, the prevailing winds in those latitudes being strong and from the west.
