The cruise of the Cachalot around the world after sperm whales

Frank Bullen begins his account of hunting for sperm whales with a description of how one became a member of the crew on a whaler in the late 1800's - make sure that you're in a seaport and soon enough you'll be in luck: "Sailor Jack is always hankering for shore when he is at sea, but when he is "outward bound"-that is, when his money is all gone - he is like a cat in the rain there. So as MY money was all gone, I was hungry for a ship; and when a long, keen-looking man with a goat-like beard, and mouth stained with dry tobacco-juice, hailed me one afternoon at the street-corner, I answered very promptly, scenting a berth. "Lookin' fer a ship, stranger?" said he. "Yes; do you want a hand?" said I, anxiously. He made a funny little sound something like a pony's whinny, then answered, "Wall, I should surmise that I want between fifty and sixty hands, ef yew kin lay me onto 'em; but, kem along, every dreep's a drop, an' yew seem likely enough." With that he turned and led the way until we reached a building around which were gathered one of the most nondescript crowds I had ever seen. There certainly did not appear to be a sailor among them." Bullen was right about the lack of sailor