He was missing his parents very badly, and thought that if he sent them a note or letter it would help him to overcome his homesickness. Sadly, none of them ever passed near enough.
Fortunately, the wildlife distracted him from thoughts of home. He saw dolphins and whales gambolling about in the
waves. He estimated that some of whales were up to twenty
metres in length, and was very thrilled when one day two of these creatures were caught by some of the crew who had set out after them in small boats, armed with sharp-tipped
harpoons which they hurled into the unfortunate creatures’
blubbery skin. With a great amount of effort the sailors,
assisted by some of the passengers, hauled the flailing beasts on-board, and then put them out of their misery – a slow and messy task. Oblivious to the vast puddles of blood on the deck, Heinrich walked around them, studying them closely, and
making detailed drawings in his sketchbook. Whilst one of
them was being carved up, he asked one of the sailors:
“How much weighs that beast?”
“About three hundredweight, I’d say.”
Heinrich noted this in his sketchbook, and then enquired:
“Can we eat this creature’s flesh?”
Click Follow to receive emails when this author adds content on Bublish
Comment on this Bubble
Your comment and a link to this bubble will also appear in your Facebook feed.