The Journal of Captain George Pollard

Entry 3

September 1819
The trip didn't go well at all. We found the whales that we were promised to us, but we weren't prepared for what was to happen after we lowered the boats into the water and started hunting. Three boats went out, all of which contained five men, and a couple of men stayed back on the ship, this was the way we usually went about when we were hunting, and the technique had never failed us before. As we speared one of the beasts, we heard a load cracking noise from behind us. Turning around, we saw something absolutely horrific. There was a whale bigger than the the Essex ramming into her at full force and I swear I could see the anger in the beast's eyes, as if she knew that we had come here to murder her and her family. The men and I watched helplessly as the whale rammed the ship three times and seemingly proud of itself, seeing the ship sinking, swam off. Once we recovered from shock we raced back over to the ship in order to save whoever might have survived, the five men that remained alive on the ship clambered aboard our pathetic boats, we are left with twenty souls for the time being. We're currently floating around in the sea with no idea as to where we are going, lord have mercy on our souls. All I can think is, "thank god I brought my journal onto this boat with me. If we die out here, I want the world to know what beast sealed our fates". George Pollard signing out.