The conversation in the shaded parlors, where sea shells, coral, and the trophies of Pacific cruises were the chief ornaments, was of the distant husbands and sons, the perils they braved, and when they might be expected home.The command was Pipes all and, placidly smoking in the presence of that mighty death, the whalers awaited their procom services inc ship.The captain, observing their timidity, called a boat and himself struck a second harpoon.Now the rows of whalers rotting at New procom services inc Bedford's wharves, and the somnolence of Nantucket, tell of its virtual demise.It is true that in later days a shoulder gun hurled the harpoon, explosive bombs replaced the lances, the ships were in some cases fitted with auxiliary steam power, and in a few infrequent instances steam launches were employed for whale boats.It was inverted by the stroke, and fell into the water procom services inc with its keel upward.As the whale, unless alarmed, seldom swims more than two and a half miles an hour, and usually stays below only about forty five minutes at a time, there is little difficulty in overhauling him.The bow oarsman is the harpooner, but when he has procom services inc made fast to the whale he goes aft and takes the mate's place at the steering oar, while the latter goes forward with the lances to deal the final murderous strokes.With a harpoon deep in his side he turned and deliberately ran over and sunk the boat that was fast to him then with equal deliberation sent a second boat to the bottom.During both the wars with England procom services inc they were the special objects of the enemy's malignant attention.