THE ORDER CETACEA. 1S<) 



circumstance was immediately descried from the shore, 

 and a host of boats, about thirty or forty in number, 

 armed -with every species of weapon, set off to join the 

 others in the pursuit, and engage' in the combat with 

 these giants of the deep. The chase soon become one 

 of bustle and anxiety on the part both of man and whale. 

 The boats were arranged by their crews in the form of 

 a crescent, in the fold of which the whales were collected, 

 and where they had to encounter tremendous showers 

 of stones, splashings of oars, frequent gashes with har- 

 poon and spear, whilst the din created by the shouts of 

 the boats' crews and the multitude on shore was in it- 

 self sufficient to stupify and stun the bottle-nosed foe to 

 a surrender. On more than one occasion, however, the 

 floating phalanx was broken, and it required the greatest 

 activity and tact ere the breach could be repaired, and 

 the fugitives regained. The shore was neared by de- 

 grees, the boats advancing and retreating by turns, till 

 at length they succeeded in driving the captive monsters 

 on a beach opposite to the town, and within a few yards 

 of it. The gambols of the whales were now highly di- 

 verting, and, except where one became unmanageable 

 and enraged when a harpoon was fixed, or his tail en- 

 tangled in the noose of a rope, these creatures were 

 not dangerous to approach. In a few hours the whole 

 were captured. The shore was strewed with their dead 

 carcasses, whilst the sea presented a bloody and troubled 

 aspect, giving evident proofs that it was with no small 

 effort that they were subdued and made the property of 

 man. For fear of contagion, the whole, amounting to 

 ninety-eight in number (and some of them very large), 

 were towed immediately to a spot distant from the town, 

 and sold by public roup (auction), the proceeds arising 

 from which to be divided amongst the captors. An 



