WHALE-FISHERY. 209 



ciently near to strike a harpoon. After a long 

 chase, however, he succeeded in getting hold of one 

 of the lines which the fish dragged after it, and 

 of fastening another line to it. The fish then for- 

 tunately turned towards the ship, which was at 

 a considerable distance to leeward. At 4 P. M. 

 of the 30th, 36 hours after the fish was struck, the 

 ship again joined the boats; when, by a successful 

 manoeuvre, they secured two of the fast-lines on 

 board. The wind blowing a moderately brisk 

 breeze, the top-gallant sails were taken in, the 

 courses hauled up, and the top-sails clewed down; 

 but notwithstanding the resistance a ship thus situa- 

 ted must necessarily offer, she was towed by the fish 

 directly to windward, with the velocity of at least 

 one and a half to two knots, during an hour and a 

 half. And then, though the whale must have been 

 greatly exhausted, it beat the water with its fins and 

 tail in so tremendous a way, that the sea around was 

 in a continual foam, and the most hardy of the sailors 

 scarcely dared to approach it. At length, about 8 

 P. M., after 40 hours of almost incessant, and for 

 the most part fruitless exertions, this formidable and 

 astonishingly vigorous animal was killed. The 

 capture and the flensing occupied 48 hours. The 

 fish was 11 feet bone (the length of the longest 

 laminae of whalebone;) and its produce filled 47 

 butts, or 23f ton casks with blubber.* 



* This interesting occurrence was communicated to me 



Vol. III. 27 



