178 WHALE-FISHERY, 



meantime were employed in heaving in the lines, 

 by means of a winch fixed in the boat for the 

 purpose, which they progressively effected for some 

 time. On a sudden, however, to their great aston- 

 ishment, the lines were pulled away from them, 

 with the same force and violence, as by a whale 

 when first struck. They repeated their signal, in- 

 dicative of a whale being struck; their shipmates 

 flocked towards them, and while every one express- 

 ed a similar degree of astonishment with themselves, 

 they all agreed that a fish was fast to the line. In a 

 few minutes, they were agreeably confirmed in their 

 opinion, and relieved from suspense, by the rising 

 of a large whale close by them, exhausted with fa- 

 tigue, and having every appearance of a fast-fish. 

 It permitted itself to be struck by several harpoons 

 at once, and was speedily killed. On examining it 

 after death, for discovering the cause of such an in- 

 teresting accident, they found the line, belonging to 

 the above mentioned boat, in its mouth, where it was 

 still firmly fixed by the compression of its lips. The 

 occasion of this happy and puzzling accident, was 

 therefore solved;— the end of the line, after being 

 cut from the whale first killed, was in the act of 

 sinking in the water; the fish in question, engaged 

 in feeding, was advancing with its mouth wide open, 

 and accidentally caught the line between its extend- 

 ed jaws;— a sensation so utterly unusual as that pro- 

 duced by the line, had induced it to shut its mouth 

 and grasp the line, which was the cause of its alarm, 



