42 PROCEEDIKGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



is from December to March, they formerly collected at the most remote ex- 

 tremities of the lagoons, huddled together so thickly that it was difficult for a 

 boat to cross the waters without coming in contact with them accidentally. 

 Frequent instances have been known of their getting aground, and lying for 

 three or four hours with but two or three feet of water around them, without 

 apparent inconvenience or injury from lying heavily on the sandy bottom till 

 the rising tide floated them again. 



In February, IS-'iO, we found two aground in Magdalena Bay. Each had a 

 calf playing about ; there being sufficient depth for the young ones, while the 

 mothers lay hard on the bottom. 



When attacked the smaller of the two old ones laid motionless, and the boat 

 approached near enough to "set" the hand lance into her "life," dispatching 

 her at a single dart. The other, however, when approached would raise head 

 and flukes above the water, supporting herself on a small portion of the belly, 

 turning easily, and heading towards the boat, which made it very difficult to 

 capture her. It appears to be their nature to get into as shallow water as will 

 float them when their calves are young. For this reason, the whaling vessels 

 anchor a considerable distance, sometimes two or three miles, from \vhere the 

 crews go to hunt them. Several vessels are often in the same lagoons. The 

 first streak of dawn is the signal for lowering the boats, all pulling for the head 

 waters, where the whales with their calves are found. As soon as one is seen, 

 the officer who first discovers it sets a waif in his boat, heads for the whale, and 

 gives chase. Boats belonging to other vessels do not interfere, but go on in 

 search of more whales. When the boats are in chase, great care is taken to 

 keep behind and a short distance from the whale, till driven near the head of 

 the lagoon or into shallow water; then the men in the boats nearest spring to 

 their oars in the exciting pursuit. At such times the animal swims so close to 

 the bottom as to impede its progress, thereby giving the boat a decided advan- 

 tage ; but occasionally the whale will suddenly change its course, or dodge, 

 especially if she has a calf that is old enough to swim fast. Under such cir- 

 cumstances the chase will frequently last for hours, the boats cutting through 

 the water at their utmost speed. At other times, when the calf is young and 

 weak, the movement of the mother is very slow, keeping close to her young 

 and giving it all the protection and assistance which her nature affords. It is 

 an unusual occurrence for the mother to forsake her offspring when molested. 

 When within " darting distance " (sixteen or eighteen feet), the boat steerer 

 darts the "irons," and when the whale is struck it dashes about, lashing the 

 water into foam, frequently even staving the boats. As soon as the boat is 

 "fast" the officer goes into the head,* and watches a favorable opportunity to 

 shoot a bomb lance into it. If it enters a vital part and explodes, it kills in- 

 stantly, but it is not often this good luck occurs ; oftener two or three bombs 

 are shot which paralyze the animal to some extent, then the boat is hauled 

 near enough to use the hand lance. After repeated thrusts the whale becomes 

 sluggish in its motions; then, going "close to," the lance is set into its "life," 

 which completes the capture ; the whale rolling over on its side, with fins ex- 

 tended, dies without a struggle, or will circle around in a small compass, or 

 make a zigzag course, heaving its head and flukes above the water, and either 

 roll over, fin out, or die under water and sink to the bottom. 



My remarks thus far have been confined principally to the females as they 

 are found in the lagoons. Mention has been made, however, of the general 

 habit of both male and female, in making their passage between their northern 

 and southern feeding grounds, of keeping near the shore. This fact becoming 



* Whalemen pall the forward part of a whaleboat the head, difFering from niorehant- 

 men, who term it the bow ; still the oar next to tlie forward one in a whaleboat is named 

 the bow-oar; likewise when the boat is hauled elose to the whale by heaving the line out 

 of the "bow-choeks," and taking it to one side against a cleat placed a few feot aft of the 

 extreme bow, it is called "bowing on." 



• [April, 



