170 THE captain's YARN. 



exertions we raised the saw and head of the fish 

 about eight feet above the surface of the sea. It 

 was a fortunate circumstance that it came up with 

 its belly towards the boat, or it would certainly 

 have cut the boat in two. I had abandoned all 

 idea of taking the fish until by great good luck it 

 made towards the land, when I made another 

 attempt; and having about fifty fathom of two- 

 and-a-half-inch rope in the boat, we succeeded in 

 making a running bowline knot round the saw of 

 the fish; and this we fortunately made fast on 

 shore at Point-a-Pierre. When the fish found 

 itself secured, it plunged so violently that I could 

 not prevail on any one to go near it. The appear- 

 ance it presented was truly awful. I immediately 

 went alongside the Li7na packet, Captain Sin- 

 gleton, and got the assistance of all his ship's crew, 

 mine being away for sugar. By the time they 

 arrived it was a little less violent. We hauled 

 upon the net again, in which it was still entangled, 

 and got another fifty fathoms of line made fast to 

 the saw, and attempted to haul it on towards the 

 shore ; but although mustering thirty hands, we 

 could not move it an inch. By this time the 

 negroes belonging to Mr. Danglade's estate came 

 flocking to our assistance, making, together with 

 the Spaniards, about one hundred in number. 

 We then hauled on both ropes for nearly the 

 whole day, before the fish became exhausted. 



