ILLUSTRATIVE ANECDOTES. S83 



tour miles jicr hour ; some of the boats gave chase, 

 and others took hold of the fast-boat, and were 

 towed by it to ^\indward. When two boats, by 

 great exertions on the part of their crews, had got 

 very near to the fish, and the harpooners were ex- 

 pecting every moment to be able to strike it, it sud- 

 denly shifted its course when under water, and in a 

 few minutes discovered itself in a southerly direc- 

 tion, ■ at least half a mile from any boat. It then 

 completed a circuit round the fast-boat, with the 

 sweep of nearly a mile as a radius, and though fol- 

 lowed in its track by the boats, it dived before any 

 of them got near it, and evaded them completely. 

 When it appeared again, it was at least half a mile 

 to windward of any of them, and then continued 

 arduously advancing in the same direction. The 

 " lipper" on the water, arising from a strong breeze 

 of wind, much impeded the velocity of the boats, 

 and rapidly exhausted the little remaining strength 

 of their crews. 



At various times during the pursuit, the boats hav- 

 ing the most indefatigable crews, reached the fish 

 within 10 or 15 yards, when, apparently aware of 

 their design, it iraniediately sunk and changed its 

 course ; so that it invariably made its next appear- 

 ance, in a quarter where no boats were near. 



The most general course of the whale being to 

 windward, it soon withdrew all the boats mant 



