264 PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE. 



whole crew : the cook's mate alone remained at 

 the helm, and the ship lay to. The monster, 

 as it peaceably floated on the surface of the 

 water, was eagerly followed, and harpooned. 

 On feeling the stroke of the weapon, it lashed 

 its powerful tail with fury, and the boat near- 

 est it was obliged to dart with all speed out 

 of the way, to avoid instant destruction. The 

 whale then turned its vengeance on the ship, 

 swam several times round her v^ith prodigious 

 noise, and then struck her so violently on the 

 bows, that the cook's mate could compare the 

 effect of the blow only to the shock of an earth- 

 quake. The fish disappeared, but the tremen- 

 dous leak the ship had sprung sank her in five 

 minutes with all that she contained. Her soli- 

 tary guardian was with difficulty saved. 



The crew were now left in four open boats, 

 several weeks' voyage from the nearest land, 

 and with no provision but the little biscuit they 

 happened to have with them. After a long dis- 

 cussion upon the best course to pursue, they 

 separated : two of the boats steered for the 

 Washington or INIarquesas Isles ; and the other 

 two, with the Captain in one of them, towards 



