WHALING IN THE BAY. 1 25 



vessel, and the shock of the colHsion nearly 

 throws us off our feet. The front deck 

 is covered with blood from his spout. 

 Finally the mate, who all this time has 

 remained stationed on the bridge in front, 

 succeeds in getting another shot, and a 

 dull report tells us that the lance has ex- 

 ploded. According to all precedents the 

 whale should have died at once then and 

 there. The mate can scarcely believe his 

 eyes when, a couple of minutes later, a 

 bloody spout on our port bow announces 

 that the whale has still considerable life 

 left. It is nearly half an hour before 

 another shot is secured. Again the lance 

 explodes, and again the whale disappears 

 from view. The mate, in great wrath, 

 with a mighty oath, shouts out to the 

 captain aloft that he has fired his last shot, 

 and, if he has not killed the whale this 

 time, the captain has got to come down and 

 kill him himself. For more than a minute 

 nothing is seen ; then the whale's back 

 appears above the surface of the water, a 

 tremor seems to pass through his whole 



