100 HISTORIC MUTINEERS. 



to the whale, with boat-steerer on his feet, harpoon 

 in hand. Before near enough to dart, the whale 

 settles out of sight, and, in an instant, rising 

 strikes the boat on the port bow with his jaw, 

 knocking all of us overboard except the tub 

 oarsman, who was jammed between the tub, with 

 two hundred and fifty fathoms of line in it, and 

 the side of the boat. When the writer came up, 

 he caught the gunwale, and, raising himself to 

 enter, he found the whale's jaw occupying the 

 length of the boat, on the thwarts or seats. 

 Thinking there was not room for him, he called 

 to the Swede to jump. At this instant the whale 

 rolled with the line so caught in his teeth as to 

 hold the boat right over him. Starting at good 

 speed to run, with boat thumping on his back, 

 until she turned bottom up, and the poor Swede 

 was seen no more. The second mate's boat 

 approaching, it took the mate in, and, while the 

 third mate picked up the men and .was saving 

 boat oars, etc., we at once proceeded to help 

 the captain secure the whale. The master was 

 a most excellent whaleman, never darting the 

 lance when he could get near enough to set on 

 the whale, that is, hold on to the pole and push 

 his lance into the vitals of the whale ; and now, 

 while the vicious whale had his eye on our boat, 



