166 SKETCH OF THE HISTORY Or MAMMALIA. 



producing a roaring noise resounding to a considerable 

 distance. The tail is, in fact, not only their organ of 

 locomotion, but their weapon of defence, and, though 

 extremely timid and peaceful, they often use it, when 

 driven to despair, with terrible effect ; and this the 

 more particularly when one of a pair is struck, or the 

 life of the cub is in danger. The mutual attachment of 

 each pair, and the affection of the female for her young 

 one, are intense ; and many are the instances on record 

 in which the one has died in defending the other. 

 Captain Anderson relates that, " having struck one of 

 two whales, a male and female, that were in company to- 

 gether, the wounded one made a long and terrible resist- 

 ance ; it struck down a boat with five men in it by a 

 single blow of the tail, and all went to the bottom ; the 

 other still attended its com])anion, and lent it every as- 

 sistance, until at last the whale that had been struck sank 

 under its wounds, while its faithful associate, disdaining 

 to survive the loss, stretched itself upon the dead animal, 

 sharing its fate " A more affecting instance, exempli- 

 fying the strength of maternal attachment, is related by 

 Captain Scoresby. One of his harjjooners struck a cub 

 in the hope of capturing the mother (a plan, we are sorry 

 to say, frequently made use of), who arose, and, seizing 

 the young one with her paddle, dived instantly, dragging 

 about a hundred fathoms of line out of the boat with 

 considerable velocity. Again siie arose to the surface, 

 furiously darted to and fro ; frequently stopj)ing short, 

 or suddenly clianging her direction, and exhibiting every 

 symptom of extreme agony. For a considerable length 

 of time she thus continued to act, although closely pur- 

 sued by the boats, but her concern for her offspring made 

 her regardless of the danger by which she was sur- 

 rounded. After two fruitless trials she was harpooned, 

 but even then did not attempt to escape, notwithstanding 

 her sufferings, but still clung to her offspring, and 

 allowed the other boats to approach, so that in a few 

 minutes three more harpoons were fastened, and in the 

 course of an hour both the mother and cub were floating 

 dead. 



