64 SEALS AND WHALES OF THE BRITLSH SEAS. 



statements coincide so remarkably, making allowance for the lapse of so 

 many years, that it is only necessary to give one. "James Webster, 85 years 

 of age, remembers Greenland Whales coming into South Bay of Peterhead : 

 at that time he would have been about 10 years of age [Jno. Allan says "it 

 was in 1806 .or 1807, same year as the new parish church was opened ; " this 

 was in 1806, and agrees with Webster's statement that he was 10 years old at 

 the time]. Remembers them being an old Whale and a sucker. Saw five 

 boats go out after them ; as far as he recollects, thinks it was the month of 

 October ["in the summer-time," Allan]. They struck the old Whale, and 

 put three harpoons into her, then they struck the sucker and killed it ; 

 brought the sucker ashore and flenched it at the South Quay. [Allan says 

 " they killed the young Whale, and flenched her at the South Quay : she, 

 having sunk, it was two or three days after, before they got her in." After 

 they had three harpoons in the old Whale, she went twice up into the head 

 of the Bay, going so far that she turned the sand up, and then she stove two 

 of the boats, and broke Mackie's, one of the harpooners, legs. [Allan does 

 not remember the name of the injured man, and thinks only one boat 

 was stove.] After this, the Whale took a run, and went out of the Bay, 

 blowing blood. They followed her as fast as they could, they cut two 

 of the boats from her, and left her towing one boat with their Jack blowing, 

 after taking the crew out of her, and in this condition the Whale went out of 

 sight, and they never saw or heard of her again, Allan says that when she 

 went round the South Head, a heavy sea being on at the time, and darkness 

 coming on, the boats cut and let her go, leaving the boat which was stove, 

 fast to the Whale, the flag still blowing, and that she went out to sea and was 

 never seen again. Capt. Gray adds that " Capt, Wm. Volum, of the ' Enter- 

 prise,' and Capt. Alex. Geary, of the ' Hope,' both took part in the chase, and 

 in that year the 'Hope' returned from Greenland on 30th June, and the 

 'Enterprise' on 30th July; consequently, it must have been some time after 



