208 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
came to our notice. When the whale had been bombed repeatedly, lanced, and 
spouted thin blood, its tenacity of life was truly surprising. Long after dark, the 
crippled creature, with the pursuing boats clinging to it by the lines and harpoons, 
was heard coming toward the vessel, and, on closer approach, we could see the 
"white water." as the animal writhed in its agony. The boat- header, lance in 
hand, worked with might and main, hoping at every dart to give it a fatal thrust. 
We could hear the usual orders of "Pull ahead!" "Hold the boat!" "Stern all!" 
"Lay the boat off!" etc., with now and then the encouraging words to the crew 
that the whale was "spouting blood as thick as tar." When the party passed 
their ship, the captain hailed them, and advised the officer in charge to cut his 
line and give up the whale. He replied : "Aye, aye, sir ; I've killed the bloody 
Greek seven times, but he won't turn up — he's got more lives than a Kilkenny 
cat ; but I'll quiet him in less than five minutes — he can't last much longer." 
And, a few moments after, the exhausted creature made its last gasping struggle, 
and "turned up." A wild cheer from the boats' crews told that the fatal work 
was finished, and all returned to the ship, fatigued by the long combat, but in 
good spirits, for their prize was secured. 
The use of the bomb -lance has greatly diminished the danger of capturing the 
California Gray ; and it has been mentioned, in preceding pages of this work, that 
this whaling was first prosecuted in the bay and lagoons of Magdalena, in the year 
1846. In the winter of 1848, fifty ships anchored there to pass the "between 
seasons" in bay -whaling, which began with flattering prospects; but it was a new 
whale -ground, in shallow water, and the animal a strange one to the fishers, whose 
actions, when pursued, they knew nothing about ; hence, there was hardly a ship 
that did not have one or more of her boats staved whenever they made an attack. 
Again, although the bay and lagoons were of great extent, and the whales plenti- 
ful, the fleet was large, and it was a time when all the ships "broke out and 
coopered their oil." Every ship's cooper and his gang were busily at work with 
their heavy hammers, driving the hoops on the casks, and the whole combined 
produced a deafening noise upon the water, which echoed from cliff to crag along 
the mountain island of Margarita. This, with the chase and capture of the 
animals, the staving of boats, and the smoke and blaze from try- works by night, 
soon drove the whales to the outside shores. The ardent hopes of the most san- 
guine were sadly dampened. A parley was held by the captains, and the matter 
was fully discussed, what course to take in order to secure a good season's catch. 
Rules and regulations were drawn up and agreed to by all that decided to remain 
and try their luck through the season ; but many ships, after the first few days' 
