270 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
romance, one of his brother captains ironically remarked that, as he "told the 
truth so often, he hardly knew when to believe him." "You don't, eh?" retorted 
Captain L. ; "well, you have a heap of good manners, I think, to interrupt a 
gentleman when he's talking? Now, look here, old Doubtful, I'll tell you what 
happened to me in my own boat, up in the 'mud -hole,' season afore last. We 
was chasing a cow and calf, and I charged my boat-steerer to be careful and not 
touch the young sucker, for if he did, the old whale would knock us into chop- 
sticks ; but no sooner said than done — slam went two irons into the critter, chock 
to the hitches, and that calf was 'pow-mucky' in less than no time; and the 
boat-steerer sung out: 'Cap'n, I've killed the calf, and the old cow is after us.' 
Well, just about this time, I sung out to the men to pull for the shore as they 
loved their lives ; and when that boat struck the beach, we scattered. I'll admit 
I never stopped to look round; but the boat-steerer yelled out: 'Cap'n, the old 
whale is after us still,' when I told all hands to climb trees!" This graphic 
picture of "ripsacking" was received with a shout of laughter by the knot of 
listeners who had circled about the loquacious captain, and all admitted that he 
was the king of skippers in Devil-fish lore. 
But with all the warnings and direful tales, Magdalena Bay whaling was 
resumed with ardor about the years 1855 and 1856, and was continued and 
extended along the whole coast of both Upper and Lower California. Every 
navigable lagoon of the region was discovered and explored, and the animals were 
hunted in every winding and intricate estuary which were their resorting or breed- 
ing places. In the seasons of 1858 and 1859, not only the bays and lagoons were 
teeming with all the varied incidents of the fishery, but the outside coast was 
lined with ships, from San Diego southward to Cape St. Lucas. A few vessels of 
this fleet cruised near the shore by day, standing a little way off at night ; but by 
far the largest number anchored about the islands, points, and capes, wherever the 
animals could be most successfully pursued. It was a novel sight to view a single 
ship, or a small squadron, anchored off some exposed headland or island, rolling 
and surging at their cables in the ugly ground -swell, and the fleet of boats lying 
along the line of kelp just without the surf- bound shore, or. with their sails spread 
to the breeze, skimming over the waves in the various directions the gigantic game 
led them. At such times, a feature was observed in this fishery which is not 
often witnessed, namely : the peculiar marks or devices pictured upon the sails of 
the boats belonging to the different vessels. Some had a large cross covering the 
mainsail, while others would have the whole sail of blue, with a white jib or gaff- 
topsail. On another boat's canvas would be figured one, two, or three balls ; or 
