74 ASSISTANCE FROM TUE SHIP. 



sbip oarsman was found to be missing, and as we 

 knew that he could not swim, we were apprelien- 

 sive that he was drowned ; but on the instant his 

 head made its appearance, and I shoved him an oar, 

 with which he supported himself until picked up. 

 After finding all safe, we laughed at the accident, 

 and looking around for the whale, discovered him 

 apparently taking a view of us — his profuse bleeding 

 rendering it impossible for him to sound. On our 

 approach he gradually receded from us stern fore- 

 most. We were twelve in a boat, almost out of sight 

 of the ship, and had anything happened to our boat 

 at this stage of the operation, some, if not all of us, 

 would have lost the numbers of our mess ; but 

 Providence protected us, and we came off harmless. 

 On going on to the whale to lance him, the monster 

 would roll on his side, display his enormous jaw, 

 and attempt to seize the boat with it. This was 

 repeated a number of times, when those in the ship, 

 which had been gradually n earing us, discovering 

 only one boat, and that full of men, they lowered 

 away two boats. One went in pursuit of the capsized 

 boat, while the other came to our assistance, and 

 fastened to the whale, discharging three-bomb lances 

 into him. These caused him to roll and groan, but not 

 producing a fatal effect, our boat returned to the ship 

 for more, which were likewise deposited in his carcass ; 

 but it was not until sundown that he rolled fin out, 

 and was brought alongside. We secured him for the 

 night, and the next morning proceeded to cut him 

 in. This is a very difterent operation from cutting- 

 iu a right whale ; the two species being totally 

 dissimilar. The first move with the sperm whale is 



