SPERM WHALE CAPTURED. 147 



htilf an inch thick, are collected and strung on an 

 iron rod, and, when finished, make an odd, though 

 not ill-looking, cane. Few seamen eat shark ; but 

 some mouths after the capture of the above-men- 

 tioned one, I saw a person who considered their flesh 

 a dainty. He was captain of a Colonial whaler, 

 and took every possible means of gratifying this 

 strange appetite. I never saw its flesh cook, but from 

 those that have, I learn that no amount of cooking 

 changes its appearance ; as, after a day's boiling, it 

 appears as raw as ever. 



On the 28th we sent up studding-sails and began 

 a passage for New Zealand. The next morning, at 

 daybreak, whilst carrying all sail, we sighted sperm 

 whales. After a short delay, we lowered for them. 

 The second mate fastened to a large one, fired a 

 bomb-lance into him, and had his boat capsized. 

 The crew were picked up and brought to the ship, 

 also the boat, which was found uninjured. The first 

 and third mates continued in pursuit of the whales, 

 and, after a short interval, the latter fastened to the 

 same whale. The fourth mate approached the fish, 

 and in giving him a lance, got his boat on to the 

 whale's flukes, and stove. The boat was towed 

 to the ship ; whilst hoisting her aboard, she broke 

 in two amidships, was condemned as useless, and 

 broken up for firewood. In the evening we had the 

 wdiale alongside. The following morning we began 

 to cut, being surrounded by thousands of sharks. The 

 boatsteerer, who went down on to the whale to hook 

 on, was seized by a shark, who caught him by the 

 back of the heel. Fortunately, the man who attended 

 the monkey-rope attached to the boatsteerer, saw the 



