A FISH-STORY. 179 



are not more captured ? But seeing whales is not 

 taking them, and killing them is not securing them; 

 as may be exemplified by the case of the Prince Re- 

 gent : Avhilst near us, she captured two large whales, 

 but lost them both from the severity of the weather. 

 The Flying Chiklers, too, lost the greater part of 

 another. The James Allen, however, was more for- 

 tunate. One day, after having by the most strenu- 

 ous exertions succeeded in getting in a whale which 

 they had taken the previous day, sperm whales came 

 up close to the ship. The mate wanted to lower ; 

 but the captain, deeming the weather so boisterous 

 as to make such a proceeding injudicious, refused 

 his consent. The mate then went below, charged 

 his gun, and fired a bomb-lance into the whale with 

 such eftect, that on rising again he discharged blood 

 from his spout-holes, appeared bewildered, and at- 

 tempted to grasp the sides of the ship with his jaws. 

 B}' this time all hands were thoroughly excited ; and 

 on the spur of the moment, although the experiment 

 was a hazardous one, a boat was lowered away, which, 

 though stoven by coming into contact with the fish, 

 yet managed to save him. 



I will here take occasion to relate another fish- 

 story, which emanated from the James Allen. Her 

 boats had been down for several hours, and when 

 lying still, awaiting the re-appearance of a school of 

 sperm whales that had sounded, a strange fish, in 

 size between the grampus and whale, rushed by 

 them with open jaws. lie kept on for a short dis- 

 tance, then about-ship, and returned. Both jaws 

 were furnished with sharp, wicked-looking grinders. 

 Deeming discretion the better part of valor, they 



