58 THE WHALEMAN'S ADVENTURES. 



rugged weather, from the want of a long and 

 strong hawser to secure them by to windward 

 while lying- to. Six of our boats were stove in 

 one season on the north-west coast, some of the 

 crew were badly hurt, and the men got so afraid 

 of a whale, that some of them would hide away 

 when the order was given to lower. 



The only cause I have ever heard assigned 

 for the right whale's sinking so often, is by hav- 

 ing the air-vessel, which Nature is thought to 

 have provided this animal with, pierced by the 

 lance or harpoon. Any one can see that a few 

 buoys fastened to them would counterweigh 

 this tendency to sink; for so moderate is the 

 downward force, that I have heard of whales 

 being hauled up, when out of sight below, by 

 four boats' crews pulling upon the tow-lines 

 that were fast to the harpoons buried in the 

 sinking carcasses. 



Till we know more of the natural history of 

 the whale than we yet do, its sinking so appa- 

 rently without regular cause cannot be certainly 

 accounted for. One whaleman says that he has 

 known a whale of the largest size, which, in 



