CHASE BY RIVAL WHALEMEN. 175 



anchor, to the sinking right whales, and then 

 watch the spot or the buoy, till the dead animal 

 rises after the expiration of two or three days. 

 It is probable that old age, reducing the whale 

 to leanness, or any other cause that diminishes 

 the animal's adipose or oily matter, tends to 

 increase his specific gravity, and, consequently, 

 the tendency to sink when killed. 



A chase similar to that described above, but 

 for a living whale, once came off in the South 

 Pacific between four ships of different nations, 

 becalmed together within the neighbourhood of 

 a mile, English, French, Portuguese, and Ameri 

 can. The officers of the American ship were 

 making preparations to visit their English neigh- 

 bours. The men were amusing themselves be- 

 low, or loitering about the decks, when the look- 

 out on the mast head gave intelligence of a whale 

 by the exciting and familiar cry of " There she 

 blows!" "There she blows!" "Oh, she 's a 

 beauty ! " " There she blows again ! " 



"Where away?" hailed the officer of the 

 deck. 



" West of south, heading < 



