FATAL INCIDENT. 191 



which could not be accounted for, a turn of the 

 line flew over his arm, in an instant dragged 

 him overboard, and plunged him under the 

 water, to rise no more ! So sudden was the 

 accident, that only one man, who had his eye 

 upon him at the time, was aware of what had 

 happened ; so that when the boat righted, which 

 it immediately did, though half full of water, they 

 all at once, on looking round at an exclamation 

 from the man who had seen him launched over- 

 board, inquired what had got Carr ! It is 

 scarcely possible to imagine a death more 

 awfully sudden and unexpected. The murder- 

 ous bullet, when it makes its way through the 

 air with a velocity that renders it invisible, and 

 seems not to require a moment for its flight, 

 rarely produces so instantaneous destruction. 

 The velocity of the whale on its first descent, is 

 usually (as I have proved by experiment) about 

 eight or nine miles per hour, or thirteen to fifteen 

 feet per second. Now, as this unfortunate man 

 was occupied in adjusting the line at the very 

 water's edge, when it must have been perfectly 

 tight, in consequence of the obstruction to its 



