192 THE WHALEMAN'S ADVENTURES. 



running out of the boat, the interval between 

 the fastening of the line about him and his 

 disappearance, could not have exceeded the 

 third part of a second of time ; for in one 

 second only, he must have been dragged to the 

 depth of ten or twelve feet ! The accident was, 

 indeed, so instantaneous, that he had not time 

 for the least exclamation ; and the person who 

 witnessed his extraordinary removal, observed, 

 that it was so exceedingly quick, that, although 

 his eye was upon him at the instant, he could 

 scarcely distinguish the object as it disappeared. 

 As soon as the crew of the boat recovered 

 from their consternation, they applied them- 

 selves to the needful attention which the lines 

 required. From the accompanying boat, on 

 the rising of the fish to the surface, a second 

 harpoon was struck, and some lances applied ; 

 but the melancholy providence that had occurred, 

 had cast such a damp upon all the men employed in 

 this business, that they became timid, cautious, and 

 inactive in their subsequent duties. The fish, 

 when nearly exhausted, was, in consequence of 

 this, allowed to remain for some minutes un- 



