198 THE WHALEMAN'S ADVENTURES. 



boats moored to those that were fast, the whale 

 all the time steadily towing them on. 



At eight o'clock in the evening a line was 

 taken to the ship, with a view of retarding its 

 flight, and topsails were lowered, but the har- 

 poon drew. In three hours another line was 

 taken on board, which immediately snapped. 

 At four in the afternoon of the next day, thirty- 

 six hours after the whale was first struck, two of 

 the fast lines were taken on board the ship. 



The wind blowing a moderately brisk breeze, 

 the top- gallant- sails were taken in, the courses 

 hauled up, and the top-sails clewed down ; yet 

 in this situation she was towed directly to wind- 

 ward, for an hour and a-half, with the velocity 

 of one and a-half to two knots an hour, the 

 whale all the while beating the water with its 

 fins and tail, so that the sea around was in a 

 continual foam. At length, near eight o'clock, 

 after forty hours of incessant exertion, this ten- 

 acious assertor of his vast animal vigour and 

 territorial rights was killed. 



There is also an instance given by Captain 

 Scoresby, which occurred in his own experience 



