163 NIMROD OF THE 8EA ; OR, 



CHAPTER XIV. 



A Whale-chase. Boat stove, and novel Rescue. Spade to stop running 

 Whale. The good Captain savage. Fast Line, and Captain cooled 

 down. Captain apologizes. On Hand and Gun Harpoons. Hand- 

 lance and Bomb-lance. Erroneous Figures of Whales. Cuvier's Ex- 

 planation. Desmaret and Lesson. Explanation of Illustration of 

 Sperm-whale. Sight of the Whale. Description of Head. Ben Rus- 

 sell's Pictures. Professors Jameson and Murray. A Harper's Whale. 

 Jardin and Beal's Figures. How to see Whales jump clear of the 

 Water, and to multiply their Tails. 



Oct. 20. Lat. 5 40' S., long. 107 37' W. The watch was 

 employed in breaking out to make stowage for one hundred 

 and fifteen barrels of oil now on deck, the fruit of two 

 whales taken on the llth and 14th insts. While the decks 

 were all a "clutter," we raised a school of sperm-whales. 

 They w r ere erratic in their movements, and it required sever- 

 al hours of manoBuvre to get the ship in a position for low- 

 ering the boats. But once we were down, it was not long 

 before the mate fastened to a large bull. This proved to 

 be an ugly customer, cross-grained, and bent on mischief. 

 He ran swiftly a short distance under water, and took out 

 considerable line ; then, turning in his course, he rose to the 

 surface, and came down full speed, head far out of water, 

 striking one boat partially with his jaw, staving in her 

 broadside, and rolling her over. Our boat hurried to the 

 rescue, and as we pulled up the scene was stirring to our 

 nerves, be assured. The crew of the overturned boat were 

 swimming, and all six heads could be counted, which was 

 a relief. The whale lay a short distance from the boat, 

 thrashing the water madly with his flukes, and before we 



