THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 233 



whale was a peace-offering. The captain was in good humor, 

 and said that if we would promise to behave ourselves he 

 would let the men go, and we should continue the cruise on 

 offshore ground. All this sounded very pleasant to us, but 

 after coming on board, he found some technical difficulty, and 

 refused to free them. Thus our last chance was lost, and it 

 appeared that we must lose the season, and perhaps our voy- 

 age. Again we were in the dumps ; our mates were in irons, 

 and confined in a dark, suffocating hole in the hold. The 

 whale alongside promised fifty barrels. 



In striking contrast with the shortness of time, and the 

 seemingly slight means employed in the capture of this 

 whale, I will present the experience of Captain Maloy, of the 

 bark Osceola. The account from his journal is much as 

 follows: "Lat. 19 S., long. 25 30' W. Saw. large whales; 

 lowered and struck with waist-boat. Soon after starboard 

 boat struck same whale, and got stove ; the waist-boat then 

 fired a bomb-lance into him, upon which he stove her, knock- 

 ing the bottom entirely out of her. After picking up the 

 crews of the stoven boats, kept the ship for the whale. On 

 seeing the vessel he rushed at her, struck us on the bows, 

 knocking off the cut-water with his head, and at the same 

 time tearing the copper and sheathing from the bow with 

 his jaw. Got into position and ran for the whale; ranged 

 alongside and fired two bomb and two whale lances into 

 him, but these failed to kill him. He remained on the sur- 

 face, and in the vicinity of the stoven boats ; lowered a boat, 

 and without fastening fired two bomb-lances into him with- 

 out sensible effect. As it was near night, I called the boat 

 aboard, and made sail to hold our position during the night. 

 The whale was occasionally heard fighting the fragments of 

 the boats, oars, etc. Thus through the night he held his 

 ground, although he had two lines (six hundred fathoms) 

 towing on to the harpoons, five bombs exploded in him, and 



