358 NIMROD OF THE SEA; OS, 



astride forward of the hump, as perhaps the safest place from 

 that terrible ivory-mounted war club which he had bran- 

 dished with such awful 'effect. At one time another man 

 was clinging to the hump with his hands. The boat which 

 had gone to the ship with the crew of the first stove boat 

 now returned, and took the swimmers on board. 



The whale had now six harpoons in him, and to these were 

 attached three tow-lines of three hundred fathoms each. He 

 manifested no disposition to escape, but sought to reduce 

 still further the wreck about him. Boats, masts, and sails 

 were entangled in his teeth ; and if an oar or any thing 

 touched him, he madly struck at it with his jaw. This was 

 entirely satisfactory to Captain Huntting, who was preparing 

 other boats to renew the fight. At length two spare boats 

 were rigged, and these, with the saved boat, put off again. 

 The captain pulled on ; but the whale saw the boat, and 

 tried his old trick of sweeping his jaw through the bottom 

 of it. She was thrown around out of his sweep, however, 

 and the captain fired a bomb-lance, charged with six ounces 

 of powder, which entered behind the fin and exploded in his 

 vitals. Before the crew could get out of his way, " he tore 

 right through my boat, like a hurricane, scattering all hands 

 right and left." So said Captain Huntting. Now four boats 

 were utterly lost, some twelve hundred fathoms of line, and 

 all the gear. The remaining two boats were hastily and 

 poorly provided, the men were gallied, the sun was going 

 down, and the captain, when he was fished out, consented to 

 give up the day and cry beat. 



All hands went to work to fit other boats. Through the 

 night, under shortened sail, the ship lay near the scene of 

 conflict ; and while the weather was calm it was possible to 

 keep track of the whale as he occasionally beat around. But 

 the breaking day brought rough weather, and the captain 

 proceeded to Buenos Ayres, as much to allow his men, who 



