192 OLD WHALING DAYS. 



their way through them. Three ships' boats, eighteen alto- 

 gether, were daily sent on the south side of the Sound. 

 One of the Windward's boats got fast to a whale close to 

 the rocks, another rose near to the second boat. He fired 

 his harpoon into her, thinking it was the one already 

 harpooned. The whale struck the boat a severe blow with 

 its tail, capsizing it, and throwing the crew into the water. 

 The cold was intense that morning, and the poor half- 

 drowned men were picked up as soon as possible, but were 

 nearly frozen to death. One of the steamer's boats conveyed 

 them on board, making them pull to keep their blood in 

 circulation. 



One poor fellow was so exhausted, that they were afraid 

 he would succumb before they reached the ship. They 

 kept working his limbs and rubbing him, and took off some 

 of their own clothes to wrap him in. By such means they 

 managed to get him on board, and into the hands of the 

 doctor, who soon brought him round. Four of the Wind- 

 ward's boats were now entangled with the two fish, which 

 left only one to lance. We went to their assistance, and 

 killed them with the hand lance, reserving the bomb lances 

 for our own use ; it was not a pleasant job for us. Some- 

 times they would be so near to the rocks, that a boat could 

 not get to work on either side. It was an interesting sight 

 for a looker-on. One whale constantly fought with her head, 

 raising it twenty feet out of the water, the other lashing her 

 tail about furiously, making a noise which could be heard 

 far away. Considering that a moderate-sized whale's tail is 

 twenty-two feet from tip to tip, it requires a boat to be 

 cleverly manoeuvred to keep out of its reach. When in 

 such shoal water they are exceedingly vicious. 



The weather being calm, ami the sea smooth, permitted 

 us to get nearer to them with our lances than we otherwise 

 could have done had there been any wind or sea. If such 

 had been the case, they would have lost both. We ran 



