A Sportsman 319 



outer salmon grounds, and where I had been taking 

 a salmon occasionally as I passed by. His presence 

 in that locality was sufficient to retard the free action 

 of the striking salmon, as they shy off from the im- 

 mediate proximity of large fish, which are presumed 

 to be destroyers; and this grampus, it seemed to me, 

 indicated a conspicuous intention of waylaying my 

 boat each time I passed, and would throw himself up 

 out of the water sometimes alarmingly near, almost 

 threatening my boat's safety, so near that he could 

 almost be touched with an oar. 



It was not very pleasant for an immense cetacean 

 of this character, of from twelve to fifteen feet in 

 length and weighing over a ton, to come up within 

 ten feet of the boat in his porpoise-like frolic, how- 

 ever friendly might be his disposition, and I made an 

 inward vow to look after him shortly, and accord- 

 ingly went out in a following afternoon equipped 

 for him with a large sailboat and my two men, a 

 whale harpoon and rope, and a musket carrying an 

 ounce ball. We found him in his usual locality, and 

 soon had him come up within fifteen feet of the boat, 

 and I cast my harpoon at him with all the force I 

 could muster; but my want of experience in this line 

 was limited and I failed to fasten him, and he gave 

 no further opportunity for a good cast, keeping too 

 far away, and after an hour's effort. I concluded to 

 give him a shot from the musket. This I did as he 

 rose some fifty feet off, aiming at his head. I heard 

 the ball strike him, and he disappeared. Little ex- 

 pectations I had of seeing him more, though we tacked 

 about for half an hour, but saw no further rises from 

 him, and turned homeward. Looking aft as we 



