t!8 WHALING AND FISHING. 



the lightning-like velocity with which the line 

 was disappearing over the bow, told plainly 

 enough that the first iron had hit him. 



Tie was sounding with a fearful speed. Before 

 we could fairly realize that we were fast, JDO 

 tub was emptied of its line, and now the mate, 

 who had not yet had time to jump to the bow, 

 (always the first evolution after the whale is 

 struck), hurriedly bent a "drug" a thick flat 

 piece of light wood, about two feet square to the 

 inner end of the line, which is always left exposed 

 for this purpose. This was scarcely done when 

 it was snatched out of the mate's hand, and stri- 

 king one of the c r ew a slight blow on the head, 

 disappeared with the balance of the line, over- 

 board. 



As the drug vanished from our sight, the sun 

 was sinking beneath the waters. The poor mate 

 tore his hair, in agony at our ill luck, while we 

 sat silent, thinking of what seemed to be a perverse 

 fate. There was scarcely a hope that the whale 

 would rise again before dark, as the twilights in 

 those latitudes are exceedingly short. Yet there 

 was a hope, and every eye now scanned the water, 

 trusting to catch some sign of the whale's reap- 

 pearance 



" Don't loo.k for the drug it's too dark to see 

 that. You'll scarce see a whale now, more than 

 three ship's lengths off." 



Minute after minute we lay there, every eye 

 trained, every heart beating with inxicty. It 



