GALLIED WHALES 168 



and never at any time, except when he 

 was he more than three ship's lengths off 



His course was a huge circle, many miles in 

 circumference. His speed was just such as to 

 keep our boats at a safe distance. I could not 

 help giving the wretched animal credit for gieal 

 intelligence, for the ingenuity with which he kept 

 up the ardor of our pursuit, without permitting 

 himself to be caught. When he sounded, he kept 

 up his usual headway, and on his regular course, 

 so that by pulling as hard as we could for three 

 quarters of an hour, in the hope to get fast the 

 next rising, we would find ourselves, when he re- 

 appeared, at just the same distance astern of him 

 that we were when he was last seen. At sunset 

 we were obliged to give up the chase, and returned 

 on board, wearied and hungry. We had after- 

 ward several long chases after gallied sperm- 

 whales, always without effect, and invariably led 

 by the nose, as it were, by the whales keeping but 

 little ways ahead of the boats, holding out contin- 

 ual hope that we might, in a moment of un wari- 

 ness on their part, get fast, and gain a prize. 



The eastern coast of Madagascar is an unpleas- 

 ant whaling ground, on account of the constant 

 rains which prevail there. Part of the day ia 

 generally fine ; but seldom an entire day passea 

 without a rain squall, and not unfreque;. cly, when 

 cruising near the land, the rain lasts day and 

 night for a week. The weather, withal, ig un- 

 comfortably cool, and on shipboard, where t ii 



