A SCARED WHALJS. 1 93 



&lnt>$t with the same motion leaped over- 

 board. 



If the whale was before paralyzed with terror, 

 the fiist touch of the iron gave back to him all bis 

 powers, and quick as a flash an immense pair of 

 flukes carne down on the boat's bow, cutting off 

 about three feet of it nearly as smoothly as though 

 it had been sawed off. 



Had the boatsteerer not jumped overboard, he 

 would have been instantly killed. I, who sat 

 next him, was thrown overboard by the shock, the 

 boat filled, and had not the iron fortunately drawn, 

 we should have been in a mess of trouble. 



As it was, all hands quickly got into the stern, 

 by which means the boat's bow was raised out of 

 the water; and thus we were able to paddle stern- 

 foremost to the ship, a distance of over two miles. 



That was the last time we tried the plan of 

 scaring a humpback. Had there been time for the 

 exercise of a litte prudence, we could have gone 

 on easily without being stove. But our boatheader 

 vas an excitable man, and at this time as on a 

 f< rmer occasion, lost all command over himself 

 ind rushed the b)at to certain destruction. 



13 



