CETACEANS. 205 



Such is the routine in capturing a whale under 

 favourable circumstances. Many events, however, oc- 

 cur, which defeat the best-laid plans of the whaler, and 

 render his pursuit vexatious and unprofitable. Should 

 the whales be alarmed, or ee gallied," and make off to 

 windward, the boats seldom pursue with success ; but 

 should they proceed to leeward, it then becomes a fair 

 trial of speed ; and the boats, with the aid of both sails 

 and oars, will often succeed in overtaking the school, 

 and by harpooning one whale, may cause the others 

 to stop, or " heave to." On these occasions the 

 boats rush into the midst of the school with their sails 

 set ; nor do they furl their canvass until after they have 

 harpooned their whales. The ardour of the chase 

 frequently carries the boats out of sight of the ship for 

 some hours; but the whales often escape, either by 

 superior speed, or by a cunning habit they have of 

 descending upon the approach of a boat, and rising to 

 the surface at a distance, and in a direction contrary to 

 their former course. The harpooned whale will some- 

 times continue to accompany the school, or carry the 

 attached boat into the midst of her alarmed companions, 

 when it not only becomes difficult to discriminate the 

 individual to which the boat is fast, but it also fre- 

 quently happens that the line is bitten asunder, and the 

 whale lost. This may occur from a portion of the 

 line accidentally entering the mouth of a whale ; but 

 it is generally believed, by whalers, that Cachalots will 

 bite a line intentionally, and for the purpose of liberating 

 their companion. On one occasion, during our voyage, 

 the line thus detached from a harpooned whale had 

 become so firmly entangled around the jaw of another 

 individual of the school, that the exchanged victim was 

 retained and destroyed by the lance, without the officer 



