216 ZOOLOGY. 



the boat of the second-mate was so severely shattered, 

 that the consort boat was compelled to receive both 

 the wrecked crew and the harpoon-line. The chief- 

 mate^ on observing this dilemma, lowered his boat and 

 came to their assistance. The harpooned whale was 

 then spouting blood and much exhausted ; while a 

 loose Cachalot, of equal size, remained in its vicinity, 

 striking at the boats with his flukes, with the evident 

 intention of assisting his wounded comrade. The boats 

 were close together, and Captain Stavers had but just 

 remarked to his mate, that as the whale was nearly 

 dead he would leave him to complete its destruction 

 whilst he harpooned the loose Cachalot, when the tail 

 of the latter passed, with the rapidity of lightning, over, 

 and in front of his boat, and simultaneously, Mr. Young, 

 though a large and strong man, was seen flying through 

 the air at a considerable height, and to the distance 

 of nearly forty yards from the boat, ere he fell into the 

 water, where he remained floating motionless on the 

 surface for a few moments, then sank, and was seen no 

 more. There can be no doubt that his death was in- 

 stantaneous. A native of the Society Islands plunged 

 into the water immediately the accident occurred, and 

 endeavoured to save the body of his unfortunate 

 officer, but it had sunk before he could swim to the 

 spot where it fell. No injury was sustained by any 

 other person in the boat ; nor was the boat itself injured, 

 beyond a portion of the bow being broken off, and the 

 thigh-board, which was torn from its place and ac- 

 companied the body of the unfortunate mate, so power- 

 ful was the impulse it had received. As is customary 

 in cases of serious accident, the line was cut from the 

 whale, that the boats might be at liberty to render 

 every assistance; but when it was found that no 



