220 ZOOLOGY. 



returned to the United States, dispirited by his ill 

 fortune, and, engaging in agricultural pursuits, ceased 

 to tempt any further the perils of the deep. 



A few Cachalots have been noted individually as 

 animals dangerous to attack. One was thus distin- 

 guished on the cruising ground off the coast of New 

 Zealand, and was long known to whalers by the name 

 of u New Zealand Tom/ 5 He is said to have been of 

 great size; conspicuously distinguished by a white 

 hump ; and famous for the havoc he had made amongst 

 the boats and gear of ships attempting his destruction. 

 A second example, of similar celebrity, was known to 

 whalers in the Straits of Timor. He had so often 

 succeeded in repelling the attacks of his foes as to be 

 considered invincible, but was at length dispatched by 

 a whaler, who, forewarned of his combative temper, 

 adopted the expedient of floating a cask on the sea, to 

 withdraw his attention from the boats ; but notwith- 

 standing this ruse, the animal was not destroyed without 

 much hard fighting, nor until the bow of one of the 

 boats had been nipped off by his jaws. 



By the line becoming entangled, or impacted, when 

 the harpooned whale is descending rapidly, the boat 

 may be instantaneously drawn under water, and before 

 any measures can be used to free it. The axe, provided 

 for the purpose of cutting the line, is, by some prudent 

 officers, held in the hand while the line is running; 

 and under some circumstances, nothing short of such 

 precaution can save the boat's crew from a watery 

 grave. Several distressing instances have occurred of 

 the sudden and total disappearance of a boat, which 

 had last been seen attached to a whale ; much proba- 

 bility existing, that its loss was attributable to this 

 accident. 



