260 The Story of the New England Whalers 



that of the loss of the Ann Alexander, of New 

 Bedford. This ship was on the "Offshore 

 Grounds" west of Chili and Peru when on 

 August 20, 1850, a "pod" of whales appeared 

 and three boats were lowered, Captain John S. 

 Deblois going in one of them. The mate's boat 

 soon struck one of the "pod," but the monster 

 instantly turned with jaws open and the men 

 fled overboard just in time to save their lives. 

 A moment later the whale bit the boat to pieces. 

 Such a disaster as this, though shocking enough 

 to a "greenhorn," was a common experience 

 among the whalemen. Captain Deblois at once 

 pulled in, picked up the boat's crew, and shifted 

 a part of them to the second mate's boat. Then 

 both the captain and the second mate started to 

 attack the whale, which had been busy, meantime, 

 biting at the pieces of the boat it had destroyed. 

 In the usual course a whale thus engaged would 

 not have noticed the approach of the boats for a 

 second attack; but this one had its eyes open, 

 and it turned to meet the enemy more than half- 

 way. Rushing forward with a speed and agility 

 that no boat could escape, it grasped the second 



