Work of the Fighting Whales 291 



of Nantucket. She sailed for the Pacific on 

 October 9, 1832. The story of her adventures 

 was never told in detail, but before the end of 

 the month, while off the Azores, she sent her 

 boats after a sperm whale, and the mate's boat 

 soon struck it with both irons. When the mate 

 had gone forward to apply the lance, however, the 

 whale turned and killed him, after which it made 

 good its escape. A few days later the ship Hector, 

 Captain John O. Morse, of New Bedford, met 

 the same whale. Captain Morse was one of the 

 fighting skippers and lowered with his mates 

 for the attack, only to find that the whale was 

 coming to meet them all at least halfway. It 

 selected the mate's boat for its first rush. The 

 mate by a quick turn escaped its first attack 

 and managed to throw a harpoon into it as it 

 passed; but the next instant the whale struck 

 the boat, no one knows how, and made basket 

 work of its bow. 



The whale then turned, apparently to attack 

 the boat with its jaw, and it would have gone 

 hard with the crippled boat but for the presence 

 of the captain, who pulled in and attracted the 



