THE MONSTERS OF THE ATLANTIC. 177 



ship directly across or from the bows, tlie weapon 

 breaks short oflF and the creature turns and flees ; but 

 when it delivers its blow from behind, it is held on 

 to the sides of the vessel and is towed by it until it 

 falls into a state of decomposition. If, however, the 

 blow has been delivered near the surface of the 

 Avater, the horn may be sawn oflF, and the necessity 

 for dragging an encumbrance which would seriously 

 interfere with the ship^s course be avoided. If the 

 creature cannot be disengaged from the vessel on 

 the spot, it is usually done at the first port she 

 happens to touch at. 



In our case, the narwhal that we caught thrust 

 his horn into the side of the ship and was unable to 

 withdraw it. They killed him with boat-books, and 

 taking advantage of a brief calm managed to ex- 

 tricate the spear and fish intact. When we arrived 

 at New York, the skin of this monster was properly 

 prepared and exhibited as a curiosity by Barnum at 

 his well-known Museum. It was twenty-six feet long 

 from the tail to the tip of the horn. 



