160 SING ULAR ANECDOTE OF A D UTCH SEAMAN 



vivors. The captain's boat was fallen in with by the Dau- 

 phin, but with only two men living. Thus, out of a crew of 

 twenty, only five remained to tell the story of the whale's 

 victor}'. 



If the huge monster, in the exercise of his enormous 

 strength, can shatter a large sailing vessel in such a way 

 as to cause its destruction, you may readily imagine what 

 perils are encountered by the hardy crews of the whaling- 

 boats. A singular story is related of a Dutch harpooner, 

 James Yienkes. A wounded whale had disappeared by 

 diving, and the seamen were preparing to deal it a second 

 stab, when the animal, on returning to the surface, struck 

 its head against the boat and dashed it to atoms. Vienkes 

 was hurled into the air, and fell on the monster's back, but" 

 contrived to bury his harpoon, which he had not let go, into 

 it, and by means of this and the line he still held in his hand, 

 he secured himself from slipping off. He called the other 

 fishermen to his assistance, but their efforts to approach 

 the whale Avere in vain. " The captain of the ship, seeing no 

 other way of saving his life, called out to him to cut the 

 rope; but the harpooner was unable to do this, as his knife 

 was in his trousers pocket, and he could not let go his hold 

 for an instant. The whale was meanwhile advancing along 

 the surface of the water at a swift rate, and it was fortunate 

 for its rider that it did not dive. The sailors were begin- 

 ning to despair of their comrade's life, when the harpoon by 

 which he Avas supporting himself came out of the animal's 

 body. He profited by the circumstance to cast himself into 

 the sea, and struggling against the waves, regained the 

 boats which had been unable to succor him. He was picked 

 up at the moment his strength was exhausted, and his com- 

 panions, furious at the disaster, pursued the whale, and 

 killed it. 



A waiter relates : *' Being myself in the first boat which 

 approached a whale, I struck my harpoon at arm's length, 



