Whales as the Whalers Knew Them 197 



One long winglike fin embraced its small body 

 holding it close to the massive breast of the ten- 

 der mother, whose only care seemed to be to 

 protect her young, utterly regardless of her own 

 pain and danger. . . . While the calf con- 

 tinually sought to escape from the enfolding 

 fin, making all sorts of puny struggles in the 

 attempt, the mother scarcely moved from her 

 position, although streaming with blood from 

 a score of wounds. Once, indeed, as a deep- 

 searching thrust entered her very vitals, she raised 

 her massy flukes high in air with an apparently 

 involuntary movement of agony; but even in 

 that dire throe she remembered the possible 

 danger to her young one and laid the tre- 

 mendous weapon as softly down upon the water 

 as if it were a feather fan. So in the most per- 

 fect quiet, with scarcely a writhe, nor any sign of 

 flurry, she died, holding the calf to her side until 

 the last vital spark had fled, and left it to a swift 

 despatch with a single lance thrust." 



Many a mother whale has been killed while thus 

 striving to shield her young, for the whaler has 

 the same contempt for sentiment that is shown 

 by the butchers of wild animals on land. 



