HISTORY OF THE WHALE. 89 



cab being insensible to danger is easily harpooned, when 

 the attachment of the mother is so manifested, as to bring 

 it almost certainly within the reach of the whalers. Hence, 

 though the cub is of little value, yet it is often struck as a 

 snare for the mother. In this case she joins it at the sur- 

 face whenever it has occasion to rise for respiration, en- 

 courages it to swim off, and seldom deserts it while life 

 remains. She is then dangerous to approach, but affords 

 frequent opportunities of attack. She loses all regard for 

 her own safety in anxiety for the preservation of her young, 

 dashes through the midst of her enemies, despises the dan- 

 ger that threatens her, and even voluntarily remains with 

 her offspring after various attacks on herself. In 1811, 

 says Mr. Scorseby, one of my harpooners struck a sucker 

 in hopes of leading to the capture of the mother. Present- 

 ly she arose close by the " fast boat," and seizing the young 

 one, dragged about six hundred feet of line out of the boat 

 with remarkable force and velocity. Again she rose to the 

 surface, darted furiously to and fro, frequently stopt short 

 or suddenly changed her direction, and gave every possible 

 intimation of extreme agony. For a length of time she con- 

 tinued thus to act, though closely pursued by the boats ; 

 and inspired with courage and resolution by her concern for 

 her young, seemed regardless of the danger which surround- 

 ed her. At length one of the boats approached so near 

 that a harpoon was hove at her ; it hit, but did not attach 

 itself. A second harpoon was struck, but this also Failed 

 to penetrate; but a third was more effectual and held. 

 She did not attempt to escape, but allowed other boats to 

 approach ; so that in a few minutes three more harpoons 

 were fastened, and in the course of an hour afterwards she 

 was killed. There is something, continues this interesting 

 writer, extremely painful in the destruction of a whale, 

 when thus evincing a degree of affectionate regard for its 

 offspring, which would do honor to the superior intelli- 



