THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 687 



whale does not average more than fifteen from twelve to twenty. 

 The blubber produces a very superior kind of oil, and its texture 

 is more gelatinous and less gross than that of the larger whales. 

 In the water this fish is a brilliant, shiny white. A common har- 

 poon is scarcely fit for this fish, for it is necessary to penetrate 

 through the blubber to the flesh to have it hold. The Esquimaux 

 consider the flesh of the white whale excellent eating. 



ADVENTURE WITH A WHALE. 



CAPT. TYSON, who was with Capt. Hall in the Polaris expedi- 

 tion, thus describes the killing of a whale, in which he partici- 

 pated : 



" I once had, when I was boat-steerer, quite an adventure with 

 a whale which was determined not to die. It was a large and 



C 



valuable balleener. Soon after the boat was lowered we got 

 alongside. As I rose to heave the harpoon, it seemed, almost in 

 an instant, that the whale had plunged down to the bottom of the 

 bay ; as the rope uncoiled and went over the gunwale it fairly 

 smoked with the intense rapidity of the friction, and I hud to 

 order it ' doused' to prevent its taking fire. It came, too, within 

 a hair-breadth of capsizing us. Fortunately, the line was over 

 seventy fathoms long, and of the strongest kind. After she plunged 

 we followed on, it taking all our strength to bring the boat near 

 enough to keep the line slack. She staid under water the first 

 time so long that we thought she was dead and sunk. It was 

 nearly an hour before she rose : and when she did, the jerk 

 almost snapped our strong line, already weakened by the friction 

 and unusual tension. 



*' As soon as she appeared she began to beat the water with 

 her flukes, and swirled around so that it appeared impossible to 

 get a lance into her, and, while I was endeavoring to do this, out- 

 line parted, and away she went, carrying the harpoon with her. 

 We followed with all the speed we could force, and at last, after 

 several hours' hard pull, came up with her. She seemed to know 

 we were following, and several time disappeared, and then coming 

 up to blow, perhaps half a mile off ; but we were bound to have 

 her. On and on she went, on and on we followed. The moon 



