120 THE WHALE AND 



Fight with a Killer. Terrible Conflict. 



rative of Commander Wilkes, they witnessed a 

 sea-fight between a whale and one of these ene- 

 mies. The sea was quite smooth, and offered 

 the best possible view of the combat. First, at 

 a distance from the ship, a whale was seen floun- 

 dering in a most extraordinary way, lashing the 

 smooth sea into perfect foam, and endeavoring 

 apparently to extricate himself from some an- 

 noyance. As he approached the ship, the strug- 

 gle continuing and becoming more violent, it 

 was perceived that a fish, about twenty feet 

 long, held him by the jaw, his spoutings, con- 

 tortions, and throes all betokening the agony 

 of the huge monster. 



The whale now threw himself at full length 

 upon the water, with open mouth, his pursuer 

 still hanging to his under jaw, the blood issuing 

 from the wound, and dyeing the sea for a long 

 distance around. But all his flounderings were 

 of no avail ; his pertinacious enemy still main- 

 tained his hold, and was evidently getting the 

 advantage of him. Much alarm seemed to be 

 felt by the many other whales about. These 

 " killers" are of a brownish color on the back, 

 and white on the belly, with a long dorsal fin. 

 Such was the turbulence with which they pass- 



