134 THE WHALE AND 



Sperm Whale Lanced. Sperm Whale Left. 



glad enough, I have no doubt, to help their 

 brother whale in his pilikia^ and as it was they 

 greatly endangered the lives of all his pursuers. 

 But after being lanced several times, and drag- 

 ging the lone boat quite out of sight from the 

 mast-head, and tiring them all out, he was cut 

 loose from, and left with two harpoons buried 

 in his blubber sides. They will probably prove 

 the death of him in a few days, and waste his 

 oil upon the ocean like thousands before. 



I was feeling not a little anxiety for the cap- 

 tain and boat's crew, pursuing thus alone and out 

 of sight, amid a horde of infuriated and fright- 

 ened whales, all the time fastened to one of them 

 by those great harpoons, and momently liable 

 to be struck and upset. It was a pleasurable 

 relief to hear them announced from the mast- 

 head as returning, though I could not help pity- 

 ing that they should have to come back with 

 only their labor for their pains ; and, when 

 seemingly in the very arms of victory, after all 

 the hazard and toil of the chase, to be com- 

 pelled to abandon the lawful prize, which per- 

 haps an hour's longer holding to would have 

 made all their own. But such, time and again, 

 is a whaleman's fortune. To him, emphatically, 



