His CAPTORS. 185 



Captain's Soliloquy. An old Chap. 



then, the little boat jumps again, sending the 

 spray in rainbows from the bow. " Spring 

 hard, my dear fellows ; if she blows a dozen 

 times more, the mate will fasten. There she 

 blows ! Oh, she's a beauty ! a regular old sog ! 

 a hundred-barreler ! There she lays like a log ! 

 Oh, what a hump ! There she blows ! Stand 

 up, David ! (the name of the mate's boat-steerer.) 

 There goes one iron into her, and there he- gives 

 her the second one ; he is fast solid. Now, 

 then, my boys, let us be up among the suds. 

 Stand up !" shouted the captain to me, as he 

 laid his boat square on to her. In goes two 

 more harpoons, and our boat is fast. 



I thought I had seen large sperm whales, 

 but this old chap beat them all ; he cut and 

 thrashed with his flukes a while, but did not 

 take to sounding or running, as some whales 

 do. The mate pulled up to lance him ; but, 

 let him go on as he would, the whale would 

 head for his boat, and prevent his getting a 

 chance at her with his lance. 



" Now, then, Mr. ," said the captain to 



me, " you must kill that whale." The captain 

 steered me this day, as he had done several 

 times before, as we were short of a boat-steerer. 



