212 THE WHALE AND 



Incredible Brute Strength. Hamessing it to the Ship. 



struck one of the whales. This was about four 

 o'clock in the morning. The captain directed 

 the course of the ship to the point where he had 

 last seen the boats, and about eight o'clock got 

 sight of one, which displayed the signal of being 

 fast. Soon after, another boat approached the 

 first, and struck a second harpoon ; and by mid- 

 day two more harpoons were made fast. 



But such was the astonishing vigor of this 

 whale, that although it constantly dragged 

 through the water from four to six boats, to- 

 gether with sixteen hundred fathoms of line, 

 yet it pursued its flight nearly as fast as a boat 

 could row, and whenever one passed beyond its 

 tail it would dive. All endeavors to lance it 

 were therefore vain, and the crews of the loose 

 boats moored to those that were fast, the whale 

 all the time steadily towing them on. 



At eight o'clock in the evening a line was 

 taken to the ship, with a view of retarding its 

 flight, and topsails were lowered, but the har- 

 poon drew. In three hours another line was 

 taken on board, which immediately snapped. 

 At four in the afternoon of the next day, thirty- 

 six hours after the whale was first struck, two 

 of the fast lines were taken on board the ship. 



