WHALE HUNTING WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



it was discovered that one of them continued to follow us, 

 and was becoming more familiar, keeping under the ship and 

 only coming out to breathe. A great deal of uneasiness 

 was felt, lest in his careless gambols he might unship our 

 rudder, or do us some other damage. 



It was said that bilge-water would drive him off, and 

 the pumps were started, but to no purpose. At length more 

 violent means were resorted to ; volley after volley of rifle 

 shots were fired into him, billets of wood, bottles, etc., were 

 thrown upon his head with such force as to separate the 

 integument ; to all of which he paid not the slightest atten- 

 tion, and he still continued to swim under us, keeping our 

 exact rate of speed, whether in calm or storm, and rising 

 to blow almost into the cabin windows. 



He seems determined to stay with us until he can find 

 better company. His length is about eighty feet; his tail 

 measures about twelve feet across ; and in the calm, as we 

 look down into the transparent water, we see him in all his 

 huge proportions. 



November 2Qth : The bark Kirk-wood hove in sight, and 

 bore down to speak to us. When off a mile or two to lee- 

 ward, our whale left us and went to her, but returned soon 

 after. He showed great restlessness last night; and today, 

 whenever we stood off on the outward tack, he kept close 

 below us, and rose just under our quarter, and most com- 

 monly to windward, to blow. But whenever we stood toward 

 the land he invariably hung back and showed discontent. 

 This afternoon he left us. 



It is now twenty-four days since he attached himself to 

 us, and during that time he has followed us as faithfully as 

 a dog an emigrant's wagon. At first we abused him in every 

 way that our ingenuity could devise to drive him off, lest 

 he might do us some mischief; but save some scratches he 

 received from our ship's coppering and numerous sloughing 

 sores, caused by the balls that had been fired into him, no 

 damage was received by either of us by his close companion- 



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