WHALE HUNTING WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



from side to side to avoid his blind rushes. For an 

 hour and a half the magnificent animal carried on the 

 fight, although slowly becoming weaker and weaker 

 from exhaustion and the loss of blood. Finally he 

 lay almost motionless on the surface about fifty fath- 

 oms away, blowing frequently, great patches of blood 

 staining the foam about his beautiful gray body. 



After waiting fifteen or twenty minutes the Cap- 

 tain ordered a boat lowered and Sorenson, with two 

 sailors, rowed out to finish the whale with the long 

 killing lance. I had climbed to the barrel at the mast- 

 head, glass and camera slung at my side, and was 

 watching the little pram as it neared the dying finback. 

 After circling around the animal the boat was slowly 

 backed toward it, the Gunner standing erect in the 

 stern with lance ready, awaiting his opportunity. 

 Suddenly he leaned forward and thrust the steel with 

 all his strength deep into the whale's side. At the 

 same instant the boat was pulled away, and the beast 

 sank in a mass of red foam. A few seconds later he 

 reappeared, sending from the blowhole a thin stream 

 of blood which floated off on the wind. 



Again and again Sorenson lanced him, each time 

 remaining a little longer and jabbing the lance deeper 

 into his body. At last the gallant animal threw his 

 fin into the air, rolled on his side, and sank, the taut 

 lines proclaiming that the fight was ended. 



I had hardly climbed down the rope ladder to the 

 deck when Sorenson's face, flecked with blood and 

 streaming with perspiration, appeared over the side. 

 Laying the long lance on deck, he said : 



164 



