THE CHASE OF THE BLUE WHALE 187 



taking opposite views, till at last the man seized her and 

 retired to the next room, where the discussion became so 

 heated that I feared it would end in blows, so I rose to 

 interfere. It appeared that the woman did not wish to sell 

 the lamb, but if she did she could not possibly ask more 

 than one dollar (about 4s. 6d.) for it ; a price she considered 

 it doubtful I would pay. " Besides," she added, " it's as wild 

 as a deer, and no one can catch it." Finally I was allowed 

 to have the lamb if I could catch it, and would return the 

 skin to her ; a decision which pleased all parties. The woman 

 had said the lamb was wild ; it was wild — as wild as a hawk. 

 The captain and I pursued that wretched animal amongst the 

 hills, the woods, and the rocks for the best part of two hours. 

 I longed for my rifle, but it was far away, and we had to 

 resort to the armament of primeval man, with which we were 

 at last successful. Next morning at breakfast the captain, 

 the mate, and I devoured the whole lamb in a few minutes, 

 and we then understood why the price was one dollar. 



At midday the glass went up rapidly, and the captain 

 said that though there was much sea outside, fine weather 

 might be expected in a few hours. It was, therefore, his 

 intention to steam right out about seventy miles south-west 

 to the Saint Pierre bank, off the coast of St. Pierre, where 

 he expected to find Finbacks and, perhaps, a Blue Whale. 

 Next morning we were on our hunting ground. The sea 

 had moderated considerably, and the air was clear. We 

 could now see for several miles, and soon observed two Fin- 

 backs of moderate size. These we pursued for three hours, 

 but they were both exceedingly wild and quite unapproach- 

 able. When " kril " is scarce whales always travel fast and 

 make long dives, and it is difficult to make up before they 

 dive again ; also if the steamer is put after the quarry at full 



