142 TRJE OCEAN. 



1818, happening to slip into a coil of running rope, 

 had his foot entirely cut off. and was obliged to have 

 the lower part of the leg amputated. A harpooner 

 belonging to the Hamilton, when engaged in lancing 

 a Whale, incautiously cast a little line under his foot, 

 The pain of the lance induced the Whale to dart sud- 

 denly downwards ; his line began to run out from 

 under his feet, and in an instant caught him by a 

 turn round the body. He had just time to call out, 

 * Clear away the line. — Oh dear ! ' when he was 

 almost cut asunder, dragged overboard, and never 

 seen afterwards." Many such-like anecdotes are on 

 record. 



When a boat is " fast " to the Whale, a little flag is 

 instantly hoisted in the stern as a signal to the ship, 

 and other boats are at once desj)atched to its assist- 

 ance. Sometimes before their help can arrive, the 

 united lines of the boats first sent are all run out, in 

 which case the men are obliged to cut the line, and 

 lose it with the Whale, or the boat would be dragged 

 under water. But generally some of the free boats 

 can approach sufficiently near the animal on his 

 return to the surface, to dart another harpoon into 

 his body ; perhaps he again dives, but returns much 

 exhausted. The men now thrust into his body long 

 and slender steel lances ; and, aiming at the vitals, 

 these wounds soon prove fatal : blood mixed with 

 water is discharged from the blow-holes, and pre- 

 sently streams of blood alone are ejected, which 

 frequently drench the boats and men, and colour 

 the sea far around. Sometimes the last agony of the 

 victim is marked by convulsive motions with the tail, 



