392 



ANOTHER ANECDOTE. 



illustration of the dangers which beset the arctic 

 whaler. 



A.MONG THE ICE. 



A whale had been struck, on the east side of Baffin 

 Sea, but the line having broken, had succeeded in effect- 

 ing his escape, carrying with him, however, as memorials 

 of his past adventure a couple of harpoons embedded in his 

 flesh. Strange to relate, the same fish was fallen in with, 

 a few days later, by the same ship, on the west side of 

 the bay. The boats were immediately sent in pursuit. 

 When the foremost got up with the expected prize, the 

 harpooneer fired and "got fast," and was in the act of 

 delivering the hand-harpoon, when the fish, with a 

 mighty effort, dealt the boat a crashing blow with his 

 formidable and ponderous tail, shivering it into a mass 

 of broken timbers, and precipitating the crew into the 

 water. 



The unfortunate harpooneer was seen no more ; his 

 body having probably been entangled by the line, and 



