ESCAPE OF THE CREW. 413 



distance of a ship's length, lashing the sea with his huge 

 tail in mingled rage and agony. That he had suffered 

 from the collision was evident ; but in a few minutes he 

 seemed to recover himself, and started with great swift- 

 ness directly across the vessel's course to windward. 

 Meantime, the men on board the Essex discovered, to 

 their horror, that she was gradually settling down for- 

 ward, and the pumps were immediately rigged. While 

 working at them, the cry arose : " Heaven have mercy 

 on us ! he comes again !" 



The whale, when about one hundred yards from the 

 ship, had suddenly turned, and, as if intent on vengeance, 

 w r as making for her with double his former speed, his 

 track being clearly marked by a line of foam. Rushing 

 head on, he struck her again at the bow, which was driven 

 in by the tremendous blow. Then the whale again dived 

 and disappeared ; and the ill-fated vessel foundered in ten 

 minutes from the first collision. 



The crew took to their boats, and after enduring very 

 severe hardships, reached the low shores of Ducies Island 

 on the 20th of August. It was a bare and dismal sand- 

 bank, but contained a spring of fresh water, and was 

 frequented by numbers of wild-fowl. On this barren 

 spot three of the men preferred to remain, rather than 

 once more tempt the cruelty of ocean. The remainder, 

 in three boats, started, on the 27th of December, foi\the 

 island of Juan Fernandez, distant two thousand miles. 

 Of these, the mate's boat, with three survivors, was 

 picked up by the Indian of London, ninety-three days 

 from the date of the catastrophe. The captain's boat 

 fell in with an American merchant vessel on the 23rd of 

 February, having no more than two men living, and 



