WHALING ANECDOTE. 263 



not appear in the least diminished ; and in a very short 

 time they all disappeared together, being at too great a 

 distance to be seen with the naked eye from the deck. 

 The officer ran aloft, and by the aid of a telescope could 

 just discern from the mast-head the three objects, like 

 specks upon the surface of the ocean. At an alarming 

 distance he could just observe the two boats, with the 

 whale's head occasionally darting out before them, with a 

 good deal of ( white water ' or foam, which convinced him 

 that the whale was still running. He watched with the 

 glass until he could no longer trace them, and then called 

 to those on deck that they might take the bearing, by the 

 compass, of the direction in which he had lost sight of 

 them, so that they might continue to beat the ship up to 

 that quarter. 



" It was now within half an hour of sunset, and there was 

 every appearance of the coming on of an ugly night ; indeed, 

 the wind began to freshen every moment, and an awkward 

 bubble of a sea soon to make. I remained aloft until I saw 

 the sun dip, angry and red, below the troubled horizon, and 

 was just about to descend when I was dreadfully shocked at 

 hearing the loud cry of ( a man overboard ' from all upon 

 deck. I looked astern, and saw with horror one of our 

 men grappling with the waves and calling loudly for help. 

 The ship was soon brought round, but in doing so she un- 

 avoidably passed a long way from the poor fellow, who still 

 supported himself by beating the water with his hands, 



s 4 



