120 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEREIS. 



meuced, the mate's boat being in the adv T anee. No sooner had the whale 

 perceived this demonstration than he again turned upon the mate, and 

 before anything could be done to avoid the assault the second boat had 

 shared the fate of the first. Again Captain Deblois picked up the 

 swimming crew, and ordered his men to pull for the ship. The situation 

 had become exceedingly critical, for the whale still maintained his 

 hostile demonstrations toward the now greatly overloaded boat. They 

 had proceeded but little distance on their return when he was discov- 

 ered, with jaws widely open, in hot pursuit. Situated as they were, six 

 or seven miles from their ship, with an enraged whale in pursuit, and 

 no rescuing boat at hand, destruction seemed inevitable, but, to their 

 surprise and joy, the monster passed without harming them, and they 

 soon regained their vessel. Again on board, a spare boat was sent to 

 pick up the oars of the demolished ones, and on her return the attack 

 was renewed upon the cetacean from the ship. As she passed him a 

 lance was thrown into his head. This but served to still more infuriate 

 him, and he again resumed the offensive, making for the ship. As he 

 came near, the vessel was hauled on the wind, and the whale allowed to 

 go past, after which Captain Deblois again advanced his ship to the 

 attack, but when within about fifty rods of the whale it was discovered 

 that he had settled some distance below the surface of the water. It 

 being about sundown, the attack, so far as the sailors were concerned, 

 was given up. Not so, however, with the whale. 



Captain Deblois had been standing on the knight-heads, iron in hand, 

 ready to strike when the ship had got near enough, the vessel moving 

 through the water at the rate of five knots per hour. Before time 

 enough had elapsed for him to change his position he discovered the 

 monster rushing toward the ship at a speed of fifteen knots, and in an 

 instant he struck her a terrible blow about two feet from the keel and just 

 abreast of the foremast, shaking her with as much violence as though 

 she had struck a rock, and breaking a large hole through her bottom, 

 through which the water poured in a rushing stream. As soon as the 

 extent of the damage was discovered by Captain Deblois, he ordered 

 the anchors cut away and the cables got overboard, that the ship might 

 be lightened as much as possible. One anchor and cable was cleared, 

 but the other chain, being made fast around the foremast, was not cast off. 

 He also hastily secured his chronometer, sextant, and charts, though 

 the water had invaded the cabin to a depth of three feet. The boats 

 were cleared away, and such articles of necessity as it was possible to 

 get were put into them. The captain made another, but ineffectual, 

 attempt to get into the cabin, and then ordered the boats to shove off, 

 he being the last man to leave the ship, which was already on her beam- 

 ends, with her topgallant yards under water, and being obliged to throw 

 himself into the water and swim to the nearest boat. 



When clear of the vessel, and beyond the influence that her sudden 

 sinking would have on the surrounding water, an examination, was made 



