il8 TEE CRUISE OF TEE " CACEALOT." 



his attentions in our direction we were ready for him. 

 Then ensued a really big fight, the first, in fact, of my 

 experience, for none of the other whales had shown any 

 serious determination to do us an injury, but had devoted 

 all their energies to attempts at escape. So quick were 

 the evolutions, and so savage the appearance of this 

 fellow, that even our veteran mate looked anxious as to 

 the possible result. Without attempting to " sound," 

 the furious mou.-ter kept mostly below the surface ; but 

 whenever he rose, it was either to deliver a fearful blow 

 with his tail, or, with jaws widespread, to try and bite one 

 of our boats in half. Well was it for us that he was 

 severely handicapped by a malformation of the lower 

 jaw. At a short distance from the throat it turned off 

 neaily at right angles to his body, the part that thus 

 protruded sideways being deeply fringed with barnacles, 

 and plated with big limpets. 



Had it not been for this impediment, I verily believe 

 he would have beaten us altogether. As it was, he worked 

 us nearly to death with his ugly rushes. Once he 

 delivered a sidelong blow with his tail, which, as we spun 

 round, shore off the two oars on that side as if they had 

 been carrots. At last the second mate got fast to him, 

 and then the character of the game changed again. 

 Apparently unwearied by his previous exertions, he now 

 started ofi' to windward at top speed, with the two boats 

 sheering broadly out upon either side of his foaming 

 wake. Doubtless because he himself was much fatigued, 

 the mate allowed him to run at his will, without for the 

 time attempting to haul any closer to him, and very 

 grateful the short rest was to us. But he had not gone 

 a couple of miles before he turned a complete somersault 

 in the water, coming up behind us to rush off again in 



