" EUMPBA CKINO " AT VAU VAU. 255 



mother scarcely moved from hei position, although 

 streaming with blood from a score of wounds. Once, 

 indeed, as a deep-searching thrust entered her very 

 vitals, she raised her massy flukes high in air with an 

 apparently involuntary movement of agony; but even 

 in that dire throe she remembered the possible danger 

 to her young one, and laid the tremendous weapon as 

 softly down upon the water as if it were a feather fan. 



So in the most perfect quiet, with scarcely a writhe, 

 nor any sign of flurry, she died, holding the calf to her 

 side until her last vital spark had fled, and left it to a 

 swift despatch with a single lance-thrust. No slaughter 

 of a lamb ever looked more like murder. Nor, when the 

 vast bulk and strength of the animal was considered, 

 could a mightier example have been given of the force 

 and quality of maternal love. 



The whole business was completed in half an hour 

 from the first sight of her, and by the mate's hand alone, 

 none of the other boats needing to use their gear. As 

 soon as she was dead, a hole was bored through the lips, 

 into which a tow-line was secured, the two long fins 

 were lashed close into the sides of the animal by an 

 encircling line, the tips of the flukes were cut off, and 

 away we started for the ship. We had an eight-mile 

 tow in the blazing sun, which we accomplished in a little 

 over eight hours, arriving at the vessel just before 

 two p.m. News of our coming had preceded us, and 

 the whole native population appeared to be afloat to 

 make us welcome. The air rang again with their 

 shouts of rejoicing, for our catch represented to them a 

 gorgeous feast, such as they had not indulged in for 

 many a day. The flesh of the humpbacked whale is not 

 at all bad, being but little inferior to that of the porpoise ; 

 BO that, as these people do not despise even the coarse 



