346 TEE CRUISE OF THE " CACHALOT.'* 



by the enormous mass of the island, so that they had 

 no idea of our proceedings. 



Finding that it was not wise to take the ship in any 

 closer, while we were yet some distance from our prize, a 

 boat was sent to Mr. Cruce with the instructions that he 

 was to run his line from the whale back to the ship, if the 

 creature was dead. He (the mate) replied that the whale 

 died as quietly as he had taken his wounds, and imme- 

 diately started for the ship. When he had paid out all 

 his line, another boat bent on, until we got the end on 

 board. Then we merrily walked him up alongside, 

 while sufficient sail was kept drawing to prevent her 

 being set in any nearer. When he was fast, we 

 crowded on all canvas to get away; for although the 

 sea was deep close up to the cliff, that swell was a very 

 ugly feature, and one which has been responsible for 

 the loss of a great number of ships in such places 

 all over the world. Notwithstanding all our efforts, we 

 did get so near that every detail of the rock was clearly 

 visible to the naked eye, and we had some anxious 

 minutes while the old ship, rolling tremendously, crawled 

 inch after inch along the awful side of that sea-encircled 

 pyramid. 



At one point there was quite a cave, the floor of 

 which would be some twenty feet above high-water mark, 

 and its roof about the same distance higher. It appeared 

 to penetrate some distance into the bowels of the 

 mountain, and was wide and roomy. Sea-birds in great 

 numbers hovered around its entrance, finding it, no 

 doubt, an ideal nesting-place. It appeared quite inac- 

 cessible, for even with a perfect calm the swell dashed 

 against the perpendicular face of the cliff beneath with 

 a force that would have instantly destroyed any vessel 

 unfortunate enough to get within its influence. 



