PADDY'S LATEST EXPLOIT. 34.9 



whale-ship, whose irons had drawn, leaving deep traces 

 of their presence ; but during the battle he had received 

 ieven bombs, all of which had entered around his 

 small, but had not exploded. Their general effe ct had 

 been, I should think, to paralyze the great muscles 

 of his flukes, rendering him unable to travel ; yet 

 this could not have taken place until some time after 

 he had made good his escape from those aggressors. 

 It was instructive, as demonstrating what amount of 

 injury these colossi really can survive, and I have no 

 doubt that, if he had been left alone, he would have 

 recovered his normal energy, and been as well as ever. 

 From our point of view, of course, what had happened 

 was the best possible thing, for he came almost as a 

 gift — the second capture we had made on those grounds 

 of a like nature. 



At the close of our operations the welcome news was 

 made public that four more fish like the present one 

 would fill us bung-up, and that we should then, after a 

 brief visit to the Bluff, start direct for home. This 

 announcement, though expected for some time past, 

 gave an amazing fillip to everybody's interest in the 

 work. The strange spectacle was witnessed of all hands 

 being anxious to quit a snug harbour for the sea, where 

 stern, hard wrestling with the elements was the rule. 

 The captain, well pleased with the eagerness manifested, 

 had his boat manned for a trip to the entrance cf the 

 harbour, to see what the weather was like outside, since 

 it was not possible to judge from where the ship lay. 

 On his return, he reported the weather rough, but 

 moderating, and announced his intention of weighing 

 at daylight next morning. Satisfied that our days in 

 the southern hemisphere were numbered, and all anxiety 

 to point her head for home, this news was most pleasing, 



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