A Valuable Prize. 133 



the captain gave permission for a crew of volunteers 

 to take a boat and attempt the capture of one. I 

 had the honour of being selected as boat steerer — 

 no unimportant duty — the success of the harpooneer 

 mainly depending upon the manner in which a boat 

 is steered towards a fish, the general maxim being 

 " to keep off her eye." It also requires a little skill 

 and dexterity, gained only by constant practice, to 

 manage a steer oar in an efficient manner. 



Pulling- cautiously up towards our quarry, we had 

 to wait some little time before a chance presented 

 itself; it came at length, and Harky 1 Hunter, our 

 harpooneer, immediately profiting by it, fired, — the 

 line running out rapidly and the water discoloured 

 with blood, plainly told us with effect. It ran out 

 120 fathoms of line with great velocity and without 

 a check, when it suddenly stopped. We com- 

 menced hauling in the line, coiling it away carefully 

 as it came in, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing 

 our victim come to the surface dead. The "Unie" 

 had probably been drowned in its death struggles. It 

 proved to be a valuable prize, measuring eighteen 

 feet in length, exclusive of the horn, which appen- 

 dage was seven feet long. These creatures, when 

 struck, will take line out as quickly as a whale, 

 though not such a quantity. 



On returning to the ship, our prize was hoisted 



1 Hercules. 



