162 Records of the S.A. Museum 



"On Saturday morning we made a start to beach the whale. Four men 

 ill each of two 18-foot dinghys started to tow it ashore. As we got close in, the 

 sharks became savage, and one huge monster charged our Jjoat, and just as the 

 tail of the whale touched bottom anotlier got underneath the boat nearest the 

 whale, making it too dangerous for the men, who objected ; so we had to 

 adopt another method, namel}', that of passing a long line ashore and all 

 hands pulling. Just as we were getting well in I received a telephone message 

 from Streaky Bay to the effect that we were in the wrong place, the Museum 

 men waiting at Streaky Bay for us. I then telegraphed to our head office for 

 instructions, and got a reply at 1 p.m. to take the whale to Crawford's Landing, 

 near Streaky Bay jetty, another 18 miles' tow. We arrived at 6.30 p.m., the 

 Museum representative and a police officer awaiting us on the beach. We 

 soon passed a line ashore and made it fast, and then went to Streaky Bay to 

 wait for high tide at midnight. 



"After getting provisions ior the ship we went back to Crawford's Land- 

 ing, hauled in the whale and anchored for the night. Just before we left we 

 could see heads of sharks bobbing up around the carcase, they having fol- 

 lowed us into the bay. The jaws of the shark we caught will easily drop over 

 my shoulders without touching me." 



Some Dimensions. The carcase was fleshed on the beach, and the 'noiics 

 and lialeen were subsequently remoxed to the Museum at Adelaide. I have 

 mentioned that it was considered adx'isaJile to attcm])t to conserve the oil ; the 

 commercial undertaking was, howe\-er, outside my jurisdiction, and the pro- 

 cess of removing the blubber, as shown in the photograph (PI. xxiii. fig. 1), 

 considerably delayed the gathering of the bones. 



For comparison with descriptions by the writers quoted, measurements, 

 in the general discussion, are given in feet and inches ; definite dimensions of 

 the bones, etc., are rendered by metric factors, as below : 



Metres 

 Total length, in the flesh, from tip of upper jaw to the caudal notch . . 26'619 



6"604 



(approximately) 6'985 



3'277 



2'997 



6"426 



7"112 



r943 



1346 



Width of tail flukes 



Extreme length of skull 



Greatest width of skull 



Interorbital width 



Length of mandible in direct line 



Length of mandible along the curve 



Girth of mandible at coronoid 



Girth one metre in front of coronoid 



