THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 181 



about her, and offei- chances for more than a single whale. 

 Again, when a school of cows and calves are running fright- 

 ened to windward, and a calf be struck, the whole school 

 will "bring to," and gather closely around the wounded 

 young, sometimes so closely packed ^that the inclosed boat 

 will not dare to use the lance; and they will thus- remain as 

 long as the calf is alive, or the iron holds. But should the 

 iron draw or the calf die, the whole school will instantly 

 scatter. Whaling - captains have taken pains to observe 

 from the mast-head, when a boat was going on to a whale 

 to leeward, the effect on schools miles to windward ; and as 

 soon as the eye could turn from one spot to the other, the 

 alarm of the struck whale to leeward was communicated to 

 those to windward. The fact, as I stated, is within the ex- 

 perience of all, although the manner of communication is 

 not even guessed at by the oldest and wisest of our 

 whalemen. 



Another peculiarity of the whale is the "glip." When 

 the sperm-whale is alarmed, or on the alert against pursuit, 

 on going down for a run beneath the surface it emits a por- 

 tion of oil, or its equivalent, whicli for a considerable period 

 of time causes a smooth, bright surface on the water. This 

 is termed the glip, or wake. The mystery of the glip is in 

 a real or supposed communication between this smooth spot 

 and the whale occasioning it. Should the boat-header in- 

 cautiously pull his boat into this glip, or cross, the line be- 

 tween the retreating whale and his glip, the effect will be 

 to gallie the animal ; and it, with all its relations and friends, 

 will go tearing to windward, head and tail in the air. The 

 unfortunate " greenie " who fired the train will be upbraided 

 furiously by all hands and the cook. The tail, or, as it is 

 universally known by our whalemen, the flukes, is the pro- 

 peller of the huge mass. From its horizontal position and 

 its vertical motion, it is admirably adapted, as I have said. 



