A VIGOROUS "FISH." 495 



and which, had it ah'ghted on any of our boats^ had power sufficient to have 

 converted their timbers into something very like lucifer matches. A few 

 more lances soon settled her, and ere long she was rolling on her back. The 

 usual cheers of triumph were given, and we had time to breathe and shake 

 ourselves, for it may be believed we had not escaped the showers of spray 

 which the defunct had sent about so liberally. The water far around us 

 was dyed with blood and covered with a thick pellicle of oil, upon which 

 the ' Mollys ' (mollemokes) were as busy as they could be, whilst the edges 

 of the ice, as far as we could see, were deeply crimsoned ; and a hummock 

 on the edge of the floe, beside which the final struggle had taken place, was 

 from the summit downwards streaked with the black blood which the last 

 few blasts of the dying monster had sent over it. Much to our satisfaction, 

 we had little line to pull in, so that we were soon ready for another victim. 

 It must not be thought, however, that I have been all this time an idle 

 spectator. If one wishes to partake in this sport, he must also partake in 

 the labour. The whale-boats are necessarily so constructed that they can 

 only contain their proper crew. But as I was able to handle an oar, from 

 former practice, I had no difficulty in finding a place in them and so gaining 

 a closer view of the scene. The labour was severe, as we had already pulled 

 upwards of fifteen miles,- and that at full stretch, as hard as we could lay 

 to our oars ; but this was scarcely thought of at the time. It was only 

 now, when the excitement was over, that I thought of fatigue or felt it. I 

 had luckily pitched my pea-jacket into the boat when we left the ship, as I 

 had a sort of idea we might be some time away ; so I now rolled it up, 

 placed it on the gunwale of the boat, and stretching myself out on the 

 ' thwart,' slept as soundly as ever I did in my life. My slumbers, however, 

 did not last long, for it was scarcely according to rule that any one should 

 sleep in the boats on fishing-ground. But I woke thoroughly refreshed, and 

 we were again in full chase after the 'fish.' 



" We had two or three unsuccessful bursts after them, but failed in get- 

 ting within striking distance. We saw one of the boats, however, a short 

 way from us, fire at a large fish, which, on receiving the harpoon, leapt almost 

 clean out of the water, head first, displaying the greater part of its huge 

 bulk against the sky, until we thought it was going to jump right on to the 

 floe. Suddenly reversing itself, its tail was seen high over the boat, and so 

 near, that for an instant or two we breathlessly expected to hear the cry of 

 agony from the poor fellows as they were crushed beneath it. But she 

 dived sheer downwards, quite clear of the boat, towards which we now 

 pulled quickly to render assistance, more excited, perhaps, by the narrow 

 escape we had just witnessed than they were themselves. Distant as we 

 were from the ship, and notwithstanding the hair-breadth escape they had 

 just made, the joyous shout of ' A fall ! ' was now raised, and the jack dis- 



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