OCEAN FISH AND OCEAN FISHING 51 



the magazine, Mr. Robinson." (This to the mate.) 

 " Aye, aye, sir.'' Then the skipper, waiting until 

 he got one of the killers in line clear of the whale, 

 took careful aim and fired. It was a splendid 

 shot ; the shell exploded right beneath the beast, 

 who disappeared, as did its mate, who probably 

 dined off the disjecta vieinbra. 



Wonderful to relate, the poor crippled sperm 

 wearily sculled itself up to our ship, and lay, quiet 

 as a lamb, under the keel. Our skipper would not 

 let it be disturbed, so there it rested for more than 

 an hour, when, somewhat recruited, it came out, 

 gave a vigorous spout by way of showing grati- 

 tude, peaked its tail, and, diving to unknown 

 depths, disappeared. 



Now I must keep my promise, and briefly 

 describe an old-world ship that used to hunt 

 these ocean monsters. In the beautiful harbour 

 of Hobart lay a real old-fashioned whaler, hailing 

 from Nantucket, U.S.A., which, after a long cruise, 

 had put in for water and provisions. Her name 

 was the Susannah, and if Londoners who saw the 

 so-called convict-ship on exhibition off the Vic- 

 toria Embankment a few years ago can recall her 

 appearance, they will have a fairly good idea of 

 what the Susannah was like. 



She was about 350 tons register, stumpy to a 



