ORDER OF CETACEA. 53 



of danger, without hope of saving its life, it swims along, over- 

 turning everything which it meets with on its way. It sees nothing, 

 throws itself at random on the boats, on a rock, or on the shore. 



" Very soon a general shiver runs through its whole body ; its 

 convulsions make the sea froth and boil. At last it raises its head 

 for the last time ; for the hist time it looks for the light, and dies. 

 Having now become an inert body, it turns over and floats with 

 its back downward, the beUy on the surface of the water, the 

 head hanging a little down under v/ater, on account of the different 

 Aveight of the different parts. Its death sometimes takes place 

 during a dive ; the cai'cass then comes to the surface, and floats 

 without our being able to observe the phenomena which accomjjany 

 its death-struggle."* 



Dr. Thiercelin, an eye-witness, has just I'elatcd to us the terrible 

 vicissitudes in this bloody struggle between Man and the 

 W]iale. You have, no doubt, reader, contemplated this curious 

 picture with interest ; and have felt much admiration for the 

 coui'age of the man, and a feeling of pity i'or the terrors and the 

 pain suffered by his gigantic victim. Excited by the sti'uggle, the 

 crew of the whaling ship is, however, very far from being ac- 

 cessible to such tender-hearted feelings as these : it abandons 

 itself to transports of joy caused by its victory. 



But this triumphant joy gives place sometimes to profomid con- 

 sternation. The Whale is dead, it floats on the water, and belongs to 

 the crew ; when lo ! all of a sudden it begins sinking gently, head- 

 foremost, and disappears. What trouble has been taken, what 

 dangers run, all to no purpose. The Whale has gone to the bottom ! 



Just as it is sinking, numerous air-bubbles come to the surface 

 of the water, burst, and produce a sort of ebullition, which lasts 

 about a minute. This accident may happen imder several different 

 circumstances. It has been observed, however, that it was more 

 frequent — 1st, when the Whale is relatively thin ; 2nd, when it is 

 dead without having spouted blood, or, as it is called, being suffocated 

 [etouffec) ; 3rd, when it has had its abdomen cut up with wounds 

 from the harpoon. If, through any circumstance, in consecpience 

 of a wound, for example, the water penetrates into its bronchial 

 tubes, it drives the air out of them, renders the whole body 

 heavier, and the animal sinks to the bottom quicker and quicker 



* Journal d'un Makinier, tome i. 



