THE CALIFORNIA GRAY WHALE. 29 



will stop and "sweep'" around in search, and if the boat t;omes in contact with her, 

 it is quite sure to be staved. Another danger is, that in darting the lance at the 

 mother, the young one, in its gambols, will get in the way of the weapon, and 

 receive the wound, instead of the intended victim. In such instances, the parent 

 animal, in her frenzy, Avill chase the boats, and, overtaking them, will overturn 

 them with her head, or dash them in pieces with a stroke of her ponderous flukes. 



Sometimes the calf is fastened to instead of the cow. In such instances the 

 mother may have been an old frequenter of the ground, and been before chased, 

 and perhaps have suffered from a previous attack, so that she is far more difficult 

 to capture, staving the boats and escaping after receiving repeated wounds. One 

 instance occurred in Magdalena Lagoon, in 1857, where, after several boats liad 

 been staved, they being near the beach, the men in those remaining afloat managed 

 to pick up their swimming comrades, and, in the meantime, to run the line to the 

 shore, hauling the calf into as shallow water as would float the dam, she keeping 

 near her troubled young one, giving the gunner a good chance for a shot with his 

 bomb -gun from the beach. A similar instance occurred in Scammon's Lagoon, in 

 1859. 



The testimony of many whaling -masters furnishes abundant proof that these 

 whales are possessed of unusual sagacity. Numerous contests with them have 

 proved that, after the loss of their cherished offspring, the enraged animals have 

 given chase to the boats, which only found security by escaping to shoal water or 

 to shore. 



After evading the civilized whaler and his instruments of destruction, and per- 

 haps while they are suffering from wounds received in their southern haunts, these 

 migratory animals begin their northern journey. The mother, with her young 

 grown to half the size of maturity, but wanting in strength, makes the best of her 

 way along the shores, avoiding the rough sea by passing between or near the rocks 

 and islets that stud the points and capes. But scarcely have the poor creatures 

 quitted their southern homes before they are surprised by the Indians about the 

 Strait of Juan de Fuca, Vancouver and Queen Charlotte's Islands. Like enemies 

 in ambush, these glide in canoes from island, bluff, or bay, rushing upon their prey 

 with whoop and yell, launching their instruments of torture, and like hounds worry- 

 ing the last life-blood from their vitals. The capture having been effected, trains 

 of canoes tow the prize to shore in triumph. The whalemen among the Indians of 

 the North -west Coast are those who delight in the height of adventure, and who 

 are ambitious of acquiring the greatest reputation among their fellows. Those among 

 them who could boast of killing a whale, formerly had the most exalted mark of 



