268 MABINE MAiUIALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 



came to our notice. When the ^Yllale had been bombed repeatedly, lanced, and 

 spouted thin blood, its teuacit^y of life was truly surprising. Long after dark, the 

 crippled creature, with the pursuing boats clinging to it by the lines and harpoons, 

 was heard coming toward tlie vessel, and, on closer approach, we could see the 

 "white water," a,s the animal writhed in its agony. The boat -header, lance in 

 hand, worked with miglit and main, hoping at every dart to give it a fatal thrust. 

 We could hear the usual orders of "Pull ahead!" "Hold the boat!" "Stern all!" 

 "Lay the boat off!" etc.. with now and then the encouraging words to the crew 

 that the whale was "spouting blood as thick as tar." When the party passed 

 tlieir ship, the captain hailed them, and advised the officer in charge to cut his 

 line and give up the whale. He replied : "Aye, aye, sir ; I've killed the bloody 

 Greek seven times, but he won't turn up — he's got more lives than a Kilkenny 

 cat ; but I'll cjuiet him in less than five minutes — he can't last much longer." 

 And, a few moments after, the exhausted creature made its last gasping struggle, 

 and "turned up." A wild cheer from the boats' crews told that the fatal work 

 was finished, and all returned to the ship, fatigued by the long combat, but in 

 good spirits, for their prize was secured. 



The use of the bomb -lance has greatly diminished the danger of capturing the 

 California Graj- ; and it has been mentioned, in preceding pages of this work, that 

 this whaling was first prosecuted in the baj'' and lagoons of Magdalena, in the )'ear 

 184G. In the winter of 1848, fifty ships anchored there to pass the "between 

 seasons" in bay -whaling, which began with flattering prospects; but it was a new 

 whale -ground, in shallow water, and the animal a strange one to the fishers, whose 

 actions, when pursued, they knew nothing about ; hence, there was hardly a ship 

 that did not have one or more of her boats staved whenever they made an attack. 

 Again, although tlio bay and lagoons were of great extent, and the whales plenti- 

 ful, the fleet was large, and it was a time when all the ships "broke out and 

 coopered their oil." Every ship's cooper and his gang were busily at work with 

 their heavy hammers, driving the hoops on the casks, and the whole comlnned 

 produced a deafening noise upon tlie water, which echoed from cliff to crag along 

 the mountain island of j\[argarita. This, with the chase and capture of the 

 animals, the staving of boats, and the smoke and blaze from try -works by night, 

 soon drove the whales to the outside shores. The ardent hopes of the most san- 

 guine were sadly dampened. A parley was held by the captains, and the matter 

 was fully discussed, what course to take in order to secure a good season's catch. 

 Fades and regulations were drawn up and agreed to I)y all that decided to remain 

 and try their luck through the season ; but many ships, after the first few days' 



