270 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTEBN COAST. 



romance, one of his brother captains ironically remarked that, as he "told the 

 truth so often, he hardly knew when to believe him." "You don't, eh?" retorted 

 Captain L. ; "well, you have a heap of good manners, I think, to interrupt a 

 gentleman when he's talking? Now, look here, old Doubtful, I'll tell you what 

 happened to me in my own boat, up in the 'mud -hole,' season afore last. We 

 was chasing a cow and calf, and I charged my boat-steerer to be careful and not 

 touch the young sucker, for if ho did, the old whale would knock us into cliop- 

 sticks ; but no sooner said than done — slam went two irons into the critter, chock 

 to the hitches, and that calf was 'pow- mucky' in less than no time; and the 

 boat-steerer simg out: ' Cap'n, I've killed the calf, and the old cow is after us.' 

 Well, just about this time, I sung out to the men to pull for the shore as they 

 loved their lives ; and when that boat struck the beach, we scattered. I'll admit 

 I never stopped to look round; but the boat-steerer yelled out: 'Cap'n, the old 

 whale is after us still,' when I told all hands to climb trees!" Tliis graphic 

 picture of "ripsacking" was received with a shout of laughter by the knot of 

 listeners who had circled about the loquacious captain, and all admitted that he 

 was the king of skippers in Devil- fisli lore. 



But with all the waj-nings and direful tales, Magdalena Bay whaling was 

 resumed -with ardor about the years 1855 and 1856, and was continued and 

 extended along the whole coast of both Upper and Lower California. Every 

 navigable lagoon of the region was discovered and explored, and the animals were 

 hunted in every winding and intricate estuary which were their resorting or breed- 

 ing places. In the seasons of 1858 and 1859, not only the bays and lagoons were 

 teeming with all the varied incidents of the fishery, but the outside coast was 

 lined with ships, from San Diego southward to Cape St. Lucas. A few vessels of 

 this fleet cruised near the shore by day, standing a little way off at night ; but by 

 far the largest number anchored about the islands, points, and capes, wherever the 

 animals could be most successfully pursued. It was a novel sight to view a single 

 ship, or a small squadron, anchored off some exposed headland or island, rolling 

 and surging at their cables in the ugly ground -swell, and the fleet of boats lying 

 along the line of kelp just without the surf- bound shore, or, with their sails spread 

 to the breeze, skimming over the waves in the various directions the gigantic game 

 led them. At such times, a feature was observed in this fishery which is not 

 often witnessed, namely : the peculiax marks or devices pictured upon the sails of 

 the boats belonging to the difTerent vessels. Some had a large cross covering the 

 mainsail, while others would have the whole sail of blue, with a white jib or gaff- 

 topsail. On another boat's canvas would be figured one, two, or three balls ; or 



