3136 Quadrupeds, fyc. 



commotion and noise, that the boats were nearly upset, and the fish- 

 ermen found that such attempts to take his life were not likely to be 

 successful. They were in this situation, when a coal-brig, coming in 

 with the tide, passed within sight of the unusual and unequal encoun- 

 ter, and the captain ransacked his vessel for the most deadly weapons 

 he could send them ; however, all he could do was to fix a bayonet 

 on a mop-handle, and with this the intrepid fishermen renewed the 

 attack, and persecuted the unfortunate whale. But though they could 

 do him no mortal injury, they succeeded in causing him to play such 

 antics, and to create so great a commotion in the peaceful waters of 

 the Wash, as attracted the attention of the men at the look-out in the 

 harbour of Lynn, some eight or nine miles off. What further attempts 

 after the same manner these hardy fishermen would have resorted to 

 in order to secure their prize, which they were firmly resolved to ob- 

 tain, I cannot say, for now a long spit was sent to them from Lynn, 

 and with this the monster was despatched. 



Meanwhile many hours had elapsed since the first discovery of the 

 whale by the boatmen, and news of the stranger having reached Lynn, 

 many boats started for the scene of action. It so chanced that I was 

 going out in a friend's yacht at the moment the news arrived, and of 

 course we lost no time in hurrying to the scene of action. Just as we 

 reached the boats, which were now increased to the number of about 

 twenty, his death struggles began, and it was a grand sight to see his 

 terrific plunges, the water lashed into foam by his enormous and pow- 

 erful tail, the whole sea around in commotion, and the volumes of 

 blood and water which he spouted in his agonies before he was igno- 

 miniously slain by the spit ! Now he plunged down and almost over- 

 whelmed the boats in the storm he raised; now he reared his enormous 

 head out of the water ; now with his great black tail he lashed the 

 waves ; now with a prodigious effort seemed to throw himself almost 

 out of the sea ; while two huge fountains of blood and water spouted 

 from his nostrils half-mast high, and the surrounding boats reeled and 

 trembled, and were well nigh upset in the confusion. 



When quite dead he was towed into Lynn by the whole fleet of 

 boats. Ropes were passed from boat to boat, and finally to our yacht, 

 which took the lead ; and with flags flying and much cheering, we 

 moved along, a triumphant procession, into Lynn harbour. 



1 forget what were his dimensions and supposed weight ; I only re- 

 member that I thought him a very Leviathan, and that he brought in 

 a great deal of money to the fishermen : though from the number of 

 boats in at the death, all of which claimed a share in the prize, 1 fear 





