WHALERS AND WHALING. 



command — who now takes his position in the bow — drives his lance 

 in, and as its keen edge pierces the creature's vitals, and he begins 

 to struggle, the mate shouts at the top of his voice "Stern all! Stern 

 all ! for your lives ! " 



But a whale takes a lot of killing, and the lance does not 

 always strike into his vitals. Even the explosive bombs which they 

 fire into him nowadays have to be repeated sometimes over and over 

 again before the creature dies. When he begins to spout blood in- 

 stead of water, they know a vital part has been struck, and his dying 

 agonies commence. Sometimes he darts away furiously, tearing through 

 the water like an express train with the little boat spinning along 

 behind him at such tremendous speed that they often have to cut loose 

 to keep from being swamped. Sometimes he spins round and round, 

 lashing the sea into seething white foam and upsetting a boat or 

 splintering it into kindling wood if it comes within reach of him, or 



4 6 



