HUMP-BACK WHALE IN NATAL WATERS. 57 



1121b., and, attached to a cable of some twenty-five fathoms, is 

 placed within the gun's muzzle. 



We had been cruising around when, without any warning, a 

 large Whale hove in sight, probably not more than one hundred 

 yards distant. We seemed to have frightened it, and, not wishing 

 to run any risks, it dived without exposing either its head or 

 pectorals, but I had time to see its hump and massive back, its 

 tail only coming into view when the rest of its body was covered 

 up. We saw nothing more of it, although we stood by some 

 twenty minutes. The captain all this time had not removed 

 his eyes from the place where it went down, and now called out 

 something in Norwegian to the man above, and I noticed the 

 course was altered, and the reason for this, I was informed, was 

 that sport would be later this day, as the Whales were still at 

 breakfast. 



With Captain Andersen I indulged in a smoke and chat, 

 and we exchanged confidences, so far as our limited knowledge 

 of each other's language would permit, when suddenly the tran- 

 quillity was broken by the report of a gun, followed shortly after 

 by that of another. In the hazy distance, which might be a little 

 over one and a half nautical miles, we were able to see the other 

 whaler's (' Jupiter ') white barrel and a little of her hull. On 

 our arrival home we heard the news of this whaler's record 

 catch, the captain having come up with the " school " quite 

 early. 



We passed this whaler and steamed straight on, it being 

 obvious no time was to be lost, as ahead of us, for the first time, 

 we saw little white puffs everywhere, though the Whales remained 

 hidden. We were not long in overtaking them, and as we 

 silently approached, their snorting became more audible, and we 

 perceived hurried strokes of their tails, but it was some time 

 before they had courage enough to let us pass them. The 

 ! Omen ' slackened down apace, and as she did so this large 

 assembly of Whales (twenty or more) commenced their acrobatic 

 turns, and I have still in my eye the picture these cetaceans 

 presented, and cannot refrain from dwelling upon it, for I am 

 not likely to forget a scene so unlike anything else in the great 

 field of big game. 



Under an opaque sky, and overhead the sun enveloped with a 

 Zool. 4th ser. vol. XIII., February. 1909, f 



