so TRAVELS IN 
deck. The alarm became general throughout 
the crew. Vangenep believed that we had 
driven on our anchors, and that we were 
ftriking on fome rock ; but obferving, by the 
pofition of the other fhips, that we had not 
moved from our place, it was concluded that 
fomething elfe muft be the caufe of that extra- 
ordinary motion, and our confternation be- 
came redoubled. Having in vain attempted 
to difcover from what it proceeded, we at 
length perceived a whale, which, rifmg before 
us, had, in diving again, paffed between our 
two cables, which croffed one another. As 
the animal happened to be impeded by its 
tail, which is exceedingly broad, the violent 
efforts it made to difengage itfelf had fhaken, 
and even then fhook, our veffel. The people 
immediately jumped into t»:e boats, and ran to 
their harpoons ; but the darknefs of the night 
unluckily prevented them from employing the 
neceffary manc^uvres to kill it ; and the mo- 
ment when the boats w^ere approaching, it 
got itfelf difentangled. Every one was vexed 
at this difappointment. As for me, I regretted 
it much, until chance enabled me afterwards 
to get one into my povv^er. Whe'.7 the danger 
was 
