FROM EDINBURGH TO THE ANTARCTIC 291 
Jason is lying alongside, the Diana has joined us, and the 
Polar Star came up from the south under canvas, sailing 
in and out amongst the ice, her topsails showing dark 
against the white sky ; she has such small engines that 
she has generally to carry some sail. The Active has 
not come to the meeting ; but the Diana's crew gave 
us an account of her doings in the early part of this 
day. For reasons unknown, one of her boats made 
fast to one of those whales that have been constantly 
blowing round us ; probably the harpooneer was tired 
of waiting for the right whale, and felt that he must kill 
something, so let drive at the nearest finner. The result 
was that the whale went off in a bee-line with the three 
lines in the boat; a second boat followed and made 
fast, and again the whale made off, with three more lines, 
that is, with 720 fathoms in all, or 1440 yards of two-inch 
rope trailing behind it — beats salmon-fishing, doesn't it? 
To save the first lines a third boat fired another harpoon 
into the whale, and this time the line was brought on 
board ship; and the ends of the other two lines were also 
picked up and brought on board, and away went the 
procession in tow of the whale, the three boats hanging 
astern ! It must have been a beautiful sight ! The whale 
towed them along at a good rate, and rockets were fired 
into it whenever there was a chance, but it only showed 
its nether end above water, so their effect was only to 
make it go faster. After fourteen hours' play the engines 
were reversed and the lines broke, and the whale went 
away ' with half Jock Tod's smithy shop in its tail.' This 
is the account given by the crew of the Diana ; possibly 
