164 
CHASE AND CAPTURE 
all directions at his enemies. Now his enormous head 
rises high into the air, then his flukes are seen lashing 
everywhere, his huge body writhes in violent contor- 
tions from the agony the “iron” has inflicted. The 
water all around him is a mass of foam, some of it darts 
to a considerable height — the sounds of the blows from 
his tail on the surface of the sea, can be heard for miles ! 
(s ee frontispiece J. 
“ Stern all,” cries the headsman ; but the whale sud- 
denly disappears; he has “sounded;” the line is running 
through the groove at the head of the boat, with light- 
ning-like velocity ; it smokes— it ignites, from the heat 
produced by the friction, but the headsman, cool and 
collected, pours water upon it as it passes. But an oar 
is now held up in their boat ; it signifies that their line 
is rapidly running out ; two hundred fathoms are nearly 
exhausted ; up flies one of the other boats, and “ bends 
on” another line, just in time to save that which was 
nearly lost. But still the monster descends ; he is 
seeking to rid himself of his enemies by descending 
deeply into the dark and unknown depths of the vast 
ocean. They next bend on the “ drougues,” to retard his 
career, — but he does not turn ; another and another have 
but slight influence in checking the force of his descent ; 
two more lines are exhausted,— he is six hundred fathoms 
deep ! “ Stand ready to bend on,” cries the mate to the 
fourth boat (for sometimes, though not often, they take 
the whole four lines away with them — 800 fathoms! !); 
but it is not required, he is rising, “ Haul in the slack,” 
observes the headsman, while the boatsteerer coils it 
