176 
CHASE AND CAPTURE 
which caused it to throw up blood from the blow -hole 
in increased quantities. We, who were on board the 
ship, and had observed from a great distance, by means 
of the telescope, the whole of the occurrence, were 
employed in beating the ship towards them, but they 
were far to windward, and the wind being rather light, 
we had even our royal sails set. Soon after the arrival 
of the third boat, the whale went into its flurry and soon 
died, when, to the dismay of the boats 9 crews, who had 
endured so much danger and hardship in its capture, 
it sunk, and never rose again, —an occurrence which is 
not very unfrequent, owing of course to the greater 
specific gravity of the individual, perhaps from a greater 
development of bony and muscular structures. Such 
were the adventures of that day, in the evening of which 
the crews returned to the ship, worn out and dispirited, 
having lost a favourite boat, with the whole of her 
instruments, besides the last whale wanted to complete 
the cargo, and worth at least 500/. ! (see cut, p. 173.) 
At day-break, one fine morning in August, as our 
first mate was going aloft, to look out for whales, he 
discovered no less than three ships within a mile of us ; 
but they were situated in various directions. We soon 
discovere/i them to be whalers, who like ourselves were 
cruising after the spermaceti whale, and therefore their 
appearance only had the effect of redoubling our vigi- 
lance in the “ look-out,” so that we might if possible 
be the first, to obtain the best chance if one of those 
creatures “ hove in sight.’ 9 And it was not long before 
