OF THE SPERM WHALE. 
183 
Numberless stories are told of fighting whales, many 
of which however, are probably much exaggerated 
accounts of the real occurrences. A large whale, called 
“ Timor Jack” is the hero of many strange stories, such 
as of his destroying every boat which was sent out 
against him, until a contrivance was made by lashing a 
barrel to the end of the harpoon with which he was 
struck, and whilst his attention was directed and divided 
amongst several boats, means were found of giving him 
his death wound. 
In the year 1804, the ship “ Adonis,” being in com- 
panv with several others, struck a large whale off the 
coast of New Zealand, which “ stove” or destroyed nine 
boats before breakfast, and the chase consequently wac 
necessarily given up. After destroying boats belonging 
to many ships, this whale was at last captured, and 
many harpoons of the various ships that had from time 
to time been sent out against him were found sticking in 
his body. This whale was called “ New Zealand Tom,” 
and the tradition is carefully preserved by whalers. 
Accidents of the most fearful nature have frequently 
occurred in this hazardous pursuit, which to enumerate 
would fill the space of volumes ; — for not only boats, 
but sometimes even ships have been destroyed by these 
powerful creatures. It is a well authenticated fact, that 
an American whale-ship called the u Essex ” was de- 
stroyed in the South Pacific Ocean by an enormous 
sperm whale. While the greater part of the crew w'ere 
away in the boats, pursuing whales, the few people 
remaining on board saw an immense sperm whale come 
