72 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
me. The agony the poor animal now appeared to 
be suffering, would, on any other occasion, have 
excited sentiments of immixed compassion ; in the 
present instance the spectacle was rendered awfully 
grand by the astonishing exertions made by the fish 
with its fins and tail, to destroy its assailants. The 
other boats having come up, the crews actively ap- 
plied lances to reach the vitals of the fish, and I 
imagine they speedily effected their object ; for, in 
discharging the air from the blow-holes, it gave early 
indication of exhaustion, by a mixture of blood with 
the breath. The bustle of the combat— the con- 
fusion of voices — the struggle of departing life ting- 
ing the air with red* — the surrounding sea turned to 
an ocean of blood — and, at the moment, when the 
last breath was observed to escape, three hearty 
cheers from the crews of the boats, to welcome the 
event, — all together presented a picture beyond the 
power of description. As soon as the bustle was 
over, a boat came for me, and the fish being secured 
by the tail, and the fins tied across the belly, it was, 
by the united efforts of every boat, rowed to the 
ship ; this was a most cheerful part of the business, 
being accompanied with a merry song by all the 
men: on reaching the ship, the fish was placed 
along-side for the operation of flincing. After wait- 
ing this process, in anxious expectation that, by ex- 
amining the contents of its stomach, I should be able 
to ascertain the quality of its food, and also to make 
many other important discoveries of the economy 
of nature in the structure of the whale, I regretted 
