ORDER OF CETACEA. 
o3 
of danger, without hope of saving its life, it swims along, over- 
turning everything which it meets with on its way. It sees nothing, 
throws itself at random on the boats, on a rock, or on the shore. 
“Very soon a general shiver runs through its whole body; its 
convulsions make the sea froth and boil. At last it raises its head 
for the last time ; for the last time it looks for the light, and dies. 
Having now become an inert body, it turns over and floats with 
its back downward, the belly on the surface of the water, the 
head hanging a little down under water,. on account of the different 
weight of the different parts. Its death sometimes takes place 
during a dive ; the carcass then comes to the surface, and floats 
without our being able to observe the phenomena which accompany 
its death-struggle.”* 
Hr. Thiercelin, an eye-witness, has just related to us the terrible 
vicissitudes in this bloody struggle between Man and the 
Whale. You have, no doubt, reader, contemplated this curious 
picture with interest ; and have felt much admiration for the 
courage of the man, and ai feeling of pity for the terrors and the 
pain suffered by his gigantic victim. Excited by the struggle, the 
crew of the whaling ship is, however, very far from being ac- 
cessible to such tender-hearted feelings as these : it abandons 
itself to transports of joy caused by its victory. 
But this triumphant joy gives place sometimes to profound con- 
sternation. The Whale is dead, it floats on the water, and belongs to 
the crew ; when lo ! all of a sudden it begins sinking gently, head- 
foremost, and disappears. What trouble has been taken, what 
dangers run, all to no jmrpose. The Whale has gone to the bottom ! 
Just as it is sinking, numerous air-bubbles come to the surface 
of the water, burst, and produce a sort of ebullition, which lasts 
about a minute. This accident may happen under several different 
circumstances. It has been observed, however, that it was more 
frequent — 1st, when the Whale is relatively thin ; 2nd, when it is 
dead without having spouted blood, or, as it is called, being suffocated 
( etouffee ) ; 3rd, when it has had its abdomen cut up with wounds 
from the harpoon. If, through any circumstance, in consequence 
of a wound, for example, the water penetrates into its bronchial 
tubes, it drives the air out of them, renders the whole body 
heavier, and the animal sinks to the bottom quicker and quicker 
* Journal d'un Baleinier , tome i. 
