326 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XI. 
spout, that the fish would alter its course a point or 
two ; and another headsman, who has been atten- 
tively watching his movements, at last declares that 
" George is off," and, with a fresh word of encourage- 
ment to his crew, follows swiftly in his wake. 
The chase now becomes animatino^ : this last 'ma- 
nceuvre has cut off a considerable angle described by 
the whale ; her course and that of the boats almost 
cross each other ; and the crisis seems ap])roaching. 
The headsman urges his rowers to exertion by en- 
couraging descriptions of the animal's appearance. 
" There she breaches ! " * shouts he ; " and there goes 
" the calf ! " " Give way, my lads ; sharp and strong 's 
" the word ! — there she spouts again ! — give way in 
" the lull ! — make her spin through it ! George a'n't 
" two boats' lengths a-head of us. Hurrah ! Now 
" she feels it, — pull while the squall lasts ! Pull ! — 
" go along, my boys !" All this time he is helping the 
after-oarsman by propelling his oar with the -left hand 
while he steers with the right. This is technically 
called " backing-^p" Each oar bends in a curve ; the 
foam flies from her bows as a tide-ripple is passed ; and 
both boats gain perceptibly on the whale. " And 
" there goes flukes ! " continues the headsman, as the 
huge animal makes a bound half out of water, and 
shows its broad tail as it plunges again head-first into 
the sea. " Send us alongside, my lads — now give 
" way ! — hurrah, my bonnies — hearty and strong ! — 
" hurrah ! I '11 wager a pint (there goes the calf 
" again !) — I '11 wager she tries out eight tun if she 
" makes a gallon — hurrah ! hurrah ! hurrah then ! — 
" three or four strokes more and she '11 come up under 
" our nose. Stand up. Bill !" The boat-steerer })eaks 
his oar, places one leg in the round notch in the front 
* She leaps out of the water. 
