WHALE ADVENTURE . 
157 
of wings past the stern. A great whale in the far dis¬ 
tance conies up to blow, and after watching his move¬ 
ments for some time, we are compelled to forego the 
chase, as he is far beyond the bounds we would be 
justified in venturing after him. 
. Next morning as Byers is on watch, a whale appears. 
This time there is no difficulty in the way, and as 
everything depends upon the steady action of the 
crew, he gets his men quickly and quietly together 
and leaves the ship. So orderly had been his plans, 
we did not know what had occurred until after he 
was well away in the pursuit. 
“So forth they rowed, and that ferryman 
With his suff oares did brush the sea so strong 
That the hoare waters from his frigot ran 
And the light bubles daunced all along.” 
We ran on deck and saw the whale on the surface 
of the sea, spirting up the expressed air from his 
lungs like jets of water, but in reality it is a fine 
vapour cloud which easily condenses in this cold 
air, and looks, at a little distance, like water. In 
the far distance the land (some forty miles away) 
fills in the view, like the frame to a picture. The 
mountains, lit up with the various effects of light 
and shade, seem only fifteen miles away ; but the vast 
height of the distant peaks, seen through the clear air. 
