Page:Journal of a Voyage to Greenland, in the Year 1821.djvu/209

Rh the shackle cut it, but the harpoon and part of the line went about ten yards through the fish, it bled profusely, and the quantity of oily substance that exuded from the wound, brought many mulemaccks to regale upon its overflowings; just before the fish died it rose, and lay quietly until we approached near it; but from the clumsiness of the man who had the harpoon ready to strike it, he missed his object, and it sank to rise no more. I, however, staid some time in the hope of its re-appearance, and despatched the boat that came to my assistance in pursuit of two other narwals that I had seen lying upon the surface, about a quarter of a mile distant; and one of which the crew succeeded in capturing. In the dissection of this fish, I had an opportunity of collecting from the stomach, specimens of its favourite food, which I found to be shrimps, and the sepia, or ink fish, of the latter of which I was enabled to procure some excellent specimens before described. On opening the head, I found a concealed tooth embedded in the right side; it presented a rough surface, was solid throughout, and at the extremity had an irregular knob resembling that of a pocket pistol. Seeing a great number of narwals playing about, I went after them without success, but shot many birds on my return to the ship, which was not until past one o'clock in the morning, when the sun was exercising its greatest influence, and actually burning one side of my face, while the opposite was quite chilled;