Page:Once a Week Jun to Dec 1864.pdf/210

 Rh about 80° in the shade, a moderate breeze blew over the red-coloured laud [sic] and blue-coloured waters of our fine bay. I had finished my breakfast, and was looking out from our verandah on the bay with its dazzling sandy beach which extends round its border, when I noticed much bustle and confusion upon the landing-places. Directly afterwards several boats laden with natives put off into the bay, rowing with more energy than is customary amongst them, for at the best they are on most occasions the reverse of energetic. Away they pulled, and in a direct course for the leeward side of our bay, instead of following the usual track pursued by boats going off to ships moored in the harbour. My curiosity was raised to a high pitch to know the cause of so much confusion, but the mystery was explained when away to leeward I perceived, floating very placidly on the surface of the water, an immense long black-coloured object, which I at once knew to be a whale, from having seen them playing with their young, or "calves," as they are called, during the visits which they make to our waters during the breeding season between January and July. Presently I saw the foremost boat had reached the whale, which we conjectured was either dead or disabled from allowing a boat to approach so near without appearing to move. On looking again through my glass, I noticed that the boat was actually made fast to the monster, and that several other boats which had reached the scene of action had fastened on to the first boat, and that the whole cortége was now proceeding at a very slow, funeral-like pace through the water, with the poor whale in tow.

I proceeded to the landing-place, and not being able to resist the temptation of joining in what offered to be an exciting excursion, I jumped into a boat that then happened to be leaving for the general rendezvous. On reaching the scene of action, I found that the whale was wounded badly in two or three places, and that in its side was sticking a harpoon. The boats wore now being towed along after the whale, being made fast to it by the piece of line joined to the harpoon in its side. The whale was about sixty feet long and was much exhausted, and its tail quite hors de combat. The boats continued to arrive from the shore and from the ships in the harbour, until about fifteen to eighteen were assembled round the whale, who continued to behave most unoffendingly; we formed a motley throng, and as I looked over the assemblage, I noticed that we were composed of Englishmen, Americans, Portuguese, Germans, and our natives, making up together quite a Babel of languages. Soon a grand attack was commenced, the whale began to move along slowly as the closed around on all sides. Crowbars, boathooks, long knives, and a hatchet formed our arms, and away we hacked and slashed, cutting holes in the body, and then inserting the crowbars and working them to open and deepen the holes thus formed. The whale appeared to take but little notice of our doings, and after taking two or three turns in the shallow water of the anchorage ground of the bay, made off fairly to sea, moving along rather faster, at about three or four miles an hour. Most of the boats now fastened on, one after the other, in order not to have so much rowing to do, whilst two of the natives mounted on the whale's back to work away with the knives. But they were doomed not to ride far, for the whale now gave a plunge and dived down; the natives' hats were first seen floating, and then as soon as the owners rose to the surface, they were rescued by the boats around. Soon afterwards up came the whale itself, and spouted out a column of water, that rose to about the height of ten or twelve feet, and happened to be blown over a boat containing two German captains, who were much disgusted with the unpleasant odour of the water.

We were now fast approaching the mouth of the bay; the sea began to roughen, and we began to think of our return. However, on we went, the natives crying out now and again that the whale would soon give in. Once or twice it dived down, and as whales are known to go down and remain swimming under water, when well, for as long a time as a quarter of an hour, frequently when harpooned by the whalers, considerable apprehension was manifested and knives were ready to cut the short rope attached to the first boat, in case our whale should have an idea of making a prolonged stay below, but it appeared unable to stay a long time; probably from exhaustion, its stay did not exceed half a minute, the longest time that it was under water. An Englishman in one of the boats inserted an oar down its mouth as it swam along, in a vain attempt to reach its throat, and so to despatch it; but the whale proceeded ahead, not appearing to notice this movement. On we advanced, the whale appearing not to be any nearer its dissolution in consequence of our grand combined attack on it: we were now about three miles from the landing-place. Several boats now returned to shore, others remained and continued the chase. The sea, being now much higher, caused some of us to become better acquainted with it, by occasionally sending the crest of a wave into our boat.

Our attempts at cutting and hacking the whale were now principally given up, through