Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-02-04

the boats gained upon him every moment, when
the agitation of all parties became intense, ana
a general cry of Dart DART! broke from the
hindermost boats, who each urged their friends,
fearful of delay. The uproar became excessive,
and while the tumult of voices, and the work
inc and spdshing of the oars, rolled along the
surface of the Deep both the harpooners darted
their weapons together which, if they had both
struck the whale, would have originated con-
tention between them, regarding their claims
But. as it happened, neither of them had their
GOOD fortune for, ut the moment of their dart
inc the harpoons, the whale descended like a
shot. and avoided their inflict;on, leaving no
thing but white and green vortex in the dis
turbed blue Ocean, to mark the spot where his
monstrous form so lately floated. A general
huzza burst from the sternmOst boats, when they
saw the issue of this chase, thinking now, that
another chance awaited them on the next rising
of the whale, and they soon began to separate
themselves little, and to row onwards again
in the course which they thought he had taken,
Our captain. feeling irritated at the ll-success OF
the mate. now ordered his own boat to be low
cred, intending to make one in the chase hlm-
self; but, Just as he had parted from the ship,
going down little TO leeward, tremendous
shout arose from the people in our own boats,
ioined with q loud murmuring from the rest of
the boats crews for the whale, not having all
his spou,ings out, had now risen again to finish
them, and was coming to windward at quick
rate. right towards our ship. The captain saw
his favorable situation in moment, and pass"
ing quickly to the bows OF the boat, he stood TO
wayay him as he came careering along, throw
ing his enormous head completely out of the
water, for he was now quite Called lie soon
/ ~ i 1
came, and caught sight OF the boat just as he
rot within dart the vast animal rolled himself
over in an agony of fear, to alter his coul Sc; but
it was too late the harpoon was hurled with
excellent aim, and was plunged deeply into his
side, near the Tin.
"As the immense creature almost flew out OF
the water from the blow, throwing tons spray
high into the air, showing that he was fast,
| triumphant cheering arose from those IN our
own boats, as well as from those in the ship ac-
companied by exclamations loud and deep, and
not of the most favorable kind to us, from all
the rest But onwards they all came, and soon
cheerfully rendered assistance to complete Its
destruction but which was not done, however,
without considerable difficulty, the whale con-
tinuinp to descend the moment either of the
boats got nearly within dart Of him. But after
an hours exertion in this way, six out Of the
him by their harpoons, but not one ofthem could
get near enough to give him fatal lance. lie
towed them all in various directions for some
time, taking care to descend below the surface
the moment boat drew up over his tiukes, or
otherwise drew near, which rendered it almos,
impossible to strike him in the body, even when
the lance was darted, although the after part OF
his small was perforated in hundred places :
from these wounds the blood gushed in consi-
derable quantities, and as the poor animal mov-
ed along towing the boats, he left long en-
sanguined stain in the Ocean. AT last, becom-
ing weak from his numerous and deep wounds,
he became less capable of avoiding his foes,
which gave an opportunity for one of them to
pierce him to the life! Dreadful was, that mo-
ment, the acute pain which the leviathan ex-
perenced, and which reused the dormant en-,
ergies of his gigantic frame. As the hte-blood
gurgled thick through the nostril, the immense
creature went into his furry with excessive
fury; the boats were speedily sterned OIL while
he beat the water in his dying convulsions with
force that appeared to shake the firm founda-
ton of the Ocean,"