sudden the roaring ceased, and I felt myself buffeting the water
fiercely in my efforts to reach the surface. I know not how I got
free, but I suppose the turn of the line must have slackened off
somehow. All this happened within the space of a few brief moments;
but oh! they seemed fearfully long to me. I do not think I could have
held my breath a second longer.

When I came to the surface, and tried to look about me, I saw the boat
not more than fifty yards off, and, being a good swimmer, I struck out
for it, although I felt terribly exhausted. In a few minutes my
comrades saw me, and, with a cheer, put out the oars and began to row
towards me. I saw that the line was slack, and that they were hauling
it in--a sign that the whale had ceased running and would soon come to
the surface again. Before they had pulled half-a-dozen strokes I saw
the water open close beside the boat, and the monstrous head of the
whale shot up like a great rock rising out of the deep.

He was not more than three feet from the boat, and he came up with such
force, that more than half his gigantic length came out of the water
right over the boat. I heard the captain's loud cry--"_Stern all!_"
But it was too late, the whole weight of the monster's body fell upon
the boat; there was a crash and a terrible cry, as the whale and boat
went down together.

For a few moments he continued to lash the sea in his fury, and the
fragments of the boat floated all round him. I thought that every man,
of course, had been killed; but one after another their heads appeared
in the midst of blood and foam, and they struck out for oars and pieces
of the wreck.

Providentially, the whale, in his tossings, had shot a little away from
the spot, else every man must certainly have been killed.

A feeling of horror filled my heart, as I beheld all this, and thought
upon my position. Fortunately, I had succeeded in reaching a broken
plank; for my strength was now so much exhausted, that I could not have
kept my head above water any longer without its assistance. Just then
I heard a cheer, and the next time I rose on the swell, I looked
quickly round and saw the mate's boat making for the scene of action as
fast as a stout and willing crew could pull. In a few minutes more I
was clutched by the arm and hauled into it. My comrades were next
rescued, and we thanked God when we found that none were killed,
although one of them had got a leg broken, and anot