short time succeeded in saving them all from a death
little less horrible than that from which they had twice as narrowly
escaped. He then ordered the boat to put for the ship as speedily as
possible; and no sooner had the order been given, than they discovered
the monster of the deep making toward them with his jaws widely
extended. Fortunately, the monster came up and passed them at a short
distance. The boat then made her way to the ship and they all got on
board in safety.

After reaching the ship a boat was dispatched for the oars of the
demolished boats, and it was determined to pursue the whale with the
ship. As soon as the boat returned with the oars, sail was set, and the
ship proceeded after the whale. In a short time she overtook him, and a
lance was thrown into his head. The ship passed on by him, and
immediately after they discovered that the whale was making for the
ship. As he came up near her, they hauled on the wind, and suffered the
monster to pass her. After he had fairly passed, they kept off to
overtake and attack him again. When the ship had reached within about
fifty rods of him, they discovered that the whale had settled down deep
below the surface of the water, and, as it was near sundown, they
concluded to give up the pursuit.

Captain Deblois was at this time standing in the night-heads on the
larboard bow, with lance in hand, ready to strike the monster a deadly
blow should he appear, the ship moving about five knots, when working on
the side of the ship, he discovered the whale rushing toward her at the
rate of fifteen knots! In an instant, the monster struck the ship with
tremendous violence, shaking her from stem to stern! She quivered under
the violence of the shock, as if she had struck upon a rock! Captain
Deblois immediately descended into the forecastle, and there, to his
horror, discovered that the monster had struck the ship two feet from
the keel, abreast the foremast, knocking a great hole entirely through
her bottom. Springing to the deck, he ordered the mate to cut away the
anchors and get the cables overboard, to keep the ship from sinking, as
she had a large quantity of pig iron on board. In doing this, the mate
succeeded in getting only one anchor and one cable clear, the other
having been fastened around the foremast. The ship was then sinking
rapidly. The captain went to the cabin, where he found three feet of
water; he, however, succeeded in procuring a chronometer, sext