lous to see, making it a no easy matter for them to avoid
his tremendous rush. Our actions, at no time slow, were considerably
hastened by this display of valour, so that before he could turn his
attentions in our direction we were ready for him. Then ensued a really
big fight, the first, in fact, of my experience, for none of the other
whales had shown any serious determination to do us an injury, but had
devoted all their energies to attempts at escape. So quick were the
evolutions, and so savage the appearance of this fellow, that even
our veteran mate looked anxious as to the possible result. Without
attempting to "sound," the furious monster kept mostly below the
surface; but whenever he rose, it was either to deliver a fearful blow
with his tail, or, with jaws widespread, to try and bite one of our
boats in half. Well was it for us that he was severely handicapped by
a malformation of the lower jaw. At a short distance from the throat
it turned off nearly at right angles to his body, the part that thus
protruded sideways being deeply fringed with barnacles, and plated with
big limpets.

Had it not been for this impediment, I verily believe he would have
beaten us altogether. As it was, he worked us nearly to death with his
ugly rushes. Once he delivered a sidelong blow with his tail, which, as
we spun round, shore off the two oars on that side as if they had been
carrots. At last the second mate got fast to him, and then the character
of the game changed again. Apparently unwearied by his previous
exertions, he now started off to windward at top speed, with the
two boats sheering broadly out upon either side of his foaming wake.
Doubtless because he himself was much fatigued, the mate allowed him to
run at his will, without for the time attempting to haul any closer to
him, and very grateful the short rest was to us. But he had not gone
a couple of miles before he turned a complete somersault in the water,
coming up BEHIND us to rush off again in the opposite direction at
undiminished speed. This move was a startler. For the moment it seemed
as if both boats would be smashed like egg-shells against each other,
or else that some of us would be impaled upon the long lances with which
each boat's bow bristled. By what looked like a handbreadth, we cleared
each other, and the race continued. Up till now we had not succeeded
in getting home a single lance, the foe was becoming warier, while the
strain was certainly tel