r some time, Pullingo
still remaining the central figure on the top of the whale, when
suddenly he dug his axe into the creature's back; on which, picking up
their stone knives or other instruments, which they had placed on the
ground, the savages rushed forward and began hacking away at the body of
the whale in a most ferocious fashion.

I was very glad that we were at a distance, for even as seen through a
telescope the spectacle was one of the most disgusting I ever witnessed.
As they cut out pieces of the flesh, they rammed them into their
mouths, tearing them with their teeth like a pack of famishing wolves;
some of them literally forcing their way into the carcass, out of which
they emerged carrying huge pieces of dripping flesh, covering their
bodies with blood. Even the women, some of them young, and, as seen
from a distance, far from ill-looking, attacked the whale in the same
fashion as the men, and appeared again dripping all over with blood.
When I thought of the putrid state of the flesh, it made me almost sick
to look at them, and disgusted at seeing human beings so degraded.
Under ordinary circumstances they were not pleasant neighbours, but
horrible must have been the effluvium arising from them after they had
thus gorged themselves.

Not having any wish to get nearer the scene, we returned to the boat;
and in a short time afterwards we saw that they had lighted fires in the
neighbourhood of the monster, intending apparently to cook the flesh,
and to stay there till they had eaten it up.

The presence of so large a number of natives in our vicinity, made my
father consider seriously whether it would not be prudent to leave our
present position without further delay, nearly four months having
elapsed since the departure of the long-boat. He forthwith invited
Mudge and Burton to hold a consultation on the subject, at which I also
was present; and where Mudge remarked that two days only remained to
complete the four months.

"If no vessel appears in that time, I think we may conclude, either that
the long-boat has unfortunately been lost, or that Mr Brown has been
unable to succeed in obtaining a vessel to come to our relief," observed
Mudge. "While the whale lasts, I don't think we need fear a visit from
those unsavoury gentlemen; but when they have recovered from the effects
of their banquet, and begin to feel the pangs of hunger, they are very
likely to become troublesome; and though we should be