by the
effort.

At length we managed to get near enough to him to enable Mr Trevett to
give him a thrust with his lance. Deep in it went, the monster almost
leaping out of the water with the agony of the wound. A vital part had
been pierced. "He's in his flurry! Stern all--stern all!" was shouted.
It was time that we were out of his way; for, swimming round and round,
he beat the water with his flukes with terrific force, sufficient to
have dashed us to atoms had he touched us, throwing the life-blood over
us from his spout, and dashing the surrounding ocean, ensanguined with
the ruddy stream, into a mass of foam. This mighty convulsion was his
last effort. Over he rolled, and he was our well-earned prize.

But now we had killed him, it became a serious question how we were to
get back to the ship. In what direction was she to be found? As we
looked about, we saw that the weather, which had hitherto been so fine,
was evidently about to change. The sky was full of the unmistakable
signs of a heavy gale. Long fleecy clouds with curling ends lay
scattered over it, and darker masses were banking up rapidly in the
southward. We had now ample time to consider our position, as we lay on
to the dead whale. We had neither light nor compass, and all our
provisions were spoiled or lost. One keg of water alone had been
recovered, and we found among us a few quids of tobacco. The nearest
islands to the northward were, we knew, inhabited by the very worst
description of cannibals, and, though white men occasionally traded with
them for provisions, it was necessary to be constantly watchful to
prevent surprise. The crews of several vessels not having taken the
proper precautions, had been cut off and murdered. Night also was
rapidly approaching, and we could not possibly reach the ship, even did
we know where to find her, before dark, probably not for several hours.
However, the mate, feeling that the first object was to try and save our
lives, resolved to pull for the ship, leaving the whale with flags stuck
on its side, in the hope that we might again find it. With much regret,
therefore, we quitted our hard-earned prize, and pulled away, as we
believed, to the northward, in the direction where we had left the ship.

We had not pulled long, however, when the gloom of night came on, and
the gale which we had seen brewing burst over the ocean, quickly tearing
up its sleeping bosom into foam-crested, tumbling seas, w