r no whale.

Two irons were planted in him, of which he took not the slightest
notice. We had taken in sail before closing in to him on account of the
swell, so that we had only to go in and finish him at once, if he would
let us. Accordingly, we went in with a will, but for all sign of life
he showed he might as well have been stuffed. There he lay, lazily
spouting, the blood pouring, or rather spirting, from his numerous
wounds, allowing us to add to their number at our pleasure, and never
moving his vast body, which was gently swayed by the rolling sea. Seeing
him thus quiescent, the mate sent the other two boats back to the ship
with the good news, which the captain received with a grave smile
of content, proceeding at once to bring the ship as near as might be
consistent with her safety. We were now thoroughly sheltered from sight
of the other ships by the enormous mass of the island, so that they had
no idea of our proceedings.

Finding that it was not wise to take the ship in any closer, while we
were yet some distance from our prize, a boat was sent to Mr. Cruce with
the instructions that he was to run his line from the whale back to the
ship, if the creature was dead. He (the mate) replied that the whale
died as quietly as he had taken his wounds, and immediately started for
the ship. When he had paid out all his line, another boat bent on, until
we got the end on board. Then we merrily walked him up alongside, while
sufficient sail was kept drawing to prevent her being set in any nearer.
When he was fast, we crowded on all canvas to get away; for although the
sea was deep close up to the cliff, that swell was a very ugly feature,
and one which has been responsible for the loss of a great number
of ships in such places all over the world. Notwithstanding all our
efforts, we did get so near that every detail of the rock was clearly
visible to the naked eye, and we had some anxious minutes while the old
ship, rolling tremendously, crawled inch after inch along the awful side
of that sea-encircled pyramid.

At one point there was quite a cave, the floor of which would be some
twenty feet above high-water mark, and its roof about the same distance
higher. It appeared to penetrate some distance into the bowels of the
mountain, and was wide and roomy. Sea-birds in great numbers hovered
around its entrance, finding it, no doubt, an ideal nesting-place. It
appeared quite inaccessible, for even with a perfect calm the