swell in front of him like an ironclad.  There was barely time to sheer to one side, when the giant surged past us in a roar of foaming sea, the flying flakes of which went right over us.  Samuela was “all there,” though, and as the great beast passed he plunged a harpoon into him with such force and vigour that the very socket entered the blubber it needed all the strength I could muster, even with such an aid as the nineteen-feet steer-oar, to swing the boat right round in his wake, and prevent her being capsized by his headlong rush.

For, contrary to the usual practice, he paused not an instant, but rather quickened his pace, as if spurred.  Heavens, how he went!  The mast and sail had to come down—­and they did, but I hardly know how.  The spray was blinding, coming in sheets over the bows, so that I could hardly see how to steer in the monster’s wake.  He headed straight for the ship, which lay-to almost motionless, filling me with apprehension lest he should in his blind flight dash that immense mass of solid matter into her broadside, and so put an inglorious end to all our hopes.  What their feelings on board must have been, I can only imagine, when they saw the undeviating rush of the gigantic creature straight for them.  On he went, until I held my breath for the crash, when at the last moment, and within a few feet of the ship’s side, he dived, passing beneath the vessel.  We let go line immediately, as may be supposed; but although we had been towing with quite fifty fathoms drift, our speed had been so great that we came up against the old ship with a crash that very nearly finished us.  He did not run any further just then, but sounded for about two hundred and fifty fathoms, rising to the surface in quite another mood.  No more running away from him.  I cannot say I felt any of the fierce joy of battle at the prospect before me.  I had a profound respect for the fighting qualities of the sperm whale, and, to tell the truth, would much rather have run twenty miles behind him than have him turn to bay in his present parlous humour.  It was, perhaps, fortunate for me that there was a crowd of witnesses, the other ships being now quite near enough to see all that was going on, since the feeling that my doings were full in view of many experts and veterans gave me a determination that I would not disgrace either myself or my ship; besides, I felt that this would probably be our last whale this voyage, if I did not fail, and that was no small thing to look forward to.

All these things, so tedious in the telling, flashed through my mind, while, with my eyes glued to the huge bulk of my antagonist or the hissing vortices above him when he settled, I manoeuvred my pretty craft with all the skill I could summon.  For what seemed a period of about twenty minutes we dodged him as he made the ugliest rushes at us.  I had not yet changed ends with Samuela, as customary, for I felt it imperative to keep the helm while this game was being played.  My trusty Kanaka, however, had a lance ready, and I knew, if he only got the ghost of a chance, no man living would or could make better use of it.