“The seven boats were arranged in curved shape, so as to form a semicircle around the animals; and the captain’s, of which I took the helm, formed the left tip of the crescent.  We pulled steadily for a half-hour over a smooth sea, and came at length so close to our victims that we could count them.  Truly it was ‘a fall’!  A few cubs played recklessly around the surface; but there was an enormous bull, whose bulk was much greater than that of the ship’s hull, which came once in full view, dived vertically, and beat the water with his terrible tail, making such billows that a storm seemed to be raging.  The other animals swam in the froth and foam thus developed, now plunging to the far depths, now shooting their huge bodies into the air, and falling with a splash, as of the emptying of the ocean.  The scene was so exciting that even my wonderful discoveries passed out of mind.  Our oars dipped noiselessly; the crews were silent; the harpooners stood, each in the bow of his launch, with naked weapons extended, waiting to strike.  The first opportunity occurred to the launch on our extreme right.  At the distance of twenty yards the executioner hurled his javelin full into the back of the great bull; a roar ensued and a frightful leap.  The other creatures repeated the agonized cry, and they swam southward with the velocity of a ship under full sail.

“‘Now, lads, bend your oars!’ shouted the captain through his trumpet.  The entire length of rope unwound directly from the reel or ‘bollard’ of the first launch, and the line of a second boat was attached forthwith; a third and a fourth were annexed, but the whale exhibited no sign of exhaustion, and dragged his pursuers like the wind.  A fifth and a sixth line spun out.  The captain’s cheek grew pale, and he opened his clasp-knife with a curse upon his lips.  There remained the line of our boat alone:  unless the monster stopped within ten minutes, we should lose every foot of the ship’s cordage, and this last rope would have to be severed.  Tremulously a seaman attached it; it was whirled out as if by a locomotive.  The oars moved like light, but no human activity could approach that of our victim.  He nearly swamped the launch, and the friction of the bollard threatened to set it ablaze.

“‘What devil of the deep is this?’ said the captain, bending forward with his blade.  The sailors ceased with hot faces, and stared aghast.  I seemed to hear calling voices; I grew faint and blind.  The bollard snapped with a dead, dull sound; I was entangled in the stout twine, and tossed into the sea.  Some oars were thrown overboard, that I might be buoyed up.  Three of the launches were turned toward me, and the seamen called aloud that I should keep up courage.  But the line pulled me downward; my heart ceased to beat; I beheld with indescribable terror the pale surface receding, and the dark shapes of the vessels above me were finally lost to view.  I knew that at the first inhalation the brine would fill my mouth and lungs; I held my breath hard, and tried to pray.  Down, down, down into the blue depths—­a cycle of protracted years it seemed!  My ears were stunned with strange noises; my lips parted, and at length the sea rushed into my throat; for an instant I seemed to strangle, but I did not perish.