TOWING A DEAD WHALE.
The monster now attempts to sound, but is obliged to keep to the surface, and he soon goes in what is technically termed by whalemen his “flurry,” but what landsmen would call his dying agonies—and terrible they are. The sea is beaten into a perfect foam by his writhings and contortions; and, after a short time, as if with accelerated strength, he starts off with lightning speed, describing in his course circles, each growing smaller than the preceding one, and his speed slackening, until he finally gives one monster throe and dies, rolling fin out, with his head to the sun.[2]
The battle is now ended, and the “huge leviathan lies a victim to the superior power and mind of man.”
Now that life is extinct, a hole is cut in his head, the line made fast, and all the boats “hook on” and tow him to the ship, where he is made fast by means of a fluke-chain being passed around his tail, which chain is brought to the forward part of the ship, and passed through a “hawse-hole,” and made fast to the “bowsprit bits,” bringing the whale with his head pointing aft, and in a proper position to commence the operation of “cutting in.”
[2] This is stated to be a fact by old and experienced whalemen, who assert they have never seen a sperm whale die in any other manner. This peculiarity we have never heard accounted for.
CHAPTER V.
Description of the Sperm Whale.—Described externally.—Difference between the Sperm and Right Whale.
Before proceeding farther, perhaps it will be interesting to the reader if we give a brief description of the external form of the sperm whale. The following draft represents the shape of the animal, and the various dotted lines show the manner of dividing it, in order to “heave it in on deck.”
