370 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

the great strength of the animal, that, after being fast in the
manner I have described, for upwards of 1our hours, and taking
the boats out to sea attached to him to a distance of about ten
miles from the harbour, and having been pierced with so many
wounds, he was still able to defy every effort to bring him in.
It had now got late, and was dark, and an attempt was made
to force him up near enough to get another large harpoon into
him ; this was no sooner done, than he darted off ; and by an
almost unaccountable and seemingly convulsive effort, in a
moment broke loose from all fetters, carrying away with him
eight or ten harpoons and pikes, and leaving every one staring
at his neighbour in speechless astonishment, confounded at
the power of the animal which could thus snatch himself from
them at a time when they conceived him almost completely in
their power.

“* Since then some of these animals have occasionally been
heard of at a distance from the harbour; and a few days ago,
in coming over from Fort Augusta with another gentleman,
we fell in with one of them, which allowed us to get so near
him, that it was determined to set out the next morning to
look for him. We did so; and took with us several large
harpoons, muskets, pikes, &c., determined, if it were possible,
to bring him in. He was described about eight o’clock near
Greenwich, towards the top of the harbour, as usual floating
near the surface, and moving slowly about. Having allowed
the boat to get very close to him, he was struck with a har-
poon, which was thrown at him in a most dexterous manner
by Lieutenant St. John, of the royal artillery. He immediately
set out towards the mouth of the harbour, towing the boat
after him with such velocity, that it could not be overtaken by
any of the others. After going on this way for near an hour
he turned back, which enabled the other boats to lay hold ;
and four of them were tied, one after the other, to the one in
which he was harpooned, with four or five people in each of
them. By this means we hoped to tire him out the sooner.