Their general effect had been, I should think, to
paralyze the great muscles of his flukes, rendering him unable to
travel; yet this could not have taken place until some time after
he had made good his escape from those aggressors. It was
instructive, as demonstrating what amount of injury these colossi
really can survive, and I have no doubt that, if he had been left
alone, he would have recovered his normal energy, and been as
well as ever. From our point of view, of course, what had
happened was the best possible thing, for he came almost as a
gift--the second capture we had made on these grounds of a like
nature.
At the close of our operations the welcome news was made public
that four more fish like the present one would fill us bung-up,
and that we should then, after a brief visit to the Bluff, start
direct for home. This announcement, though expected for some
time past, gave an amazing fillip to everybody's interest in the
work. The strange spectacle was witnessed of all hands being
anxious to quit a snug harbour for the sea, where stern, hard
wrestling with the elements was the rule. The captain, well
pleased with the eagerness manifested, had his boat manned for a
trip to the entrance of the harbour, to see what the weather was
like outside, since it was not possible to judge from where the
ship lay.
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