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1860
Tuesday
Sept. 4
[[/margin]]
Whale had been run aground. The only alternative was to tie the "Great conquered" to a Great Mountain and await the return tide!
After dinner, I took the Dinkey & paddled over to Whale Island - for it was to this ^[[our]] Mysticetus was secured - that I might view the monster when "high & dry". Unfortunately the tide did not ebb enough for this, as only 1/2 of his [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] carcase appeared above water therefore my view was from the mountain top! The low tide would not admit my crossing over to ^[[the]] Whale. [[strikethrough]] I could have [[/strikethrough]] "Distance lendeth enchantment to the view". In this case I [[strikethrough]] W [[/strikethrough]] would beg the priviledge of differing from the Honourable one who originated this sentiment. I spent [[strikethrough]] a [[/strikethrough]] full two hours, at a proper distance from the Whale, viewing what I could of it, & in searching among the rocks for specimens.
At 4 O'Clock all hands went out to bring the Whale in - tide rising. At 4 1/2 O'Clock, 7 Boats (6 hands in each) towing him, ^[[ tantrum[[?]] team like,]] into the harbor.
The sight one of interest, reminding me of the way old Rome celebrated her "Triumphs" over Great Kings & Kingdoms.
At 5 O'Clock "The [[underlined]] King [[/underlined]] of Fishes" was along side. How proudly [[underlined]] had [[/underlined]] this conquered, defunct sovereign reigned over the innumerable tribes which nature has formed in the empire [[strikethrough]] below [[/strikethrough]] of the mighty deep!
And now how proudly do the ^[[officers &]] men of the "George Henry" reign over thee, Great Source of Light- & Crinoline Expansion! Aye- And how proudly too ^[[our friends,]] the Iron Sons & daughters of the North, ^[[soon]] [[underlined]] will be [[/underlined]] as they become possessed of thy "Black-Skin" & ^[[thy]] "Krang"!
By the by, the whale lost some of his "Black-Skin", say about 20 square feet, before he had been tied up to Whale Island 10 minutes. The skin of the Mystecetus (Greenland Whale) is a great treat to the Esquimaux, who eat it raw. They, of course, were allowed to help themselves, [[underlined]] moderately [[/underlined]], on Mr. Whale, before getting him into the harbor.
This ^[["Black-]] Skin" is 3/4 [[strikethrough]] of [[/strikethrough]] an inch in thickness & looks like [[strikethrough]] blu[[?]] [[/strikethrough]] Indian rubber. It is good eating ^[[in its [[underlined]] raw [[/underlined]]state]]- even for a White man - [[underlined]]as I know from experience. [[/underlined]] but "boiled & sauced"!- the gods, I am sure, would eat [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] it [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] ^[[as]] ambrosia!