[Detroit Free Press.]
    Immediately upon a whale being harpooned, he sounds, that is, goes under water at lightning speed, as does also the line to which he is attached, making it necessary to throw water upon it to prevent it from taking fire from the friction. It has been claimed that whales can run at a speed of a mile a minute. They cannot remain long below, but must come up to breathe.
    When a whale is struck, the boatsteerer is relieved by the header, and he mans the steering until the whale turns up; when a whale dies his belly turns uppermost together, the sails hoisted and then commences a long, tedious pull. You might think they would lay to and let the ship come up, for whales invariably run to windward and oftentimes a boat is miles away from the ship when a prize is captured. Not frequently darkness overtakes them a long way from their berths.
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