about noon before
My boat was out of sight of the ship before we made fast to a regular snorer , a hundred-barreller at the least . The moment he felt the iron , away he went like the shot out of a gun ; but he did n't keep it up long , for soon after another of our boats came up and made fast . Well , for some two or three hours we held fast , but could not haul on to him to use the lance , for the moment we came close up alongside of his tail he peaked flukes and dived , then up again , and away as fast as ever . It was about noon before we touched him again ; but by that time two more harpoons were made fast , and two other boats cast tow-lines aboard of us , and were hauled along . That was four boats , and more than sixteen hundred fathoms of line , besides four harpoons that was fast to that whale , and yet , for all that , he went ahead as fast as we could have rowed , takin ' us along with him quite easy . `` A breeze having sprung up , our ship overhauled us in the course of the afternoon , and towards evening we sent a line on board , to see if that would stop the big fish , and the topsails were lowered , so as to throw some of the ship 's weight on him , but the irons drew out with the strain . However , we determined to try it again .