Punch: Punch (21.1851)

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI. 243

Oft' the mighty monster started ;

Pain and anguish gave him cause ;
Suddenly he backwards darted,

Seized the boat between his jaws ;
Into smithereens he cracked it;

Or, as witnesses declare,
Who beheld the thing transacted,

Bits no bigger fhan a chair !

In the starboard boat, the Captain

Quickly to the rescue struck,
And, although the bark was snapt in

Pieces, saved the crew—by luck.
No w the good Ann Alexander

To their aid the waist-boat sent;
Halt' the band then having manned her,

At the Whale again they went.

Soon the ocean-giant nearing,

They prepared to give him tight,
Little thinking, never fearing,

That the beast again would bite.
Bat without their host they reckon'd ;

At their boat he also flew ;
Like the first lie served the second,

Snapped it into pieces too.

Sure his jaws, together clapping,

Had the gallant seamen crushed ;
f ut, when they perceived him snapping,

Straight into the sea they rushed.
To afford the help they needed,

Bold Deelois repaired again;
Once more, also, he succeeded

In the aim to save his men.

Tired, perhaps, of sport renewing,

To their ship this time they hied,
When, behold, the Whale pursuing,

With his jaws extended wide.
Gloating with revenge, he sought 'em;

But, with blubber pierced, and gored,
He was crippled, or had caught 'em ;

But they all got safe on board.

Risk the heroes little cared for;

Speedily they set their sail
In the ship herself—prepared for

One more tussle with the Whale.
Now they reach'd him—plunged a lance in

The infuriate monster's head ;
Then—of course they had no chance in

Close encounter—onward sped.

Por the ship they saw him making,
But the chase he soon gave o'er,

Which the animal forsaking,
Down on him again they bore;

Fifty rods below the water

There they saw the monster lie ;

So, despairing him to slaughter,
They resolved no more to try.

At this time, Deblots was standing

Sternly on the larboard bow,
Ready, with harpoon his hand in,

To inflict a deadly blow -.
Up he saw the monster rising,

With velocity and power,
At the rate of speed surprising,

Of full fifteen knots an hour !

In an instant—Heaven defend us !—

Lo, the Whale had, near the keel
Struck, with such a force tremendous,

That it made the vessel reel;
And her bottom knock'd a hole in,

Into which the water pour'd ;
And the sea so fierce did roll in,

That the billows rush'd and roar'd !

Yet the ship was saved from sinking,

Though so riddled by the Wrhale,
And Deblois and his unshrinking

Crew, survive to tell the tale.
Strong are all those daring fellows,

Doubtless, the harpoon to throw :
And—to judge from what they tell us-

Stronger still to draw the bow !

JOHN BULL, TAKE CARE OP YOUR POCKETS.

The United States seem to be getting united into one state, which
is likely to be a state of bankruptcy. The model republic is so fond of
freedom, that America takes every opportunity of throwing off its
bonds; and in repudiating its bonds, it repudiates the liability to pay the
interest.

New Orleans has just joined the repudiating fraternity, in conse-
quence of the municipal authorities having got up a quarrel, as certain
parties sometimes get up a fight, to give an opportunity of picking the
pockets of the bystanders. Until the authorities have settled their dis-
putes, they will not think of settling their debts ; and as the Americans
owe everything to England, they appear desirous of letting what they
owe remain as a standingobligation, which they are not disposed to cancel.
We have heard much of the banks of Ohio; but the bank of I. 0. U. is
that which appears to be most in character with the transactions on the
other side of the Atlantic.