The whale immediately dived and passed under the ship, and grazed her keel in doing so.

This evidently hurt his back, for he suddenly rose to the surface about fifty yards off, and commenced lashing the sea with his tail and fins as if suffering great agony.

It was truly an awful sight to behold that great monster lashing the sea into foam at so short a distance.
In a short time he seemed to recover, and started off at great speed to windward.

Meanwhile the men discovered that the blow received by the ship had done her so much damage, that she began to fill and settle down at the bows; so they rigged the pumps as quickly as possible.
While working them one of the men cried out: "God have mercy! he comes again!" This was too true.

The whale had turned, and was now bearing down on them at full speed, leaving a white track of foam behind him.